changing the oil in your boat

Weave said:
Click on linky below........You should get familiar with your manual and it will demonstrate much of this info.
http://www.sterndrives.com/changeyouralphagearlube.html
Click to expand...

Good timing, I am at 20 hours and was going to do this all this weekend!

See, this is what I mean about the manuals...they suck. THis website you linked to has more information on just changing the drive lube than the entire merc engine manual has throughout the entire book!
 
I appreciate the response to my question on how much oil do you replace - that makes sense.

Next question...

Drive Lube?

What is it and how often are we supposed to be replacing this????

Again, I appreciate your willingness to help educate me on these topics!
 
cjniemiec said:
I appreciate the response to my question on how much oil do you replace - that makes sense.

Next question...

Drive Lube?

What is it and how often are we supposed to be replacing this????

Again, I appreciate your willingness to help educate me on these topics!
Click to expand...
The link Weave provided is excellent, and what I used.

It left a couple of points out if you have a newer boat (you need to put your boat/engine info in your sig please!)

For the drive lube resevoir, on my boat, there is a white quick-connect that you can use to drain the resevoir easily. Follow the tubing from the resevoir down, and you will find it. It made the draining much faster, and as well allows you to keep the resevoir in its bracket (pain to remove!).

MAKE SURE to get new gaskets for the drain plugs. The merc dealer I went to told me they notice the #1 cause of water getting in the drive is people not replacing these when they do a lube change. For $1, well worth it!!

As far as how often, my engine manual says the 20 hr service then the 50 hr service. I just did the 20 hour...changed the engine oil and oil filter, drive lube and gaskets for plugs.
 
I use an inexpensive Jabsco pump (West Marine sells it) that chucks into a drill and pumps the oil out through the dipstick tube. It does a great job however, you must warm the engine oil first as others have said.
 
For those of you with trailered boats... that happen to be a bit older, like mine...

It's very easy to set up a drain hose system like the newer ones come with. Just drain your oil however you do it now, take your drain plug to the hardware store... buy a 90 degree brass fitting that will screw into where the drain plug was. Pick up some fuel/oil hose and the appropriate sized nipple fitting to slide it onto. Be sure to pick up a couple compact size clamps; or use binding wire to ensure the hose doesn't slide off. Also check the hose diameter... don't get 1"; it WILL NOT go through your hull drain. Now, pick up another nipple fitting for the end with a cap. Assemble all of this together using thread sealant/locker (look around, automotive stores will carry something that will seal and help hold the threads).

I did this to mine in the fall, but I also added in an additional safety; a 1/4 turn ball valve (ceramic). This way the ball valve retains the oil; the cap at the end just prevents any residual from leaking out.
 
billandamy said:
The link Weave provided is excellent, and what I used.

It left a couple of points out if you have a newer boat (you need to put your boat/engine info in your sig please!)

For the drive lube resevoir, on my boat, there is a white quick-connect that you can use to drain the resevoir easily. Follow the tubing from the resevoir down, and you will find it. It made the draining much faster, and as well allows you to keep the resevoir in its bracket (pain to remove!).

MAKE SURE to get new gaskets for the drain plugs. The merc dealer I went to told me they notice the #1 cause of water getting in the drive is people not replacing these when they do a lube change. For $1, well worth it!!

As far as how often, my engine manual says the 20 hr service then the 50 hr service. I just did the 20 hour...changed the engine oil and oil filter, drive lube and gaskets for plugs.
Click to expand...


185 Sport
2006

What exactly does the drive lube provide? Someone mentioned they replaced it at 20 hours - after my first season I had the boat winterized by the dealer - should I assume they do not do additional work unless requested????

My dealer this spring mentioned the oil should be changed (why they didn't point this out in the fall when they HAD THE BOAT is a mystery to me!!!!!)

As a result, I am motivated to figure out how to do some of this basic maintanence myself.

Thanks for all your help.
 
cjniemiec said:
185 Sport
2006

What exactly does the drive lube provide? Someone mentioned they replaced it at 20 hours - after my first season I had the boat winterized by the dealer - should I assume they do not do additional work unless requested????

My dealer this spring mentioned the oil should be changed (why they didn't point this out in the fall when they HAD THE BOAT is a mystery to me!!!!!)

As a result, I am motivated to figure out how to do some of this basic maintanence myself.

Thanks for all your help.
Click to expand...
It provides lube for the drive....that whole lower unit outside the engine there in simple terms. Engine oil inside the boat, drive lube outside the boat...

The engine manual states changing it after the first 20 hours, and again at 50 hours for my Alpha one drive. The initial chnges are always important, because supposedly this is when any left over metal filings, or the first wear and tear on engines/drives occur and the changes get these impurities out.

Dont EVER assume that your dealer does ANYTHING. ALWAYS get it in writing what they are doing.

Doing the oil and lube changes is wicked easy. Read through that link Weave provided, and as well there are some links or threads about changing the engine oil...do you have a drain plug that is atached to the engine oil drain hose? Check for it...
 
Again, thanks for sharing your knowledge...

I checked yesterday, I do in deed have a oil drain hose connected to my drain plug - I assume that will be the easiest way to drain the oil - but.... in Wisconsin, the water levels are way high - few boats are in the water including mine. I was thinking of draining the oil through the hose mentioned above - I acknowledge it might be a slow process, but have no rush (if it takes days, so be it) - how silly would this be as opposed to a warmed up engine drain?

