Conference vicki::boats

    
      Who knows what was in there and indeed, the oil tends to thicken with
    age anyway. Type C will be ok (Electric lower units certainly have the
    same type bearings and gear faces to be protected, its the shifting
    parts that care about the different oil). You should be using the oil
    recommended for the modern manual shift Johnsons. I believe it is
    called 'high viscosity'.
    
    					Kenny

    What is the proper procedure for changing the lower unit oil?
    
    I have 2 engines to service and it is my first time!  One is a
    '65 40hp Evinrude the other a '78 175hp Mercury.  
    
    I am told there are 2 screws (upper and lower) to work with.  Someone
    mentioned a "pump" that can be had/used from a marine store, and to
    fill/pump from the bottom.  
    
    How much should I expect to spend on the oil for each engine?  And
    once replaced "now" in the fall, should it also be replaced in the
    spring or do you just run with the oil that sat there all winter?
    
    Thanks, Mark

    you'll find all the info you need in the winterizing note..
    
    we did a good job of describing all every situation and condition.
    
    JIm

    
    	OK, a question from an Outdrive neophyte....
    
    	I have some lower unit lube from OMC, labeled Hi-Vis, is this
    stuff appropriate for an '87 Mercuiser outdrive? Also, what's the
    capacity of this beast?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Rick - Gee_my_Velvet_Drive_takes_Dextron! :-)

    I change my lower unit oil at least twice a season.  Absolutely change
    it in the Fall before frosts hit!  Any water accumulation (and there
    generally IS some) will tend to seperate out of the oil over time. 
    Then your ripe for freezing damage, or, more likely, severe corrosion
    from water sitting in the lower unit all winter.
    
    To change the oil. I remove both the vent and drain screws and let it
    sit at least overnight to let most of the oil ooze out.  If its a
    winter layout I rinse the lower unit with kerosene. Then I refill the
    lower unit with fresh oil.
    
    To fill the unit:
    
    1. Drain the old oil.
    
    2. With the VENT screw out put the squeeze tube into the drain hole and
    squeeze until oil comes out the VENT.
    
    3. With the squeeze tube still held in place replace the vent screw and
    tighten it.
    
    4. Remove the squeeze tube and replace the drain plug.
    
    Note: If the drain oil looks milky its because water has gotten into
    it.  OMC assures me its not a problem to run oil with slight amounts
    of water in it because you simply 'can't' keep some water out anyway.
    
    Jeff

    Hi Jeff.
    
    How do you rinse with kerosene?  Also, I have always used home heating
    oil for rinsing purposes as a substitute for kerosene.  Do you merely
    inject into the top hole and let it rinse out the bottom?
    
    Thanks, Mark

    Yes, exactly, and I would think home heating oil (diesel) would be ok
    too.  The point is to rinse out any water saturated oil.  You could
    also flush with new lower unit oil but that is more expensive and would
    take more flushing to get all the old oil out.  Yes, I just let it
    drain through.  Or you could fill it, let it sit, and then drain it.
    
    Of course you would't run the engine without proper oil in the lower
    unit.... i.e. don't run it with the rinse medium in the lower unit
    UNLESS its lower unit oil.
    
    Jeff
    

    Hmmmm, then could you use heating oil/kerosene not only to drain
    but also to winterize?  Leave the heating oil in for the winter and
    drain in the spring and then put fresh lower unit oil in?
    
    Just a thought!  Thanks, Mark

    What for? A lighter oil such as kero is more likely to leak out past
    the seals. I can think of nothing better to 'store' gears in that oil,
    and, the oil they are designed to run operate in?  Nothing will
    contaminate the oil over the Winter as long as the lower unit is not
    out in the weather or underwater.  In the Spring check the oil level
    and away you go.  Also, 'other' petroleum products such as kero may
    soften the seals if left in prolonged exposure to them.  There is no
    REAL need to flush the lower unit anyway. The flush is to get rid of
    residual oil contamined water, but you could do that with new oil vs.
    kero anyway.
    
    Jeff

    Jeff.  Ok makes sense.  I was getting the impression that some folks
    are changing the lower unit oil twice.  Once to winterize and again
    in the spring.
    
