So I called the mechanic today after I removed the plug on the lower and it was covered in metal shavings. First thing he said was, that's not got anything to do with what I did to it. I have a semi trailer shop and we deal with lots of hydraulics and gear boxes too. If somebody has trouble with something we've worked on, I get them to bring it back, I go through it and I honestly determine whether we messed up something or not. If we did, I fix it on my dime. I guess I'm foolish expecting the same thing from others. I don't have an hour gauge on my boat but I'd estimate that I have put less than 10 hours on the boat since he repaired the bent prop shaft and was supposed to go through the lower and check it out.
Maybe it's his fault, maybe it's not, but he handled it in a very unbusinesslike manner and could have at least looked at it before he declared it wasn't his fault. Between two boats, last fall, I spent between $1500-$2000 at his shop. I'll never spend another dime there.
This is what I found when I removed the drain plug on the lower unit: