2013 21 VLX | V-Drive leaking ATF

[Jackson0215]

A few weeks ago we had the prop shaft come out of the coupling that attaches to the damper on the back of the v-drive. Previous owner did not put the key back in the keyway so it basically unscrewed itself. Came apart in neutral so it did not tear up much. 

Noticed a bunch of ATF and it is leaking out of the hole that the prop goes through. I assume it is leaking at the damper. Does that sound correct, can I pull just the v-drive or does the entire transmission need to come out and how big of a pain in the a** is it to replace the seal?

Below are a few pics and a video.

https://app.box.com/s/fq9n8o5toi25dmt0q04ibw37hm414sh6

Thank you as always

[csleaver]

The hardest part will be finding the leak and getting a seal to fix it.  I would clean everything very thoroughly to try to locate the leak before removing anything.  After removal, a pressure test can be done if the leak was too hard to find when everything was assembled. 

As long as you have enough room between the vdrive and fuel tank you should be able to separate the vdrive from the transmission and remove it.  Remove the four propshaft coupler bolts, the two sea water hoses and the nuts holding the vdrive to the transmission.  I think there are 8 nuts holding the vdrive to the trans and the bottom ones are the hardest to get to.  After the hoses and fasteners are removed the vdrive will just slide off the transmission shaft and studs when you pull on it.

Depending on what is leaking, special tools may be needed for disassembly and the seals may also be difficult to find.  I expect most dealers would sell you a replacement vdrive as opposed to repairing yours.