Lower Unit Bummer

Abbeysdad · 10-31-10, 12:43 AM

So I decided to winterize myself this year to save a few dollars. Everything went well until changing the lower unit lube. The drained lube came out a milky brown...tan (coffee with cream) actually. I went ahead and put new oil in but I guess I'll need to have the lower unit serviced in the spring.

On the up side, it looks like with some more work, the shrink wrap I carefully removed and stored last spring will work again this winter (although it was a bear to string the masts and put the wrap back on alone.) I don't have a place inside to store over winter. This probably sounds cheap of me, but shrink wrap costs about $220+ for my boat. I guess this saving gets re-invested in the lower unit in the spring.

bassboogieman · 10-31-10, 11:50 AM

Mercury by any chance? I also had the same issue, found out it was simply a rubber washer missing from the lower drain pug on a 150HP XR6. Check both the lower and upper plug for the washer. You're getting water for sure and hopefully it isn't a seal, but check the easy (not to mention CHEAPEST) possible problem first.

Abbeysdad · 10-31-10, 09:46 PM

Yes, 90hp Mercury OB. Funny you should mention....I didn't see any kind of washer with the screws when I removed them...unless it stuck inside, there were none ?!

bassboogieman · 10-31-10, 11:19 PM

Plug and washer (aka o-ring or gasket) should be a similiar pair. Drain plug could be a regular slot (screwdriver) or a hex (allen wrench), but should be similiar.

very easy to loose the o-ring or forget to install which will allow water intrusion into the lower unit.

Abbeysdad · 11-01-10, 09:30 AM

I did notice a slight orange color in the upper vent and oil fill plug holes (this one has a vent plug slightly above the oil level (full) plug)... but if these were the washers, they felt very hard when I put the plugs back in.
I'm thinking now that I'll get and install new washers in all 3 plugs and monitor the first few times out in the spring before I take it in to have the lower unit serviced $$$. (I don't want to temp fate...but don't wanna pay $100+ for them to tell me the plug washers were missing or bad.)

Thanks for the tip.

Embrey · 11-01-10, 03:30 PM

Those washers can be orange too so it was probably stuck to the housing. most likely it is a seal in the water pump or the propshaft seals. its really not that hard to go through one though.

Abbeysdad · 11-01-10, 09:11 PM

I think it may have been missing in the drain port so I'll check that first thing in the spring. If not that, I may just haul it in to be serviced. Don't want to blow the lower unit because of a bad seal in the prop or the water pump...and since it's a 2002, prolly a new pump is not outta line while it's all apart....

Embrey · 11-01-10, 10:06 PM

lol, that is way overdue

Abbeysdad · 11-02-10, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Embrey

lol, that is way overdue

Maybe, but this is an 8 year old that still looks brand new... for a reason!

(Previous owner took good care of her

)

Embrey · 11-02-10, 04:00 PM

Don't matter what the outside looks like! lol. Water pump can still be junk. It's possible it still looks like new also. But too cheap not to replace it. Trust me it SUCKS when you get miles form shore and the alarm goes off.

10-31-10, 12:43 AM	#1
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	Lower Unit Bummer So I decided to winterize myself this year to save a few dollars. Everything went well until changing the lower unit lube. The drained lube came out a milky brown...tan (coffee with cream) actually. I went ahead and put new oil in but I guess I'll need to have the lower unit serviced in the spring. On the up side, it looks like with some more work, the shrink wrap I carefully removed and stored last spring will work again this winter (although it was a bear to string the masts and put the wrap back on alone.) I don't have a place inside to store over winter. This probably sounds cheap of me, but shrink wrap costs about $220+ for my boat. I guess this saving gets re-invested in the lower unit in the spring. __________________ Fish now, work later

10-31-10, 09:46 PM	#3
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	Yes, 90hp Mercury OB. Funny you should mention....I didn't see any kind of washer with the screws when I removed them...unless it stuck inside, there were none ?! __________________ Fish now, work later

11-01-10, 09:30 AM	#5
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	I did notice a slight orange color in the upper vent and oil fill plug holes (this one has a vent plug slightly above the oil level (full) plug)... but if these were the washers, they felt very hard when I put the plugs back in. I'm thinking now that I'll get and install new washers in all 3 plugs and monitor the first few times out in the spring before I take it in to have the lower unit serviced $$$. (I don't want to temp fate...but don't wanna pay $100+ for them to tell me the plug washers were missing or bad.) Thanks for the tip. __________________ Fish now, work later Last edited by Abbeysdad; 11-01-10 at 03:03 PM.

11-01-10, 09:11 PM	#7
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	I think it may have been missing in the drain port so I'll check that first thing in the spring. If not that, I may just haul it in to be serviced. Don't want to blow the lower unit because of a bad seal in the prop or the water pump...and since it's a 2002, prolly a new pump is not outta line while it's all apart.... __________________ Fish now, work later

10-31-10, 11:50 AM	#2
bassboogieman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Parkesburg, Pa. Posts: 3,762	Mercury by any chance? I also had the same issue, found out it was simply a rubber washer missing from the lower drain pug on a 150HP XR6. Check both the lower and upper plug for the washer. You're getting water for sure and hopefully it isn't a seal, but check the easy (not to mention CHEAPEST) possible problem first.

10-31-10, 11:19 PM	#4
bassboogieman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Parkesburg, Pa. Posts: 3,762	Plug and washer (aka o-ring or gasket) should be a similiar pair. Drain plug could be a regular slot (screwdriver) or a hex (allen wrench), but should be similiar. very easy to loose the o-ring or forget to install which will allow water intrusion into the lower unit.

11-01-10, 03:30 PM	#6
Embrey BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 505	Those washers can be orange too so it was probably stuck to the housing. most likely it is a seal in the water pump or the propshaft seals. its really not that hard to go through one though.

11-01-10, 10:06 PM	#8
Embrey BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 505	lol, that is way overdue

11-02-10, 04:00 PM	#10
Embrey BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 505	Don't matter what the outside looks like! lol. Water pump can still be junk. It's possible it still looks like new also. But too cheap not to replace it. Trust me it SUCKS when you get miles form shore and the alarm goes off.

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