Lower unit oil is water soluable what youre seeing sounds normal for end of the season especially for an older motor. Was heading out to work and noticed that there was a decent amount of oil or gear lube that has leaked from my lower unit in the driveway.
Much like how cars should receive an oil change every thirty-thousand miles your outboard lower unit oil requires changing every one-hundred hours the boat is in operating.
Water in lower unit oil. Recorded on December 20 2010 using a Flip Video camcorder in Bean Station TN. Lower unit oil is water soluable what youre seeing sounds normal for end of the season especially for an older motor. Change it prior to putting it up for the winter any water mixed with the oil could freeze and create a real problem.
You should be all set for that great striped bass fly fishing in your neck of the woods next spring. How to replace water pump impeller on a 1977 Evinrude Outboard Motor Part 3. How to remove lower unit 1977 Evinrude Outboard Motor Part 1.
What causes water to get in lower unit. Since the motor is only 3 years old and assumming you have run it moderately or less and you have changed the oil previously it may well be as the last post reply - vent andor fill plug. Last year when I changed my lower unit oil I inadvertantly forgot a teflon washer on one of the plugs.
However milky white or creamy colored oil indicates that water has contaminated the gearcase and gray oil indicates some kind of failure in the gears or a bearing. Consult your mechanic if your lower unit shows any of the above danger signs. These need to be fixed before the boat goes back in the water.
Milky lower unit oil means you have water in the oil which means youve lost a seal somewhere. The first place to look is the output seals which are found behind the propeller. Theyre commonly damaged when fishing line gets wrapped around the prop shaft and the seal can be inspected by removing the prop.
There must be no water in your lower unit oil. If there is water in the lower unit oil and your boat is stored in the cold the water in the oil will freeze and crack your lower unit which is definitely a bad thing. Why lower unit oil is needed.
As lower unit the working and most important part of outboard engine thus its maintenance is necessary to have a hassle free journey on water. Lower unit oil is needed to lubricate it and lubricating your lower unit is very important as it gives the thrust to move your boat and without this your outboard engine will be ruined. Lenny Rudow explains how to change the lower unit oil on your boats outboard engine.
Outboard boat owners as well as those with stern drives should know h. Brown lower unit oil is a sign of rust and is usually found in a gear case that has been sitting for awhile. For example in a boat that is put in storage and left for a season or a year or two.
If there was any water in the lower unit when it went into storage then the water and gear. How to Check the Lower Unit Oil. Lower units house the gears drive shaft propeller shaft water pump and raw water inlet for both outboard motors and inboardoutboard motors where the lower unit is known as a sterndrive gear case outdrive or simply a drive Lower units use an oil bath for lubrication.
That is the entire unit is filled with. You most likely have a bad seal in the lower unit. The lower unit is fairly easy to remove if you are a do it yourselfer change the water pump while you have it apart.
If you dont want to change it yourself you could remove the lower unit and take it to a shop. Go on utube and you will see the removal process. The seals on the lower unit are one way seals and are designed to keep water out of the lower unit not necessarily to keep oil from coming out the other way.
So assuming that you depressurized the lower unit let the lower unit drain and refill it properly with no further sign of oil out the water intake you should just plug up the lower unit after the oil is at the correct level. Also if the gaskets come off the plug and stick in the plug hole you may want to replace the plug as well. You dont want to risk getting water in your lower unit.
Once the draining oil reduces to a drip refill your lower unit through the bottom drain hole. Thread the tip on your lower unit pump into the lower drain plug hole. The picture hyperlink above does appear to show lower-unit oil leaking.
There are two seals in the lower unit–propeller shaft seal–upper drive shaft seal. I would guess that you have a bad seal at the upper drive shaft. This will require the removal of the lower unit for service.
Was heading out to work and noticed that there was a decent amount of oil or gear lube that has leaked from my lower unit in the driveway. Last nigh got down to 28 just enough for the water to freeze in the dogs water bowl. At first I thought that the lower unit had cracked.
But upon further inspection I noticed that there are two pre drilled holes that the fluid is coming from. Pressure testing a lower unit is best performed by an authorized Yamaha Marine dealer because depending on findings it may be necessary to disassemble the lower unit for further inspection. Its best not to run the outboard right before checking the lower unit lubricant as this will agitate the oil with whatever air is trapped inside.
The resulting fine bubbles might be confused with the milky appearance that occurs with water. However the more you take your boat onto the water the more work the engine goes through which can increase the need for oil changes. Much like how cars should receive an oil change every thirty-thousand miles your outboard lower unit oil requires changing every one-hundred hours the boat is in operating.
Replacing the Water Pump Lower Unit Oil in 115 Mariner - YouTube. The lower unit plugs are magnetic so you might see some metal shavings which indicate wear. If you only see a few theres nothing to worry about but an excessive amount should cause concern.
Remove the Top Plug. By removing this plug you vent the lower unit ensuring that the oil drains faster.