[basebklyn7]

hey, just me again.. got a quick question..
i got my boat about 3 months ago and have taken it out several times. (3 times a week or so) i changed the LU gear oil when i first got the boat, and i just recently changed it again about a week ago just to see if i was low, water, etc etc just as a heads up..
well.. when i drained it, about 1/2 of a dixie cup (the kind you usually find in a bathroom, 4 ounces?) of water came out, and then all the gear oil came out.. i didnt notice much of a color change from new oil to the stuff i just drained out.. maybe slightly darker??
i was just wondering if this is common.. or ifs its something i should pay closer attention to. persay, changing the gear oil more often, or should i figure out if a new seal for the lower unit would do the trick???
just asking for your thoughts.
again, i appreciate it.. thanks
sean

 

[Guest]

Hey Base, I'm a Johnson and Evinrude mechanic. You might want to take it to a dealer and have him pressure test the gearcase. That way he should be able to find which seal or o ring is bad. Also, you cant take the prop off and check for fishin' line. Otherwise, you should change the gear oil after every trip. Good luck friend.

 

[basebklyn7]

change it every trip!!!!!!!!!!! that sounds a little excessive.
i appreciate the reply though.. im not that concerned about it.. i dont want to spend much money on it if i dont have to. i would have been really alarmed if there was more water.
i just put a brand new prop on it a week ago. no fishing line or anything.
i just realized i forgot to mention that its a 1970 evinrude 33 horse.
i did a compression test on it too.. not sure if its good/bad.. but the top cylinder was just around 110 lbs and the bottom cylinder was at 120 lbs. dont know what is acceptable for this motor?
figure ill throw in that its running like a top too. well considering its age. it fires right up at the ramp now. .but still misses for a min until i give it a little more gas.. then its fine the rest of the day.
sean

 

[olefin]

change it every trip!!!!!!!!!!! that sounds a little excessive.

I agree!

My pontoon has a 85hp Yamaha.... it's 10 years old.. I've changed it about 4 times. I realize that is going a little long between changes... be best to change at least at the end of the season or anytime you drag bottom. Mine is in the water all the time so it's not handy to change.... no excuse.

Bobpaul can give you the straight poop on boat motors.

 

[Mark J]

obviously if you have a seal leaking water into the lower unit you should want to change the lower unit oil EVERY trip.
It's only a matter of a short time before the lower unit is going to be junk if the problem isn't fixed.

 

[basebklyn7]

anyone know what a seal for a lower unit will cost me? its a 1970 evinrude 33 horse model # - 33052M serial # - E01967
when replacing the water pump earlier this year.. we took the lower half of the lower unit off and i noticed the seal there was in mediocre shape.

every trip would get really expensive.. 2 tubes of gear lube is like $5. thats $15 a week. $60 month. $720 a year.. if i keep going like i am now, once it seizes up, ill have saved enough money to purchase a newer motor.

but hopefully i can prevent htat by getting a seal for it.

 

[Bobpaul]

You've got water in your lower unit. You've got a bad seal. It won't fix itself.

Mike gave you the best advice possible and it was free.

Change/check the lower unit oil each time you run it, or get the seal fixed and change it once a season.

 

[basebklyn7]

i appreciate the help and replies guys.

does anyone know what a seal for the lower unit would cost.. and is it something i would be able to tackle in my driveway?? thanks in advance..
where should i look.. does anyone recommend a parts store or website that would be able to accomodate my needs??
thanks
sean

 

[olefin]

Oops... I overlooked that you were already getting water in the oil.

 

[coach]

yea olefin......... i knew u was gonna reconsider once u read a little more................

 

[basebklyn7]

well just finished changing the gear oil just now.
there was NO water that came out first before the gear lube.. maybe it hasnt been in htere long enough.. but.. the lube that came out was a more pale yellow than the new oil is. the new gear lube i put in is more of a pee yellow .. or the color of a smiley . the old stuff had a milky look to it.. thats a sign of water right..
anyways... i would still like to get a seal for down there, and also, what do you guys recommend i use for the philips screws holding the bottom half of the lower unit on.. i think there are 8 of them. thanks again for all the help..

by the way.. the gear lube i drained out just now has been in the boat for about 4 -5 trips.. total of maybe 20 hours in the water.

so im really interested in taking care of this problems.. just trying to figure out the right path i should take.

you guys dont know how much i appreciate the help.

sean

 

[basebklyn7]

ok.. cant figure out the picture thing.. but was looking around and found "evinrude/ johnson outboard seal kits" for 33 hp '62 - '70 it has a price for 12.95. does this sound right? in the picture it says "gearcase seal kit".
let me know if this is what i need to start.
sean
thanks again. ok, got the pic. its down below

 

[Bobpaul]

Yup, that looks like what you need.

Be sure to clean all the surfaces really good. Put a light coating of gasket sealer on all surfaces that will contact the outside of the seals you replace.

Lay that long thin rubber gasket in the groove and cut it to fit with a razor blade.

Mike, anything I forgot to mention? Feal free to jump in.

 

[metalman]

Base,
It sounds like you do not have a manual. You should get one. It will pay for itself many times over...W

 

[basebklyn7]

yodaddy.. you talk about the fishing line walking into the seal behind the prop. will the gearcase seal kit i ordered have a replacement for the seal?? i would really like to get it all sealed and squared away.. the way the motor has been running lately.. i have a feeling it will work well for a while. so im just trying to tidy everything else up to prevent future big problems.

 

[Bobpaul]

There is a prop shaft seal in that kit.

 

[basebklyn7]

just updating this..
i replaced the seals in my lower unit last week and put fresh oil in it before the holiday weekend.. i camped thursday-sunday and had the boat in the water everyday.. for a total of about 15 hours or so.
i drained the gear oil today and it was as yellow and clean as it was when i put it in there.
even though all appears to be well.. i will still keep myself in the habit of changing the gear oil once a month or so.
cant go wrong for only costing $25 all together.
thanks again guys
sean