Bravo 3 oil

swede

Can i use another oil to bravo 3 than Quicksilvers high performance gear oil ? its cost a lot.

Capt Ron

It costs a lot in Canada too... what I do at the end of the season is to drain the oil, if there isn't any water in it, brown foam and the oil is still clean I will stop the draining and just top it off. I can usually do this for two seasons and then I just drain the oil all out on the third. We only put about 20 hours a year on the boat if so throwing away good oil is not brilliant.

swede

Ok same use for me to on the boat.

If there is no water in the oil then i can use it again on this low hours?

After plane 2 hours gear oil disapre about half resovair.

What can the problem be. getting to hot upperhouse?

rasbury

it costs a lot because I'd guess it's good oil- 4 grand to replace the unit vs. how much for good oil?

Black_Diamond

if you are using oil..you have a leak or the drive is overheating and blowing it out backwards at the reservoir.  Drive showers can help with the latter.

There are better oils than the Mercury 'blue death' oil.  None are cheap.

Michael T

100% with Al. I have never had a drive failure, Alpha, Bravo or Blll. I change the oil every year. I would if I had 20 hours on it! On some of my faster boats I used single or twin drive showers. I liked Gil Offshore but there are many good brands. If you think your drive tower is getting too hot look for chalky deposits on it (obviously at the top) that is a dead giveaway. IMO your drive lube reservoir level should not be going down that much with every use - in fact - not at all.  It is leaking somewhere. You can get a "burp" that dislodges air on a refill but not continual drops. Same with closed cooling antifreeze, a "burp" is okay a constant loss is a leak.

swede

If its a leak were should i look?

Michael T

I have seen them leak in a number of areas. the two most obvious I look for are first at the lube reservoir itself. Check the hose and fittings to see if there is any gear lube on the engine itself or the in the bilge (small drops) It doesn't take much of a leak in the water to spot a sheen but it can take a number of times checking. It took me three weeks to find a leak in a seal on the Blll of my Rinker 2011 226 XL. I just kept looking. One day I saw the sheen on the water. Sure enough it was a seal in the drive unit. I am sure others will relate their experiences too. Good Luck!

swede

I have not seen any thing in the water and now leak on tube i think. the oil is clear

in the reservoir. no water in it.

pepmyster

Always change the oil every season, one of the fastest ways to see the condition of the foot. Other than clear, start checking........

69fastback

Check for a leak around the prop shaft seal. 

jhofmann

Considering a new bravo 3 cost around$7,00 and a  rebuilt cost around $3,500, and my used find was $2,000, oil in indeed cheaper. I would use at least the Mercury quicksilver. I am thinking of upgrading to AMSoil full synthetic.

jhofmann

That was $7,000 new!!

swede

Ok iam gooing to use Quicksilver high performance

swede

I notice that its only dropping after a trip maybe propseal ?

Michael T

prop seal.

swede

Ok can i change that easy or most i take down the lower house?

Michael T

Before we get too far - sorry, I have to ask again - have you checked the water thoroughly for a sheen. The time to do this is after you have had your boat out for a run. Tie it up at your dock and wait (patiently) to see if a sheen develops. This could take a half hour or more and the water has to be calm enough to see it. I say this because if the gear lube isn't low because air got into the system after a service re-fill and it isn't leaking, onto he engine (should smell it when the engine is hot) or into the bilge - it must be leaking out of the drive, like the upper or lower shaft or prop seals. IF that is the case there should be a sheen on the water - even if it is a small sheen. Also, have you checked the gear lube fill hole on your drive? When it was last filled - IF the screw was improperly installed - as in loose, no O ring, wrong O ring or parts of the old O ring left in the hole before the screw and new O ring were installed - that could cause a slow leak.  IF a seal is involved you may be able to fix it but you may need specialized tools to do it. Of course, first you have to find the darn leak! Good luck!

Black_Diamond

That is not an easy seal to change. If the shaft surface is at all damaged, a new seal is useless. Note you have 2 shaft seals on a B-III

swede

I have not any sheen but i have not wait so long to look for it.

Got to look it up. I filled up 3 times so i think the air most be gone.

If the prop seal is leaking is gone show on the water after a time?

I can not see any oil in engine room.