Service Bulletin

Bulletin No. 2019-10R1

Circulate to: Sales Manager Accounting Service Manager Technician Parts Manager

Upper Crankshaft Oil Seal Inspection/Repair—V‑8 200–300 and

V‑6 175–225
NOTICE
Revised November 2019. This bulletin supersedes the previous bulletin number 2019‑10 September 2019.
This bulletin was revised to allow the replacement of parts that have been contaminated with oil due to an upper crankshaft oil
seal leak. These parts include the flywheel on a V‑8 200–300 and rubber alternator mounts on a V‑6 175–225.

Models Affected
Models Covered Serial Number Or Year
V‑8 200–300 and V‑6 175–225 FourStroke 2B576232–2B639806
V‑8 250R, V‑8 300R/300R HD 1E080311–1E080817

Scope
Worldwide

Situation
Mercury Marine has identified that some outboards within the above listed serial number range may have been assembled with
a defective upper crankshaft seal. All outboards within the listed serial range should be inspected for signs of oil leakage at the
top of the powerhead, coming from the upper crankshaft seal. Leaking oil seals should be replaced as outlined in this service
bulletin.

Inspection (of Outboard in Service or Customer Owned)

1. Remove the top cowl from the engine.
2. Tilt the outboard up to a comfortable angle to access the top of the engine from the boat or a standing position.

! WARNING
Performing service or maintenance without first disconnecting the battery can cause product damage, personal injury, or
death due to fire, explosion, electrical shock, or unexpected engine starting. Always disconnect the battery cables from the
battery before maintaining, servicing, installing, or removing engine or drive components.

! CAUTION
Disconnecting or connecting the battery cables in the incorrect order can cause injury from electrical shock or can damage
the electrical system. Always disconnect the negative (‑) battery cable first and connect it last.
3. Starting with the negative lead, disconnect both battery cables.
4. Remove the cold air intake assembly. Refer to Section 3A ‑ Induction System of the appropriate service manual.
5. Looking between the spokes of the flywheel, inspect the top of the engine around the upper crankshaft seal for signs of oil
leakage.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.

This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.

2019-10R1 NOVEMBER 2019 © 2019 Mercury Marine Page 1 / 10

Upper Crankshaft Oil Seal Inspection/Repair—V-8 200–300 and V-6 175–225

6. If no oil leakage is observed, reinstall the cold air intake assembly and reassemble the outboard. Refer to the Assembly
section of this bulletin.
7. If an oil leak is observed, proceed to the following Repair procedure.

a b a - Flywheel spokes
b - Upper crankshaft seal area on top of engine

69370

Repair
NOTE: If the alternator belt has been contaminated with engine oil, it should be cut off with a tin snips and replaced.
1. Remove the alternator belt and alternator. Refer to Section 2B ‑ Charging and Ignition System in the appropriate service
manual.
2. Remove the flywheel. Refer to Section 2A ‑ Ignition in the appropriate service manual.
IMPORTANT: If more than a few drops of oil are present on the rubber alternator mounts, they must be replaced and not
reused.
3. V‑6 175‑225 only: Inspect the six rubber alternator mounts for signs of oil. If there are more than a few drops of oil on
them, replace them as follows:
a. Remove the two hex flange head screws (one per bracket) that secure the port and starboard alternator brackets to
the engine. Be certain to retain the eight washers. Remove the brackets.
b. Use a screwdriver to work the rubber mounts out of the brackets. Rock the screwdriver back and forth until the mount
is free of the bracket.

a a- Bracket (port shown, starboard similar)

b- Rubber mount
c- Screwdriver
b d- Rock back and forth to work the rubber mount free
c

d
70117
c. Clean any oil from the brackets and washers.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.

This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.

Page 2 / 10 © 2019 Mercury Marine NOVEMBER 2019 2019-10R1

 Upper Crankshaft Oil Seal Inspection/Repair—V-8 200–300 and V-6 175–225

d. Apply soapy water to six new rubber alternator mounts and slide them into the port and starboard alternator brackets.

a - Rubber alternator mounts (3 per bracket, 6 total), shown partially

installed
a b - Alternator bracket (port shown, starboard similar)
b

70116
e. Use the eight washers and two hex flange head screws to install the port and starboard alternator brackets onto the
engine. Ensure that the ground wire is attached to the starboard alternator bracket. Refer to the following illustration
for proper stack‑up.

a- Hex flange head screw (2)

a b b- Ground wire
c- Washer (8)
c d- Starboard alternator bracket (with mounts installed)
e- Port alternator bracket (with mounts installed)
c
e d
c
c
c

70113

f. Tighten the two hex flange head screws to the specified torque.

