Brunswick Corporation

Jack L Golz

Gary L Meisenburg

Francis E Bertram

A marine stern drive unit (1) includes an assemblage of a propeller-carrying drive shaft housing (10), a bell housing (9) and gimbal housing (8). Mating flow-through passages (21, 23) are disposed in the drive shaft housing and bell housing, and a dual control valve system (30, 31) joins the passages at their juncture. The valve system is arranged to be open when the two housings are assembled, but closes automatically when the housings are disassembled to retain lubricant in the separate housing assembles when the latter are separated for servicing. The valve system includes a valve (31) in one of the passages (23) which is constructed to be snapped together and to be held firmly within the passage, but manually and quickly releasable therefrom when desired. The fluid passage (23, 26) in the bell housing communicates to the gimbal housing which has a sealed fitting (60) and a lubricant carrying portion (65) passing through the usual gimbal mounting hole (14) of the boat transom (2). An inboard container (71) connected to the gimbal housing passage (66) permits inspection of the level and condition of the lubricant. The container has a one-way valve (78) therein which prevents outward leakage of lubricant fluid, but which permits sucking back of lubricant into the system during engine cooling.

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Oshkosh, WI, United States of America

Jack L Golz