    But what you say makes sense.  Put fresh lower unit oil in to
    winterize, wrap up the engine, nothing will get in there, and then in
    the spring your all set (after checking the oil level).
    
    Mark

    The only catch I can see in the procedure is that if there are alot of
    temperature changes over the Winter CONDENSATION may contaminate the
    lower unit oil... but thats easy to check for in the Spring.  After 
    your first run of the season (which will mix the oil up well) check
    the oil for white discoloration which indicates water in the oil.
    We can beat this issue to death... but IMO lower unit gearing is
    expensive to repair and I DON'T want gear failures when I am out on
    the ocean.  The only cure I can see is to PAY ATTENTION to lower unit
    lubrication can care.  After all we are 'asking' that gearing to 
    transmit sometimes hundreds of horsepower while operating under salt
    water.  Its alot to expect of machinery I think and it requires care.
    
    Jeff

    
      Condensation shouldn't be able to contaminate the oil because there
    is no way for the moisture to enter the lower unit. Condensation is
    caused when the temp falls below the dew point and water vapor
    condenses out of air. There should be little if any air and even if
    there was, the moisture would evaporate right back into it when the
    temp went back up.
    
      Personally, I would never flush the lower unit with something so thin
    as kerosene. It has very poor lubricative qualities and being so thin,
    would very likely get into the nooks and cranies of the bearings,
    which the oil would have a hard time displacing until after you run it.
    I would not want to run even a short time with nothing but kerosene in
    the bearings. If you feel you have to flush the lower unit, use lower
    unit oil.
    
    				Kenny

    Well I replace the gear oil in both units.
    
    The 65 Evinrude went smoothly, the 78 Merc was a pain.  3 tubes, I
    spilled a fair amount, I could not squeeze more than 50 to 70% of the
    contents of each tube.  Is there a reasonably priced injection tool
    that can be had?
    
    BTW, I could not get the prop of the 78 Merc 175.  There are these tabs
    that are bent in behind the first nut.  How do I bend these tabs
    back out so the nut will turn out?  There is no clearance in the hub to
    use a screwdriver, is there a tool available for this also?  And then
    there is that funky looking bigger nut behind the tab, what tool do you
    get that off with?
    
    Thanks, Mark

There is a pump that most marine supply stores have for the lower unit lube.
I believe that qwiksilver (merc) makes one.  It holds about a quart of 
lube and has a hose that screws into the lower hole.  Just pump it until the
fluid comes out the top hole and your done.

They also make a special pair of prop pliers the bend the tabs on the lock
washer.  I don't have one and have had some luck using a screwdriver and bending
it a little, then take waterpump pliers and bend the tab out the rest of the
way.  It would definitely be easier with the special tool.  Also changing a
prop in any kind of sea would be very difficult without the special tool.

Gordon (pulled the boat yesterday and still trying to get over it

    
    RE: Filling Lower unit using tubes...
    
    	Purely by accident, (I don't own a lower unit) I found that
    folding the tubes of L-U-Lube from the bottom up in inch or so
    increments worked much better than merely squeezing them. By 
    using the folding method I managed to get almost all of each tube's
    contents into the LU.
    
    Rick <I knew my father's anal retentive attitude about the toothpaste
    		tube would come in handy *some*day!>
    
                           

    Rick, if you don't have a "lower unit" then what are you using the lube for?
    Inquiring minds want to know?
    Wayne

OMC sells lower unit (gearcase) lube in gallon jugs. They also sell a
hand pump which screws onto the neck of these gallon jugs. The pump comes
with a 2' flexible tube with a rubber fitting on the end. You stick the
fitting in the bottom screw hole of the lower unit and pump until the
fluid comes out the top hole. 

I don't recall the price of the price of the pump except that it's a
ripoff, but it's very convenient.

Art

    I've found using a hammer and prying up the tabs to work.  The ideal
    thing is to buy the tool.  I has the pry up thing and a box wrench that
    fits prop nuts.  I would recommend carrying this tool and a spare prop
    on any boat.  The tool costs 35 or so $.  Makes an excellent xmas gift
    since it is somewhat expensive.  (caution with the hammer - you don't
    want to break the cowling).
    

    
    Here's the perfect L_U Lube tool, and its awfully cheap.
    