Description Nm lb‑in. lb‑ft

Hex flange head screws (2) 30 – 22.1
IMPORTANT: If more than a few drops of oil are present on the bottom of the V‑8 flywheel, the flywheel must be replaced
and must not be reused, as some of the oil has likely migrated to the rubber damper through the four holes on the
underside of the flywheel.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.

This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.

2019-10R1 NOVEMBER 2019 © 2019 Mercury Marine Page 3 / 10

Upper Crankshaft Oil Seal Inspection/Repair—V-8 200–300 and V-6 175–225

4. V‑8 200‑300 only: Inspect the underside of the flywheel for signs of oil. If there are more than a few drops of oil present,
discard the flywheel.

a a - Underside of the V‑8 flywheel

b b - Four holes that are open to the rubber damper

b
70126
5. Remove the retaining ring securing the upper crankshaft seal.

a - Retaining ring
a b - Upper crankshaft seal

69362

THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.

This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.

Page 4 / 10 © 2019 Mercury Marine NOVEMBER 2019 2019-10R1

 Upper Crankshaft Oil Seal Inspection/Repair—V-8 200–300 and V-6 175–225

6. Use a center punch or an awl to mark a drilling location at the mid‑point between the inside diameter and outside diameter
of the oil seal.

a
c

69363

a - Center punch
b - Center punch location (cross‑section view of seal)
c - Metal casing of seal

IMPORTANT: Be careful when drilling the seal. Keep the drill bit perpendicular to the seal surface and do not allow the bit
to walk from the center punch mark location. Stop drilling as soon as the bit breaks through the metal casing of the seal.
Failure to follow these precautions could damage either the crankshaft or the cylinder block seal bore.
7. Apply a small amount of grease to the drill bit and drill a small pilot hole through the upper crankshaft seal. Be careful to
stop drilling as soon as the bit breaks through the metal casing of the seal.

a - Drill bit, pilot hole

b - Upper crankshaft seal

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8. Use a vacuum to clean off all of the metal and rubber chips.
9. Install a sheet metal screw into the pilot hole, one to two turns to secure the seal.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.

This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.

2019-10R1 NOVEMBER 2019 © 2019 Mercury Marine Page 5 / 10

Upper Crankshaft Oil Seal Inspection/Repair—V-8 200–300 and V-6 175–225

10. Using a needle nose pliers, lever and remove the seal from the cylinder block/crankshaft.

a - Sheet metal screw

c b - Upper crankshaft seal
c - Needle nose pliers

69367
11. Lubricate the inside lip of the new crankshaft seal with Engine Coupler Spline Grease.

Tube Ref No. Description Where Used Part No.

Engine Coupler Spline
91 Inside lip of the crankshaft seal 8M0071842
Grease
12. If removed, install the seal spacer into position. The spacer can be installed on either side of the seal to move the seal lip
location if the crankshaft has a groove caused by the seal.
13. Carefully slide a new seal over the end of the crankshaft and into the cylinder block.

a - Spacer
a b b - Crankshaft seal

66399
14. Use a short length of 90 mm (3.5 in.) outside diameter PVC pipe to press/tap the crankshaft seal into the cylinder block.
Properly installed, the top of the seal (or spacer if installed on top of the seal) should be positioned just below the retaining
ring groove in the seal bore of the cylinder block.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.

This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.

Page 6 / 10 © 2019 Mercury Marine NOVEMBER 2019 2019-10R1

 Upper Crankshaft Oil Seal Inspection/Repair—V-8 200–300 and V-6 175–225

15. Install the retaining ring over the crankshaft seal and into the retaining groove in the seal bore of the cylinder block.

69368

a - 90 mm (3.5 in.) outside diameter PVC pipe

b - Retaining ring

16. Install the flywheel. Refer to Section 2A ‑ Ignition in the appropriate service manual.
17. Install the alternator and alternator belt. Refer to Section 2B – Charging and Ignition System in the appropriate service
manual.

Assembly
1. Install the cold air intake assembly. Refer to Section 3A ‑ Induction System in the appropriate service manual.
2. Install the top cowl.

! CAUTION
Disconnecting or connecting the battery cables in the incorrect order can cause injury from electrical shock or can damage
the electrical system. Always disconnect the negative (‑) battery cable first and connect it last.
3. Starting with the positive lead, connect both battery cables.

Owner Notification
A letter will be sent to registered owners of potentially affected outboards. The letter will advise the owner to either inspect the
outboard or take it to any Mercury Marine authorized dealer for inspection or repair. Visit MercNET, contact Mercury Marine
customer service, or your regional service center to determine whether repairs on a specific outboard within the affected serial
number range has been completed. As a Mercury Marine dealer, you should contact known affected customers to advise them
of this recall and assist with the inspection and if needed, schedule an appointment for the repair. A copy of the customer letter
is included with this service bulletin for your reference.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.

