View Full Version : water in lower unit
1shooter
11-01-2008, 04:28 PM
Was winterizing the boat today and when I drained the lower unit a bunch of water came out followed by some very milky oil.
Anyone have an idea of what this is going to cost me to have this fixed?
The motor is a 150 optimax.
southerncomfort1
11-01-2008, 04:55 PM
probably around 200-300 dollars.I recently thought I had a problem on my 9.9 kicker and called for a price on replacing seals and was quoted 75 and 130 from the 2 different places I called.Turned out just to be unburned gas and oil from trolling use leaking out hub.3-4 years ago I had seals done on my father in laws 150 Johnson for him and I want to say it was 200-250 dollars roughly.
1shooter
11-01-2008, 10:21 PM
Well...that just %$@%. Anyone know of a good place to take it in the Sw corner of the Twin Cities?
southerncomfort1
11-02-2008, 06:35 AM
I assume you refilled it with new gear oil.If you didn't, do it fast otherwise you will have MAJOR problems when everything rusts inside.Once refilled with new oil you can relax some and save up the money if it's an issue over the down months.Marina's are busy right now winterizing might be able to work out a better deal if you talk to them and agree to bring it in during the slow time this winter for them.Also make sure you call around because you might be surprised at how much of a price difference some places have.
When the lower unit gear grease was changed last, did you replace the washers
on the drain plugs ? If not, you may just be sucking in water around the old washers.
If you are not sure, then, you can change the fluid using new washers and
monitor for water next season. If you don't want to take any chances, then,
take it to a dealer to have the lower unit pressure tested.
Nelson Marine in White Bear Lake or Hannay's are reputable dealers, but are
quite away's from Chaska.
1shooter
11-02-2008, 12:05 PM
When the lower unit gear grease was changed last, did you replace the washers
on the drain plugs ? If not, you may just be sucking in water around the old washers.
If you are not sure, then, you can change the fluid using new washers and
monitor for water next season. If you don't want to take any chances, then,
take it to a dealer to have the lower unit pressure tested.
Nelson Marine in White Bear Lake or Hannay's are reputable dealers, but are
quite away's from Chaska.
I'm not sure if they were replaced as I had it done at a boat dealer. I can tell you when I took the bottom plug off the washer came off in pieces. I am hoping that is all it is.
For now I just let all the old stuff drain out and filled it back up.
southerncomfort1
11-02-2008, 04:51 PM
If washer came off in pieces that is probably the cause of the water.Like mentioned above I would replace washers refill then check it after some use next season.Easy and cheap.My guess after you saying washer was in pieces you will be fine and good to go next season and probably wont find water in the unit.
Neptune
11-03-2008, 11:21 AM
I restore vintage outboards. I do hundreds of them every year. All too often I see a situation where the owner will take out the filler plugs,lay them on the ground not realizing that a washer came out with the plug on one and not the other.On boats like the older OMC's, both plugs are the same size so when they put the drain plugs back in place and inadvertently switched one with the other, now they will have 2 washers on one and none on the other.....goodbye gears.
You should replace those washers every year...it's cheap insurance.
1 shooter,
Pull the lower unit off the boat, and put the boat in storage.
Then, drop the lower unit off at the dealer and let him take care of it, when convenient.
You will also save yourself about $100 by taking off and installing the lower unit yourself.
It amounts to taking out about 4 bolts and disconnecting a sterring linkage.
Doing the seals is a job for pros with the right pulling tools and testers to insure that the job is correct.
Take care
REW
You might want to take your motor to Supreme Motors in Minneapolis.
They are one of the oldest and best Merc dealers in the area.
http://www.fishandgame.com/suprememarine/service.htm
Take care
REW
1shooter
11-22-2008, 12:06 AM
Ended up getting off the cheap way. Water got in my lower unit because the washers went bad on the drain plug. In all my years of owning a boat I have never had this problem.
southerncomfort1
11-22-2008, 08:01 AM
It's always nice when a big problem ends with a easy cheap fix.Glad it worked out well for you.