1st full winterization: Changing the Bravo 3 oil - what a mess

JohnEGraham

JohnEGraham

Active Member
Aug 5, 2008
1,013
Long Island, NY.
Boat Info
250 Sundancer 1998 5.7.
Engines
350 Merc / Bravo 3
:smt021 Of course working in the Rain Filling the Drive unit with the little pump from the bottle and the plastic hose falls off, now its lubed and keeps falling off. I fill it to the vent hole and try to replace the bottom screw more of a mess. ugh. Luckly 3 ( 32 oz) is enough.
The Engine Oil tank w/ pump worked fine.
There got to be a better way. JG
 
Did you put the vent screw in before you disconnected the pump from the fill hole to put in the bottom screw?
 
Do like the dealer - fill the reservoir and worry about it later (sarcasm).
 
Don't worry, John. Everyone makes a mess at one time or another.

For the next time:

Whenever someone purchases one of those lube pumps, I always tell them to put a couple zip ties on each end of the clear tube - TIGHT. Then... pump s-l-o-w-l-y. I've never had one pop off doing it that way.

Also, if the lube monitor bottle doesn't drain out completely, remove it and clean it out thoroughly. The old lube can get gunky. I usually use brake cleaner to clean it out.

Next, I always pump the lube all the way up into the bottle. Stop when it just starts to cover the bottom as it will continue to flow in a bit. Then you can fill the bottle from the top.

Oh, another little tip for draining the lube. After it seems that the gear lube has slowed down, I use a compressor (low pressure) to help get the rest out. I'll either stick the gun tip into the hose on the bottom of the monitor bottle, or right on the bottle cap (my air gun tip has a rubber tip). There's a little orange "dot" slightly off center. Stick the gun tip right on that. Sticking the gun into the hose works better, though.

So, there's my "hindsight is 20/20" advice!:smt101
 
After having the hose come off several times,i cleaned the ends off and put a light coat of gorilla glue on. works perfect and will never come off:thumbsup:
 
I don't have the Bravo 3 but my friend who helps me in the Fall (marine mechanic) has a small garden type sprayer with a rubber tip on the end. He pumps it up and squeezes the trigger and in it goes. He has used it for years.
 
Lazy Daze said:
Don't worry, John. Everyone makes a mess at one time or another.

For the next time:

Whenever someone purchases one of those lube pumps, I always tell them to put a couple zip ties on each end of the clear tube - TIGHT. Then... pump s-l-o-w-l-y. I've never had one pop off doing it that way.

Also, if the lube monitor bottle doesn't drain out completely, remove it and clean it out thoroughly. The old lube can get gunky. I usually use brake cleaner to clean it out.

Next, I always pump the lube all the way up into the bottle. Stop when it just starts to cover the bottom as it will continue to flow in a bit. Then you can fill the bottle from the top.

Oh, another little tip for draining the lube. After it seems that the gear lube has slowed down, I use a compressor (low pressure) to help get the rest out. I'll either stick the gun tip into the hose on the bottom of the monitor bottle, or right on the bottle cap (my air gun tip has a rubber tip). There's a little orange "dot" slightly off center. Stick the gun tip right on that. Sticking the gun into the hose works better, though.

So, there's my "hindsight is 20/20" advice!:smt101
Click to expand...


:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 
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