Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

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!!!

That is good news!

I had straight water pour out of mine 3 years ago!!!!!!!!!! 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!

curtiscapk wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 03, 2020 1:00 pm

I had straight water pour out of mine 3 years ago!!!!!!!!!! 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!

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.

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.