This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.

2019-10R1 NOVEMBER 2019 © 2019 Mercury Marine Page 7 / 10

Upper Crankshaft Oil Seal Inspection/Repair—V-8 200–300 and V-6 175–225

Improved Seal Identification—Factory

Outboards produced with the improved current production upper crankshaft oil seal (serial number 2B639806 and above) are
identified with a green paint mark on the port side of the cylinder block bedplate near the upper crankshaft seal location.

69501

Rework Identification—Dealer
After completing the upper crankshaft inspection or repair instructions in this bulletin, apply a white paint mark on the oil filter
manifold.

69479

THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.

This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.

Page 8 / 10 © 2019 Mercury Marine NOVEMBER 2019 2019-10R1

 Upper Crankshaft Oil Seal Inspection/Repair—V-8 200–300 and V-6 175–225

Outboards in Dealer Inventory

All outboards in dealer inventory within the affected serial number range must have the upper crankshaft oil seal replaced prior
to customer delivery. Seal replacement is required for new unsold outboards, regardless of whether an oil leak is discovered.
Apply a white paint mark on the oil filter manifold to indicate that the upper crankshaft oil seal has been replaced.

69479

Parts Required
Qty. Description Part Number
1 Upper crankshaft seal 8M0162050
1 Alternator belt (if required) 8M0142251
1 V‑8 200–300 only – Flywheel (if required) 8M0142245
6 V‑6 175–225 only – Alternator rubber mount (if required) 8M0142676

Warranty
Mercury Marine will credit the dealer for the cost of parts and labor. Complete a warranty claim, listing:

Repair
• Labor: 1.0 hours
• Warranty flat rate code: SB10
• Part code: 410
• Fail code: 00
• Qty. 1 P/N 8M0162050 – Upper crankshaft seal
• Qty. 1 P/N 8M0142251 – Alternator belt (if required)
V‑8 200–300 Only:
• Qty. 1 P/N 8M0142245 – Flywheel (if required)
V‑6 175–225 Only:
• Qty. 6 P/N 8M0142676 – Alternator rubber mount (if required)
• Labor: 0.2 hours (if rubber mounts were replaced)

THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.

This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.

2019-10R1 NOVEMBER 2019 © 2019 Mercury Marine Page 9 / 10

Upper Crankshaft Oil Seal Inspection/Repair—V-8 200–300 and V-6 175–225

• Warranty flat rate code: SB02 (if rubber mounts were replaced)

Inspection Only—Customer‑Owned Outboards

• Labor: 0.3 hours
• Warranty flat rate code: SB03
• Part code: 410
• Fail code: 00

Dealer Parts Inventory

Submit a Parts and Accessories warranty claim, and return any p/n 26‑8M0142379 upper crankshaft seals in dealer inventory.

Claims Submission
United States and Canada: Complete/process the claim via MercNET or return a warranty claim form.
Outside the United States and Canada: Follow the instructions issued by the Marine Power International office or by an
authorized Marine Power distributor.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND IS THE PROPERTY OF MERCURY MARINE.

This document is provided for the sole and exclusive use of the original recipient as prescribed by Mercury Marine and may not be distributed or copied, digitally or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of Mercury Marine.

Page 10 / 10 © 2019 Mercury Marine NOVEMBER 2019 2019-10R1

Dear Customer,

Our records indicate you are the registered owner of a Mercury Marine product that is the subject of a
fix campaign.

What You Need to Know:

Mercury Marine has identified that your outboard(s) may develop an oil leak at the upper crankshaft
seal. Your outboard(s) should be inspected for signs of oil on top of the powerhead.

What You Should Do:

You can remove the top cowl and inspect the upper powerhead area for signs of oil. If you would rather
not inspect the outboard yourself, bring your outboard to an authorized Mercury Marine dealer. If no
signs of an oil leak are detected, no further action is required. If signs of an oil leak are detected, contact
your authorized Mercury Marine outboard dealer to schedule a service appointment. When scheduling
your service appointment, be sure to mention Mercury Outboard Service Bulletin 2019-10.

Mercury Marine’s Commitment to You:

We have provided instructions to Mercury authorized dealers for this service. This service will be
performed at no charge to you. We sincerely appreciate your business and regret any inconvenience this
may cause you.

If you have questions or if you no longer own this engine, please contact Mercury Marine Customer
Service:
U.S., Canada …………………………………………920 929 5040
Australia, Pacific …………………………… …….+ 61 3 9791 5822
Europe, Middle East, Africa .…………………+ 32 87 32 32 11
Mexico, Central America, Caribbean,
South America ……………………………………. + 1 954 744 3500
Asia, Singapore …………………………………….+ 65 6805 8100