Lower unit gear oil ... milky white

[krawler]

Getting the motor ready for the cold weather and as i drained my gear oil i noticed it was milky in color, that means water! Is it common for this to happen or is there a leak and should I get it checked out by a mechanic? I havnt changed it all season.

 

any thoughts?

[irishfield]

Probably just the fill/drain screw gaskets. I'd change it, install screws with new O-rings or nylon washers and then check after the first few hours in the spring to see if you have a seal issue. If you want to be sure...take it to a repair center and have the lower unit pressure tested to see if the seals are good.

[Uncle Buck]

lots of places where it could be leaking...

 

Wayne was right with his suggestion... take it to a mechanic and have them go through it... it's not gonna be cheap... good thing is you only have to take him the lower unit...

 

i took mine once and got to around $80 in cost and it still leaked... after that i said screw it, let it leak in... just be sure to add gearlube every once in a while... much cheaper then them performing $500 service on the lower unit...

[BITEME]

hard water season is here pull the lower unit and change the seals you dont need a repair shop

[POLLIWOGG]

Hey guys , you can make a cheap pressure tester out of some hand pumps if they have a check valve, just put a few pounds in it.

[PatrickGG]

Was out fishing this weekend with a co-worker, He's got a 225 mercury optimax we went out on rice lake and we must have been doing 70mph when the motor did some funky sounds and it died out, we tilled up the motor and noticed the bottom end casing behind the prop had a hole about 3 inches we was about 2 miles from where we launched lucky for us a couple of guys towed us in so just some advice maintain that lower end it really sucks when you get stuck out in the middle of a lake.

[saumon]

hard water season is here pull the lower unit and change the seals you dont need a repair shop

 

He's right. You'll have to take the L/U apart anyway, so half the job is already done. Their's a pair of back to back seals under the w/p for the driveshaft, another behing the prop on the shaft and maybe a third on the shift shaft. Very easy to do: pry the old ones out (a seal puller may help here), discard and insert new ones by gently pushing them in with a socket and a hammer. It will cost you no more than 50$.