    Ever seen clothes pins the longeger ones without the spring.
    
    You put one on the end, and begin turning it, as you turn it,
    
    it squeezes outh the fluid. Obviously you hold the tube with your 
    
    other hand.  When the unit is full, reach down, grab the screw,
    
    for the top hole, insert and tighten, then quickly pull the 
    
    tube out, backoff the clothes pin pressure a bit and put in the other.
    
    JIm
    

    
    Wayne,
    
    	Inquiring minds should know!
    
    <Hit NEXT UNSEEN now to avoid the tasteless message which follows>
    
    
    
    <You've been warned!>
    
    
    
    	I was using the lower unit lubrication on a young lady's lower
    unit....
    
    Rick
    

    Geez Rick...  Young and needs lube?
    
    Well, just got off the phone with Doug Russell's.  He says the
    prop tool is $7.50 and the QuickSilver L.U. pump mentioned in a
    prior response is about $5.00.
    
    Well worth it.  Time for another drive to Russell's this week.  Wish
    they had tried to sell me the stuff when I was picking up the lubes and
    prop grease.  If I was a salesman I would mention these things. "Hey,
    have you seen this tool for doing that?  Makes the job heck of a lot
    easier!  Only five bucks!".
    
    Thanks, Mark

	Mark,

	Where is Russell's located? I could sure use one of those
	pumps as well.

	-tom-

    Guach bros on route 20 in Shrewsbury has the OMC lube pump for
    about $6.50.   
    
    
    Dale
    

    That section of Route 20 has 3 marine shops.
    
    Gauch, Doug Russell, and Marine USA.
    
    Gauch Bros, 101 Hartford Park, Route 20, Shrewsbury MA  
    (508) 799-0714
    
    Doug Russell, 19 Southwest Cut-Off, Route 20, Worcester MA 
    (508) 791-4917
    
    Marine USA, 11 Southwest Cut-Off, Route 20, Worcester MA 
    (508) 791-7116

    I think my lower unit Quicksilver pump was more like $ 12.00.  Guess I
    went to the wrong store.
    
    Condensation: I agree there isn't much air in there and there shouldn't
    be much condensation... but we were discussing the 'idea' methods of
    winterization and I didn't want to leave the possiblity unmentioned.
    
    Flushing with kero: OBVIOUSLY one wouldn't run the engine with kero in
    the lower unit.  I don't buy the argument that any harmful amount of
    kerosene would remain trapped after refilling with lower unit oil.
    
    BUT, flushing with lower unit oil is best except for getting residual
    water out.
    
    Jeff

    You can't beat the pump/gallon combination for the outboard lower unit
    oil fill.  Mines a Yamaha and I seem to remember the pump costing ~8-10
    bucks.  The tubes are ridiculous!!! The contents of three (3) Yamaha
    tubes of gear oil is EXACTLY the quanity the 150 HP lower unit calls
    for.  I challenge anyone to finish the oil fill process without loosing
    some oil on the ground before the screw on the lower unit gets
    replaced!  (Laying the outboard on the ground on its side doesn't count)
    
    Every year I dread this job.  All goes smooth till the time comes to
    replace the lower unit fill screw.  I fill the lower unit till the oil
    begins coming out of the top check port, replace the top screw, and give an
    extra pump (or two) knowing when I remove the pump hose I will loose
    some oil before I get the screw replaced.  The problem seems to be that
    those extra two pumps of oil are fighting traped air in the lower unit
    and when I remove the pump hose the oil comes gushing out !%#$%#&?) :<(
    Trying to get the lower screw in place with gear oil on your hands can
    be quite of a chore.  
    
    I feel that if I stop pumping oil at the first sign of oil at the top
    screw, that the level will drop when I juggle the fill screw into
    place.  Replacing the top screw 'does not prevent' oil from escaping
    through the fill hole if the screw is not in place.
    
    /MArk

    
    do it on a cooler day, the oil won't be as much of a problem..
    
    
    JIm

    I don't think it matters if you lose a little oil.  There should be 
    plenty in there anyway.  I don't lose much when I do it. I guess I am
    faster on the plug.  But it can be a messy annoying job allright.
    
    Jeff