Mercury xr6 oil pump gear bad and tank out of oil

[Davidpkl]

Got a friends mercury xr6 that lost cylinder #5 so I took a look and tank on motor was out of oil dry so looked at big tank and was full of oil pulled tank pickup screen and was stopped up with sludge so I pulled motor down and oil pump drive gear on crank was compleat striped out. My question is did the plastic gear strip out due to running out of oil or is it 1 in a billion chance that they both happened the same time. It is kinda weard all other 5 cylinders and bearrings look great. O yea sombody before he got the moat discontinued the boats alarm system so now he is stuck with a rebuild.

[perfmarine1]

Ran out of oil, motor got hot, gear got soft and striped. Mix after rebuild, and no chance of this happening again.

[Davidpkl]

Ran out of oil, motor got hot, gear got soft and striped. Mix after rebuild, and no chance of this happening again.

yea that's what I am going to do. Just thought it was weird that all other pistons look great.

[perfmarine1]

The weak link will always go first. If it did get hot make sure all cases and heads are surfaced for flatness as they may be warped. And ck the brgs and crank for blueing from no oil.

[Davidpkl]

Ok thanks yea the bearings look good but they are a bluish black but they all seam to have oil on them also.