Also, good advice on getting everything done at the dealer in writing - I had some issues under warrenty addressed last fall and confirmed this weekend they did not place any paperwork in the glove box as they mentioned they would - I'm going to have to get this squared away today.

Interesting about the drive lube - a neighbor who has had searays for years had no knowledge of EVER draining his...looks like i will be running class shortly - but need to get one of those pumps to add the lube back in. Again, thanks for your help.
 
The pumps for putting the drive lube back in are very cheap...like $10 or so. Wise investment.
I drained my oil out of the hose for the first time this year and it worked fine....Took about 30-45 mins. There is some speculation that if you don't run the motor before draining it using this method that you will get more of the crap out. Either way you are doing a good thing by changing it.
The drive lube has nothing to do wiht Sea ray specifics.....Its a Merc and Volvo thing. Gotta keep the gears lubed since there is an awful lot of heat and friction on the internals.
Also, It wasn't until the generation II Alpha drives that the gear lube resevior came out. Prior to that all you had to do was pump slowly until lube came out the vent hole. It was more difficult however to add/check levels.
 
cjniemiec said:
Again, thanks for sharing your knowledge...

I checked yesterday, I do in deed have a oil drain hose connected to my drain plug - I assume that will be the easiest way to drain the oil - but.... in Wisconsin, the water levels are way high - few boats are in the water including mine. I was thinking of draining the oil through the hose mentioned above - I acknowledge it might be a slow process, but have no rush (if it takes days, so be it) - how silly would this be as opposed to a warmed up engine drain?

Also, good advice on getting everything done at the dealer in writing - I had some issues under warrenty addressed last fall and confirmed this weekend they did not place any paperwork in the glove box as they mentioned they would - I'm going to have to get this squared away today.

Interesting about the drive lube - a neighbor who has had searays for years had no knowledge of EVER draining his...looks like i will be running class shortly - but need to get one of those pumps to add the lube back in. Again, thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
Well, you can only do the drain hose out of the water, so serendipity! Change it all now before you dunk it.

I like warmed up and just driven since it supposedly gets more of the impurities out, as after it has rested a while, again, supposedly the heavy impurities will go sit in the pan in the corner and you may not get all of it out. I like to change any lube straight from being driven. When I did my engine oil and drive lube, it was about 20 minutes from being pulled from the water after a day of tubing, skiing and wakeboarding. Oil was still HOT!

Get the pump, it is like $10. You will not be able to do a proper change without it afaik.

No prob for the advice. I can help for these minor issues and basics, you will need to go higher up the boat knowledge chain here for anything more dramatic! :grin:
 
Weave said:
Also, It wasn't until the generation II Alpha drives that the gear lube resevior came out. Prior to that all you had to do was pump slowly until lube came out the vent hole. It was more difficult however to add/check levels.
Click to expand...

Just to be clear on this point, you still have to fill the drive lube oil from the bottom, up, until lube comes out the vent hole. After you cap off the vent hole and remove the pump and put the drain plug back in, you then fill the resorvoir with gear lube oil up to the fill line. That process hasn't changed.

The resorvoir is a great addition though as it allows you to easily check the level and notice a problem early on. My buddy who didn't have the resorvoir had to install a new upper unit as the oil seal failed allowing gear lube into the U-joint bellows unbeknowst to him. If you don't have the resorvoir, you need to check that vent plug every so often for oil...

Tom
 
Another dumb question....

My 2006 185 Sport has been viewed by two different sets of eyes .... and we can't locate the oil filter!

We found the fuel filter (bottom left front of engine) but the oil?!?!?!?!

I'm assuming it is hidden somewhere on the right side (when standing IN the boat looking) - but can someone direct me where to find it?

Thanks
 
If it is a carbed 4.3 it should be on the port side down and toward the stern (right side and down back looking at engine) Need to be a monkey to get it!
 
Thanks for pointing that out - I will look this weekend - this would explain why my simple search came up empty
 
This topic is KILLING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I STILL can't find the stinking oil filter - is it even where the battery is located on the passanger side of the boat?

I spent a good deal of time trying to sniff this sucker out - can someone give one more effort in leading me to this sucker?????

Thanks
 
Look really low on the port side.....should be screwed on sideways if I remember right
 
I couldn't actually see or touch the oil filter until I removed the fiberglass 'shield' that separates the engine compartment from the port side storage area. Once that panel is removed, you can crawl into the storage area and reach down under the port side near the rear of the engine and feel the oil filter.

I did notice one interesting thing when I went to remove the OEM filter...none of the ratchet type oil filter wrenches fit it. The replacement mercruiser filter appears to be the same size but is just a bit larger and fits the smaller version of the filter remover tool perfectly.
 
I was contimplating removing the panel you mention - now I have the motivation to do so - thanks for passing this hint along - I'm hopeful this will get me to the secret oil filter I've heard so much about.

I plan on using an old school oil filter wrench ( with the metal band ) I can't imagine any problems with this once I locate the darn filter.

I will post how things go this weekend.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,112
Messages
1,426,288
Members
61,027
Latest member
NeilS
Back
Top