Notice of Fuel Slick, Exhaust?

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I'd just pull the prop, inspect for fishing line..

If none seen, spray the prop shaft seal with brake cleaner then check over night for oil at the seal shaft...

[zenoahphobic]

All good info guys, thanks. I was thinking, perhaps this fuel/oil leak is not coming from the upper casing exhaust, rather from the prop exhaust, or leaking from prop seal. What I could do to rule this out is simply back the boat down the ramp and submerge just the lower unit. If I see the fuel/oil slick, well then now I know where it's coming from and can proceed from there. If no slick, this rules out a bad prop seal. Sound accurate?

Fair call. After leaving the engine stand for sometime, just as it would be after last use, put it in the water without running the engine, and wait and see.

Good to break down every procedure to determine at what point this happens.

As Townsend points out going straight to the shaft to inspect may show something but leaking seals can be hard to examine without removal. Also you loose the chance to see what happens to the seal when the engine is running. You could however remove the prop and then plop the engine down into the water to give you peace of mind.

Going back to my scenario (we can only provide scenarios via this forum) of a cooling /exhaust leak, all possibilities need to be taken into account. I usually give one to be brief, and in this case I suggested residual oil may be getting into the cooling water.

Equally I could have expanded and suggested, some cooling water could be entering the exhaust chamber. Or some combination. For instance, If the slick tends to be brown this might suggest cooling water has found its way into the exhaust chamber (where it hasn't been before), and has washed some of the oily exhaust residue off.

One theory usually prompts lateral thinking around possibilities including discounting possibilities, it's all helpful discussion.

[zenoahphobic]

Started to listen to my own advice.

We are thinking fuel, two stroke oil and gear oil, and maybe shaft grease, but there are many other sources:
steering shaft grease, pivot pin grease, other lubricating greases and oil, hydraulic steering fluid, tilt and trim fluid, cleaning agents and solvents, waxing agents, flushing agents, WD40 or similar, starting fluid, trim fluid, tuna oil, fish extracts, sunscreen, some unnoticed greasy thing stuck to engine at home or at boat ramp, .....personal lubricant etc etc.

Any of these recently used or disturbed? Could the one month ago gear oil have spilt somewhere and conditions have changed to disturb that?

Lateral thinking will get you a whole lot more to add to the list.

[rodbolt17]

knowing the T&T leak issues with that unit I would also carefully inspect the tilt unit.

[Jason2tpa]

knowing the T&T leak issues with that unit I would also carefully inspect the tilt unit.

The mercurial rodbolt chiming in, nice! So far as I've owned the engine, no T/T leaks. Be that as it may, im not implying it won't happen. I'll put that item on the list to check thks.

[Jason2tpa]

Started to listen to my own advice.

We are thinking fuel, two stroke oil and gear oil, and maybe shaft grease, but there are many other sources:
steering shaft grease, pivot pin grease, other lubricating greases and oil, hydraulic steering fluid, tilt and trim fluid, cleaning agents and solvents, waxing agents, flushing agents, WD40 or similar, starting fluid, trim fluid, tuna oil, fish extracts, sunscreen, some unnoticed greasy thing stuck to engine at home or at boat ramp, .....personal lubricant etc etc.

Any of these recently used or disturbed? Could the one month ago gear oil have spilt somewhere and conditions have changed to disturb that?

Lateral thinking will get you a whole lot more to add to the list.

All good points. I plan on starting with the basics and working from there. Thks.

[Jason2tpa]

All good info guys, thanks. I was thinking, perhaps this fuel/oil leak is not coming from the upper casing exhaust, rather from the prop exhaust, or leaking from prop seal. What I could do to rule this out is simply back the boat down the ramp and submerge just the lower unit. If I see the fuel/oil slick, well then now I know where it's coming from and can proceed from there. If no slick, this rules out a bad prop seal. Sound accurate?

Whelp, I did the above ^^^. No sign of fuel/oil slick with just the lower unit submerged. Which narrows it down to the leak coming from either the PT/T unit or lower cowling exhaust.

[pstephens46]

knowing the T&T leak issues with that unit I would also carefully inspect the tilt unit.

Are you suggesting the o-ring leak at the pump? Easier to see with boat on trailer I would think. Showa should put the dye in the fluid when the damn thing is assembled at factory.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Are you suggesting the o-ring leak at the pump? Easier to see with boat on trailer I would think.

Clean it spotless, let it dry.

Then work the unit and throw some "flower" on it. It'll stick to any oil leaking..

[BQUICK]

Daisies or carnations?

[dray0151]

Depends on how that "flower" sticks as to which pattern it mimics. Now flour might work better, that da** spell check may have gotten Scott not sure, or maybe he comes from the flower child days like me?

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Depends on how that "flower" sticks as to which pattern it mimics. Now flour might work better, that da** spell check may have gotten Scott not sure, or maybe he comes from the flower child days like me?

ROSE FLOWER of course! (what ever that is).

I'm 59 now, so I was a bit young in the "flower power" days.

Peace BROTHER!

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Any updates Jason?

[DennisG01]

Any updates? Or did we come back to the liklihood that it's just a normal thing for 2-strokes?