Checking Lower Unit Lube/Grease

This topic has 8 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 2 months ago by oldtimer57.

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April 10, 2008 at 6:04 pm #376295

lreddmann
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I have searched the FAQ, I have learned that many of my dumb questions have answers already posted there, but I was wondering how this is accomplished. Can someone tell me or better yet, does anyone have any diagrams on how it is done or showing me how. How often is this recommended. Thanks PA, DMan and OT57 for answers on my other post, found them vary helpful. -Kee

April 10, 2008 at 6:53 pm #376299

basschaser
Participant

Once ayear you need to drain and refill….twice if you fish a lot. I normally try and do it right before it starts freezing in the nites cuz you dont want any water to freeze in there. As far as how to do it: 1. Take bottom plug out (make sure little washer is out too, matter of fact when you buy your oil buy 2 of these…cheap insurance). You dont want a ton of metal on the magnetic end, very small slivers might be there but nothing big or lots of it. 2. Take top plug out, now she will really start draining into the pan. 3. Let it drain and let the oil in the pan settle, water will be on top and oil will be milky looking. 4. If no water (there might be a slight amount from condensation but you dont want much) then connect your pump to the lower plug hole. 5. Pump it until it starts to drain out of the top. 6. Put top plug (again dont forget about the washer) back in. 7. I normally give it a 1/2 pump right here to account for what I am about to loose. 8. Unscrew pump nozzle and put bottom plug (and washer) back in. 9. Wipe things off and dispose of oil. Go to lake and burn it up Judd Lasiter

April 10, 2008 at 7:24 pm #376301

Tideman
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PLEASE SEND THAT MAN A HAT… THAT WAS AWESOME…..STEP BY STEP….. BY THE WAY SEND ME ONE TOO………..A YELLOW ONE PLEASE…..ROBIN

April 10, 2008 at 8:12 pm #376305

lreddmann
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JL is the man! Spare him the hat and put him on the payroll!

April 10, 2008 at 9:12 pm #376307

oldtimer57
Participant

I have seen several people destroy lower units by losing those fiber washers on the fill and vent screws where you change the oil. Quite often they will stick to the lower unit when you remove the screws, and then the oil will wash the bottom one away. Since there was none on the screw you removed, you stick it back in and leaks can result. Many think that the tight fit is good enough, but the gearcase gets pretty hot at WOT, thanks to the gear / bearing friction, not to mention the exhaust going thru the hub as well. And that makes everything expand, including the oil and air in the gearcase. When you shut it down, that cold water makes things contract and you get a vacuum in the gearcase that will try to pull something in to fill it. That something is usually water. And it is never good to have any in the L/U lube. If you lose the washer, a good repair is to visit autozone or whatever and buy a thin o-ring that will snugly fit on the screw. That will keep you going until you can go by a marine parts dealer and get the fiber versions. Or, you can just run the o-rings all the time, and replace one if it starts to stretch or crack any…2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

April 11, 2008 at 1:51 am #376309

Hooter
Participant

I thought that the oil would float on water. That is why if you have water in the gearcase it will come out first when you remove the bottom plug.

April 11, 2008 at 2:24 am #376315

Basstar
Participant

Judd, you forgot a few steps. 1. Open a nice cold beer before you start an begin sipping it while you get everything together and begin the draining process. 2. At around step three and four, it should be time to open the second beer. 3. Lastly, once finished, it is time for the third beer to celebrate how mechanically inclined you are, in addition to being a top notch angler.

April 11, 2008 at 3:31 pm #376318

MOUNTAIN CAT
Participant

The step by step was perfect. But the beer is how the washers get left off.Maybe because I doubled up on step 1 and 2. Martin

April 11, 2008 at 4:28 pm #376320

oldtimer57
Participant

If you use synthetic lube, then the water will certainly pop out first when you remove the lower drain plug. But if you use regular gear lube, it might or might not, because when you run at high speed, the water/oil emulsifies into that “cream” type stuff. Also it depends on how you trim the motor. If you tuck it under, then some water will run toward the back of the gearcase and not come out the drain. If you trim it up so it is easy to reach, then the water will run up front around the bearing/drive gear and again wont come out. I always check right after running, to make sure that the oil looks like oil, perhaps with tiny bubbles in it. So seeing the beginning of the problem can be a bit harder. I used to like synthetic oil (and still do with one proviso) but noticed that it was harder to see water intrusion because you have to have the motor set “just right” to get the water to come out if you are just going to remove a few ccs to look for water. Regular oil will have a yellowish look that is a dead giveaway.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
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