Bravo 3 locked up?

jhofmannjhofmann Member Posts: 430 ✭✭✭

My 2000 242 5.7 EFI was running great when it started to lose power and drop off plane. When I throttled back, the engine stalled and would not turn over. Thanks to Douglass marine I kept from drifting onto Plum Island NY, ( don't want to know what happens there) and Tow Boat U.S. got me back to Connecticut. When I got home I could smell burnt gear lube, and lube had pushed out the reservoir and all over the power steering pump. The engine started right up, but I can hear growling sounds from the out drive. I am thinking a bearing may have went in the outdrive causing the lube to overheat, expand and push out, then eventually fail and lock up. Once the drive cooled down it somewhat freed up. Has anyone heard of this happening?

Comments

  • Black_DiamondBlack_Diamond Member Posts: 5,439 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If it is really burnt fluid you smell that's a bad sign. Does the growling sound happen in neutral?  It is a short list:

    Ujoints, bad coupler and blown outdrive. That was in order of cheap to $$$. Can you pull the lower drain plug on the drive to get an oil sample out?  If you find chunks, new outdrive time. The drives usually do not seize, they just grind themselves to pieces inside. 

    Past owner of a 2003 342FV
    PC BYC, Holland, MI
  • jhofmannjhofmann Member Posts: 430 ✭✭✭

    Well, I pulled the top of the outdrive apart and found a bad bearing where the driveshaft enters the outdrive. It is part of an assembly that includes 2 bearings back to back, with a gear attached. If I can find the parts, I can be back in the water by next weekend.

  • jhofmannjhofmann Member Posts: 430 ✭✭✭

    I was unable to load the pictures of the bad bearing, but the oil got hot enough to melt the plastic on the shafts lock nut. Fished out some small metal pieces with a magnet. Not sure what fell into the lower, which was very corroded outside when I got it. I found a used outdrive on e-bay that is the newer style with sealed u-joints, and extra anodes with the same gear ratio, that had broken piece on the left side of the outdrive by the speedo connection that prevents side to side movement when the outdrive is trimmed down. My local welding shop will fab up a piece, bevel it, weld it, and grind it for $150. He has done this before, but says he is usually repairing broken skegs. $2000 for the used " low hour" outdrive with a 30 day money back warranty will hopefully get me back in the water this weekend. I was told there is no problem putting the newer outdrive on an older style transom. Anyone done this before?

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