I have trouble seeing paint doing it in that environment as well. You don’t have anything to loose by trying it though. I would be more apt to think some kind of gasket maker would stand a better chance in there. Maybe try the paint first and if it gives up try something like form-a-gasket applied around the top of the bushing. Not sure if that will work either but it’s something else to try.
The last gearcase I re sealed was on my ’62 Johnson 5.5. It leaked at the shift rod o-ring and around the bushing as well as prop shaft seal, drive shaft seal around the shafts and the seal bores, the vent plug washer and the drain plug washer. The only thing that didn’t leak was the spaghetti seal. Everything got a good dose of 847 on that one. It’s good now but after that one, everything will always get coated with sealant when resealing a gearcase. It leaked everywhere. With about 6psi in the gearcase there were bubbles coming from places I never thought about having leaks.
-Ben
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