Discovered something interesting recently.

If you are like me and purge your lower unit pretty frequently, be careful that you don't have anything wrapped around the shaft between the prop and bearing housing. I didn't notice that gap was plugged with melted crab string and wouldn't let the grease purge out from expansion.

So it went through the front seals into the belt housing.

Which way are the front seals facing? If they are facing out towards the pulley then I'm fine, if they are facing towards the prop then I think I may have pushed the lip of the seals out and ruining them.

Anyone who had replaced the seals, which way do they face?

Did not think it was supposed to purge through the seals anyway. You are supposed to remove the relief screw so the grease doesn't blow the seals out.

/\ /\ this is what I thought. the seals are bad if they are leaking grease

Not necessarily, because I keep mine slap full of grease there is expansion from the grease warming up, it will always seep past the back seals because of the way they are facing.

I'm one of those ocd maintenence people. I've learned that I shouldn't have kept so much grease in the shaft.

I just finished disassembling the entire LU and because I ran all night with the prop side plugged with melted crab string, it pushed the front seal out near the pulley. This wouldn't have happened if I didn't keep adding grease to the LU. But because it was freshly purged it pushed that seal out.

I'm going to start putting more hours between purging.

Just wanted to give yall a heads up about this situation.