Lower Unit Question

[Log Catcher]

I went fishing yesterday. When I was tying everything down after fishing and loading the boat on the trailer I noticed a piece of braided line hanging out from the prop. I have heard stories about fishing line damaging lower units. I took the prop off today and got the line off. As best I can tell I got it all off. 

 

Since this is first time I have ever had this problem is there anything else I need to check or be concerned about? I have not put the prop back on yet. I will probably do that tomorrow. Any help or info is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Oh and fishing was lousy. Yesterday was the first time I have been skunked this year. Had some on but they decided to get off before I could get them in the boat.

[Jig Man]

The problem would be damaging one of the seals.  You can let a bit of lower unit fluid out and see if it has water in it.

[Way2slow]

Wrapped around the prop is not a problem.  It's when it gets pulled in around the prop shaft is when the problems come.  It can get pulled in the seal and destroy it.  Take the prop off and make sure it didn't get around the shaft and around the seal area.  If not, you are good to go.

[Log Catcher]

23 hours ago, Way2slow said:

Wrapped around the prop is not a problem.  It's when it gets pulled in around the prop shaft is when the problems come.  It can get pulled in the seal and destroy it.  Take the prop off and make sure it didn't get around the shaft and around the seal area.  If not, you are good to go.

It did get around the prop shaft between the stop for the prop the go against and the main unit. I haven't done anything else with it yet as I had to go to the doctor today with some kind of virus knocking me down

[MickD]

Since you found it pretty early, even though the seal may be damaged, there may not yet be water in the lube.  If  there is, the lube will look cloudy, milky.  It will collect at the bottom, so letting a little out of the drain hole, as mentioned before, can help determine if it's there.  

 

I would also be very aware of a more-than-normal oil film on the water when operating the motor.  That could indicate oil getting out past the seal.  It would also be a good idea to inspect the lower unit area below the prop for oil before going out next time.  

 

I would not change the seal unless you are sure it's leaking.  

 

Most likely you got it before any damage was done.  

[TOXIC]

Or…..to be absolutely sure, swing by the shop and have them pressure test the lower unit.  

[Way2slow]

If it has been pulled under the seal, it will be oily when you get it out.  The seal is a double lip seal so if it was caught early enough, the outer lip will keep it from getting under the inner lip.  If it burns through the outer lip, it can still may not leak oil out but can suck water in.  Keep a check on your fluid levels making sure it's staying full and the color of the lube.  It's either going to be black or the natural color of the lube, depending on when it was last serviced.  If it starts getting water in it, it's going to turn it a brown to light creamy milky looking goo and that ain't good, time for a repair then.   

[Log Catcher]

I cleaned the prop shaft up and got it cleaned up pretty good. It has been sitting for a day with the prop off. I am not seeing any signs of oil leakage. The line was pretty dirty and greasy from all the old grease on it. I always put grease on the prop shaft any time I take the prop off and put it back on.

 

I will take the boat and go creek fishing next time out. I won't be making any long hard runs. I can check the oil after that and see how it looks. 

 

As for taking it the shop the place I am using now is about 60 miles away. I have only used them once but they were very straight forward and honest to deal with.

[Way2slow]

The leak comes during operation.  The lower unit is at ambient temp when it goes in the water.  If the water is cold, it's going to create a vacuum on it.  Then when you run it, it's going to heat up and create pressure on it.  When you stop, it's going back to a vacuum when it cools, and continues this cycle during use.  That's when it's going to either let water in or lube out, or both.  That's why to properly pressure test one, you take it to a given pressure and then to a given vacuum and make sure it holds both.  So, check your fluid level and color after every use for a while, and then at regular intervals for a while after that.

 

[Log Catcher]

21 minutes ago, Way2slow said:

The leak comes during operation.  The lower unit is at ambient temp when it goes in the water.  If the water is cold, it's going to create a vacuum on it.  Then when you run it, it's going to heat up and create pressure on it.  When you stop, it's going back to a vacuum when it cools, and continues this cycle during use.  That's when it's going to either let water in or lube out, or both.  That's why to properly pressure test one, you take it to a given pressure and then to a given vacuum and make sure it holds both.  So, check your fluid level and color after every use for a while, and then at regular intervals for a while after that.

 

Thanks for the info. I was planning to take it easy next time out but it sounds like I might as well give it a good run and then check it.

[TOXIC]

And……depending on your manufacturer, you might need to check your LU oil mor frequently than others.  The lower unit seals on my 2005 Yamaha HPDI 250 are manufactured so that it naturally looses oil over use.  Mechanics have described it as the way the seals are designed, inner lip, outer lip, etc.  I have to check it more often than others.  

[gim]

Man, those bundles of discarded fishing line just wreak havoc on props and wildlife, don't they?  I found some old line wrapped around underneath the prop on my bow mount last month.  It pays to check both the outboard prop and the bow mount regularly to make sure this crap isn't ruining your equipment.

[Captain Phil]

28 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Man, those bundles of discarded fishing line just wreak havoc on props and wildlife, don't they? 

