Sportmaster L/U experts please chime in

**baja200merk** · 05-25-2020, 03:35 PM

Ahh dam ok. Last one i saw cut to strait skeg was still about .100 thicker than a strait skeg.

**TraceF3** · 05-25-2020, 03:39 PM

edit

**JPEROG** · 05-25-2020, 03:45 PM

Trace,

Tom is giving you the correct path. Call Todd and get a good carrier and double seals for shift, prop, and drive shafts. I have this stuff in all of mine and never an issue. Todd is a #1 guy to deal with.

Joe

**TraceF3** · 05-25-2020, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by JPEROG

Trace,

Tom is giving you the correct path. Call Todd and get a good carrier and double seals for shift, prop, and drive shafts. I have this stuff in all of mine and never an issue. Todd is a #1 guy to deal with.

Joe

Ha! Read up about 6 posts... already done! Thanks Joe. River next Friday?

**JPEROG** · 05-26-2020, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by TraceF3

Ha! Read up about 6 posts... already done! Thanks Joe. River next Friday?

We will be making a dinner run Friday eve and plan to do the Trump parade on Saturday as well, then maybe hit the Glen on Sunday.

Joe

**mjw930** · 05-26-2020, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by TraceF3

I ordered a shift shaft seal and a drive shaft seal kit from MADEFI. He recommended against the vent kit. I think he said he's quit selling it. Kit installs easily in under an hour. Going to run it later this week to see if it solved the problem.

I had water in the case of my 300XS at 20 hours after a clean change at 10. Mercury replaced the lower unit as it also had too much shaft runout and I did the MADEFI full kit at the same time. Put another 20 hours on the lower with 2 clean changes before I sold it. You should be happy with Todd’s kit.

**Brookbbb** · 05-30-2020, 09:02 AM

I'd personally run the new mercury racing gear lube, it's designed for surface piercing applications, the oil has non expanding properties so you wont blow out seals when it gets hot. Only downside is it comes in 1L or 5 gallon options... 1L part number is 92-8M0078015

**TraceF3** · 06-25-2020, 04:25 PM

So I bought and installed the MADEFI drive shaft and shift shaft seals. Once more out and still water !!!

Problem found....

Needle bearings were failing, shaft was being galled, to the point it moved around so much the seal wasn't staying sealed. Fortunately didn't hurt the gears.

I keep fresh oil in it but I'm guessing the first 140 hours before I owned it the fluid didn't get changed much...

.

**moparbarn** · 07-02-2020, 12:45 AM

Glad you found it before you lost a prop to a snapped shaft

**Basnova** · 08-07-2021, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by TraceF3

So I bought and installed the MADEFI drive shaft and shift shaft seals. Once more out and still water !!!

Problem found....

Needle bearings were failing, shaft was being galled, to the point it moved around so much the seal wasn't staying sealed. Fortunately didn't hurt the gears.

I keep fresh oil in it but I'm guessing the first 140 hours before I owned it the fluid didn't get changed much...

.

Old thread, I know, but hoping the OP will see this:

Whatever happened here? Did you replace that drive shaft? If so, where did you find one, since they're no longer available? Or, was there a way to still use that shaft? You can probably guess why I am asking.

**TraceF3** · 08-07-2021, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by Basnova

Old thread, I know, but hoping the OP will see this:

Whatever happened here? Did you replace that drive shaft? If so, where did you find one, since they're no longer available? Or, was there a way to still use that shaft? You can probably guess why I am asking.

It was the prop shaft that was leaking. Sorry that wasn't clear. Yes I rebuilt it.

**Basnova** · 08-07-2021, 11:43 AM

Thanks for the reply. I'm guessing you weren't able to re-use the shaft, and instead replaced it?

But, darn it! I actually need a driveshaft for my 3.0 Sport Master, because the condition of my drive shaft looks like your prop shaft. I got excited when I read that you were able to remedy the problem, and didn't look close enough at your pic. So, I thought you found a source for a drive shaft. Congrats to you, bummer for me!

**TraceF3** · 08-07-2021, 11:44 AM

I've got a 3L drive shaft for a XXL lower if you want to have it cut down

**Basnova** · 08-07-2021, 12:22 PM

Forgive my ignorance, but what is an "XXL" lower? I'm not racing my ProMax 300 with Sport Master; it's mounted to my bass boat, so I don't know a whole lot of the racing boat world, although I am somewhat mechanically inclined. For context, I've rebuilt auto motors, but so far have only been doing the easy maintenance like oil changes, plugs, replacing trim sender, rebuilding VST, etc. Since I bought the boat new I've been having the Sporty "professionally" serviced (water pump, seals, etc.). The only thing I've done is the gear oil (the first time ended up in a debacle because mine takes more that 32 oz., so I had to figure out how to add more from another bottle without losing what I put in from the first bottle).

3 years ago I had the lower-end rebuilt due to a broken gear. This year, when I had the water pump changed, the guy I had been taking the boat to for 5 years told me the drive shaft surface has been "compromised" and the shaft actually has score marks. He told me they don't make it anymore and that I am screwed. But, there are so many people running my same setup on race boats, they must have some way to replace their drive shafts if need be. So, I'm hoping there's a way for me to go. The "mechanic" has become rude and crotchety over the years to the point where he berated me for having an "old" motor, and said I need a new a new engine and lower-end, even though it runs great other than the "compromised" shaft, so I don't know if he's just trying to push me into a new setup. I'm a little suspect of this whole thing because instead of calling me to come look at it, he replaced the water pump anyway, and put it all back together. Then, when I picked up the boat, he gave me pics of the driveshaft and its condition looks like your prop shaft. I would think if it was bad he should NOT have installed the water pump and buttoned it all up, and had me come look first to see what I wanted to do.

I've run it a few times on freshwater fishing trips since then, and it runs fine, but I'm thinking I should pull the lower end off and look at the shaft myself. I've not done that before, but it looks quite straight forward. I've witnessed shops re-install mine, but then I read horror posts on here about people not being able to get them back in, so I'm a bit hesitant.

I'm hoping to get through this season with oil changes, if need be, and then do what I can to determine what really needs to be done. I just ordered some "extreme" gear oil, and my thoughts are to drop the oil and see if/how much water is in there. If I can get by with oil changes, come winter I will pull the lower and look at the shaft. I have no idea how heavy it is, but I think I need to make some kind of cradle for it once it's off. Hopefully I can figure out a way to make one out of wood.

I thought I would check with the experts on here to give me an idea of what might lie ahead for me on this issue.