Changing lower end oil...the anxiety

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onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Changing lower end oil...the anxiety

#1 Post by onlybillhere » Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:47 am

Anyone one else get anxiety when they take the plug out the lower end to change the oil and see what color the oil is? I bought a new lower unit from Mercury less than a year ago so there should be no issues with water in the oil or anything but the way the year has been going I just don't trust anything anymore. So the oil started flowing out and it was not a milky mess...i was so happy! Small victories keep me going!!!
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

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Marc K
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Location: Eustace, TX

Re: Changing lower end oil...the anxiety

#2 Post by Marc K » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:54 am

That is good news!
Big and ugly but we love our 1999/2000 Crest II DL with a Yamaha F115

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curtiscapk
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Location: OP KS\Hillsdale Lake

Re: Changing lower end oil...the anxiety

#3 Post by curtiscapk » Thu Sep 03, 2020 1:00 pm

I had straight water pour out of mine 3 years ago!!!!!!!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: I look at the screws and top one was gone! I check the screws every time before going out but never after coming back, so it had just came out on that last trip. still running strong! :ridem :ridem :deadhorse
Craig and Paula
"THE FLOATER" rebuild Spring 2013
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94 Party Barge 24' 115 merc
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Rabbit929
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Re: Changing lower end oil...the anxiety

#4 Post by Rabbit929 » Thu Sep 03, 2020 8:12 pm

curtiscapk wrote:
Thu Sep 03, 2020 1:00 pm
I had straight water pour out of mine 3 years ago!!!!!!!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: I look at the screws and top one was gone! I check the screws every time before going out but never after coming back, so it had just came out on that last trip. still running strong! :ridem :ridem :deadhorse
Having water in it is better than having nothing at all.
Flushing it after 2 or 3 runs wouldn’t be a bad idea though xD

Don’t fear milkiness, all that means is you gonna have to replace the seal. No idea how hard that is but my water pump was easy to do.
And by the end of it you’ll have a nice new seal.

Bamaman
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Location: NW Alabama--Tennessee River

Re: Changing lower end oil...the anxiety

#5 Post by Bamaman » Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:52 pm

You know it doesn't hurt to have the lower units pressure and vacuum tested by a good marine mechanic from time to time.

It's something very few boaters do.

My seals went out and I toasted my lower unit--and scrapped the boat. Cost me $40K for a new boat and motor. I learned the hard way about maintenance being so important. Now I drain my L/U into a clean Walmart plastic swimming pool carefully watching for water intrusion/bubbles and metal shavings.
'12 Bennington 24' SSLX Yamaha 150

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