Water leak from gearbox

benc · 21 July 2011, 15:11

Hi Guys... me again :/

I have just bought a honwave 3.2m with a 8hp tohatsu two stroke.

After trying for an hour yesterday to start the engine, I thought I would leave it for the night, and go back fresh in the morning. So I tried today, and after 15 minutes, of trying everything I could to start the engine, I thought of one thing I hadn't tried - another kill cord - I changed it, and the engine started within quarter of a pull.

The weird thing was, I had managed to get the engine to fire up a few times, but only for a couple of cycles and then die - the kill cord that was already on the engine when I got it looks like my yamaha one, which is about 4mm thick... the tohatsu one is probably 7-8mm thick. I have had this issue before, when I mistakenly picked up the wrong kill cord for the yamahas, the tohatsu one stopped seemed to pull the pin for the killcord out too far which made it intermittent when bouncing on waves.

Anyway, all that said, I have found an issue...

‪VID 00000-20110721-1258.3GP‬‏ - YouTube

If you look when I move down to the gearbox, there is water coming out of the front of it. It looks like the gearbox has been chipped while they were changing the impeller or something.

What should I do to repair it? Does it needed to be welded, or can I use liquid metal or similar to fill the gap, sand down and paint?

Thanks

Ben

jyasaki · 21 July 2011, 17:40

From the telltale, it looks like you're getting plenty of cooling water. If the damage doesn't cause a structural problem with the leg, I wouldn't worry about it. A lot of the LU is filled with water when running anyway.

Personally, I can't see the kind of damage you describe from changing the impeller, but I also don't get a clear pic of it from the video.

jky

benc · 21 July 2011, 17:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

From the telltale, it looks like you're getting plenty of cooling water. If the damage doesn't cause a structural problem with the leg, I wouldn't worry about it. A lot of the LU is filled with water when running anyway.

This is what I was thinking, just wanted to make sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

Personally, I can't see the kind of damage you describe from changing the impeller, but I also don't get a clear pic of it from the video.

Its very small, I went to take a picture with my proper camera, but as I hit the shutter button the battery ran out, so just used my phone, ill take a photo later.

I reckon I might just stick a bit of resin of some kind over it to stop the leak, just to be on the safe side.

captnjack · 21 July 2011, 18:53

My gearbox has a similar hole in it. I think its to allow air in when the engine is on the dry so all the water can drain and there's no vacuum. If there's water trapped in the impeller or anywhere else in the gear box and it freezes the lower unit will be ruined. So unless you know that this "hole" is a problem underway I would leave it alone.

m chappelow · 21 July 2011, 19:39

I have water comming out of that hole too,when i run it on the hose ,
i dont think its anything to worry about as long as the tell tale is strong as captjack says some sort of bleed hole .

benc · 21 July 2011, 19:56

Mine doesn't look like a hole though, it looks like a chip... like you guys say, it shouldnt matter, so maybe ill just run with it and see how things go... I have oars

captnjack · 21 July 2011, 23:33

can you take a close up pic?

benc · 21 July 2011, 23:51

Hopefully this is visible

benc · 22 July 2011, 13:35

Well, I took the gear box off earlier, and I feel dumb.

Its a square cut hole, not a chip... just really gunged up with salt, which made it look like a chip.

Cleaned it down and put it back together, looks fine now!

Never seen a small hole like this on an engine before, my 150's don't have it and neither does the 50hp Tohatsu

Thanks for the responses. Now I'm getting it ready to take out on the maiden voyage tomorrow