DF200A - Oil leak at 100 hours

[Bar_Stroll]

Hello all,

I have a pair of df200a's on a 28' Contender installed last July. I just hit 100 hours last week. Took the boat for another day out diving with a plan to do the 100 hour service after the return. When I got back after a really long day, probably 180 miles, I put the boat up as it was about 8pm.

Came back the next morning to clean fish and the boat. The motors were trimmed out of the water and the splashwell had about a half cup of motor oil in it.

I took the cowling off and it ended up being the port motor. There was oil in the bottom of the cowling that was leaking through when trimmed. I turned the motor on trimmed into the water. It ran at 122* and there were no signs of oil leaking, dripping, or spraying anywhere. It's only in the front of the cowling on the bottom. I didn't get to check the filter very good.

I did run hard home, around 5,000 - 5,250 for the last hour trying to beat the sun.

Any known issues on these motors on where this could be? Wasn't leaking from the fill cap either. I'll check better today after work but thought I'd ask.

[barrell]

That much oil should be obvious. Put some new blue nitral gloves on and get a flashlight. Run your hands around until you find the source. How low was the dipstick from full? I once had a suzuki oil filter develop a pin hole on the bottom where morning condensation would collect.

[RayBersch]

Did you have a 20hr service? Have you looked under the cowling since?

Last spring I had a service on the motor before launching - I picked up the boat and I never checked the oil level, just launched the boat and drove it hard across the lake to our house. I trimmed up out of the water and a hour later saw a sheen on the water - I pulled the cowling and found the dipstick hanging loose with the stopper fully out of the tube. I guess it was not replaced tightly at the oil change and blew oil all over the inside of the cowling.

[Moonlighter]

Yes, check the simple things like dipsticks, oil fill caps, and oil filters (maybe not seated tightly) first. Most likely something like that.

[Bar_Stroll]

Well, it was simple. Probably should have checked good before posting but maybe it will help someone out.

The Sierra filter has a very slow leak. It took 100 hours to do so but probably from the 14 hour day running at high RPM's for an hour plus to end the day trying to beat the sun home.

I actually didn't see it leak but I could see the drip starting to form on the filter o-ring and there was a drip underneath the filter. No other signs of a leak and wouldn't leak sitting at idle for a short time. It's time for service so thats good for me.

Should I steer away from the Seirra filters? I've heard some bad things about the Suzuki filters which I why I went seirra in the first place.

[barrell]

I use sierras they are one third the price and fine. Maybe the guy who changed it left the old O ring on. Check to see if there are two O rings when you remove it.

[tsturm]

Hello all,

I have a pair of df200a's on a 28' Contender installed last July. I just hit 100 hours last week. Took the boat for another day out diving with a plan to do the 100 hour service after the return. When I got back after a really long day, probably 180 miles, I put the boat up as it was about 8pm.

Came back the next morning to clean fish and the boat. The motors were trimmed out of the water and the splashwell had about a half cup of motor oil in it.

I took the cowling off and it ended up being the port motor. There was oil in the bottom of the cowling that was leaking through when trimmed. I turned the motor on trimmed into the water. It ran at 122* and there were no signs of oil leaking, dripping, or spraying anywhere. It's only in the front of the cowling on the bottom. I didn't get to check the filter very good.

I did run hard home, around 5,000 - 5,250 for the last hour trying to beat the sun.

Any known issues on these motors on where this could be? Wasn't leaking from the fill cap either. I'll check better today after work but thought I'd ask.

A friend of mine purchased a new DF-200 last April, at his 20 hr. oil change noticed oil at the bottom of the cowling. It ended up being a factory poor sealing job at the crankcase halves. Warranty covered it, but lots of down time in the middle of our Short summer.
Good luck on yours. Hopefully it was just the filter.