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Hi All,

I have a 1992 115hp Merc on a 17' Outrage.

After being raised and flushed with earmuffs, I noticed water draining from the space in front of the prop (toward the bow in relation to the prop)... Having recently had a new skeg welded on due to an unfortunate meeting with a rock, I'm paying more attention to the lower unit and, because I never paid a ton of attention to where water was draining, I'm wondering if this is normal?

I'm concerned that, when the shop welded a new skeg, the heat from the weld damaged or destroyed the seals and I have a lower unit that's full of sea water. Can anyone tell me if water coming from in front of the prop once the motor has been raised is normal?

Thanks,
Max

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Are you talking about the gap between the prop and lower unit?? If so, the answer is yes...that is normal. Water and exhaust exit through the propeller. The prop is not sealed to the lower unti so you'll have water leaking from the gap between the prop and lower unit.

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Also, drain a little of the gear oil off (or do a complete change if it hasn't been done for a while) and inspect the color of the oil. Water intrusion usually turns the lube a whitish/creamy color.

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Cliff- yes that's exactly where the water is coming from. Thanks for the reply.

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You're welcome.

As Dave mentions above, if you're worried about the heat generated with the skeg repair.....do as he states above to make sure your lower unit oil isn't milked.