 

Some years ago I was fishing deep in the Everglades when I noticed a wading bird sitting in a tree that looked to be in distress.  I went over to it and the end of it's wing was wrapped in monofilament fishing line and it couldn't free itself from the tree.  He looked to be in real trouble and had obviously had been held captive for some time.   The bird did not try to fight me as I cut the line to free it.  The poor thing just looked at me with a grateful look in it's eyes.   I don't know what happened to the bird after that, but I never threw fishing line in the water again.  Discarded fishing line does far worse things than mess up your seals.

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, Captain Phil said:

 

Some years ago I was fishing deep in the Everglades when I noticed a wading bird sitting in a tree that looked to be in distress.  I went over to it and the end of it's wing was wrapped in monofilament fishing line.  He looked to be in real trouble and had obviously had been held captive for some time.   The bird did not try to fight me as I cut the line to free it.  The poor thing just looked at me with a grateful look in it's eyes.   I don't know what happened to the bird after that, but I never threw fishing line in the water again.  Discarded fishing line does far worse things than mess up your seals.

That would’ve never happened with a premium fluorocarbon 

[Captain Phil]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

That would’ve never happened with a premium fluorocarbon 

 

Why is that?

[TnRiver46]

Just now, Captain Phil said:

 

Why is that?

I’m just being a smarty pants, poking fun at the mono haters 

[gim]

26 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

Discarded fishing line does far worse things than mess up your seals.

Truth be told, I've never been much to clean up after others.  I was raised to clean up after myself.  Most of the time, when I see trash, I leave it.  I didn't put it there, so its not my responsibility to clean it up.  EXCEPT balls of discarded fishing line.  I pick those up every time knowing the damage they can do to wildlife and gear.

[WRB]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Truth be told, I've never been much to clean up after others.  I was raised to clean up after myself.  Most of the time, when I see trash, I leave it.  I didn't put it there, so its not my responsibility to clean it up.  EXCEPT balls of discarded fishing line.  I pick those up every time knowing the damage they can do to wildlife and gear.

That is why so much trash is laying around “nobody” discarded it.

Tom

[gim]

17 minutes ago, WRB said:

That is why so much trash is laying around “nobody” discarded it.

Then how did it get there?  Fall from the sky?

[WRB]

17 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Then how did it get there?  Fall from the sky?

Must have as nobody takes responsibility for it being there.

Tom

[Choporoz]

I helped a bird tangled in line a few years ago.   This was at a fly-in camp with less than a dozen cabins on a 14 mile-long lake.  If fishing line is a problem for birds there....more than 50 miles from nearest paved road....imagine how bad the birds have in our pressured lakes and rivers.

 

And...just because I'm smug and self-righteous....I always make it a point to bring extra trash in off the water.  It isn't hard to find around here...if everyone out there just grabbed one plastic bottle or bag.....

[gim]

From what I can gather here, I'm seen as being in the wrong for not picking up litter or trash when I see it.  I don't believe that its my responsibility to clean up after someone else.  I clean up after myself.  I never leave anything behind in the environment when I'm fishing or hunting.  I pick up my empty shell casings.  Maybe if everyone cleaned up after themselves there wouldn't be a problem to begin with so stop blaming or chiding me in a passive aggressive manner because of someone else's sloppiness or lack of respect for the environment.

[Log Catcher]

My outboard motor is a 2003 40HP Mercury. I should have posted this in the original post. I got braid wrapped around the trolling motor prop on a different lake the first time I fished it.

 

I still haven't done anything to put the prop back on. I guess sinus and allergies are getting the best of me.

[TOXIC]

18 hours ago, gimruis said:

From what I can gather here, I'm seen as being in the wrong for not picking up litter or trash when I see it.  I don't believe that its my responsibility to clean up after someone else.  I clean up after myself.  I never leave anything behind in the environment when I'm fishing or hunting.  I pick up my empty shell casings.  Maybe if everyone cleaned up after themselves there wouldn't be a problem to begin with so stop blaming or chiding me in a passive aggressive manner because of someone else's sloppiness or lack of respect for the environment.

Don’t get me wrong here, you have the total right not to clean up after others and I’m no eco freak but where I live the areas I fish can get trashed because of the way rivers and feeder creeks flow.  Many coming through heavily populated areas with large trash or recycling plants that unfortunately get trash runoff.  If you want to go a little deeper, we only have one planet and it’s all of our responsibility to care for it.  Just like I pay taxes for public schools when I don’t have any school age kids or I pay taxes for unemployment when I have worked since I was 13.  It’s part for being a member of society. 

[gim]

10 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Just like I pay taxes for public schools when I don’t have any school age kids or I pay taxes for unemployment when I have worked since I was 13.  It’s part for being a member of society. 

That's not really a fair comparison to the topic at hand.  If I don't pay my taxes, I get in legal trouble.  If I don't pick up trash, there's no legal repercussions.  And just for transparency, I don't have school age kids either nor do I collect unemployement, but I've paid into those since I entered the work force.  Using your analogy, if I decide not to pay those taxes, someone else should pay them for me.  Ya, right...

 

If trash is ending up downstream from a landfill or recycling plant, then go after those facilities.  I am not the source of the problem here at any point, so I should not be held responsible for cleaning it up.

 

This thread has gotten way off track.  My apologies @Log Catcher.