Changing Gear oil necessary annually?? opinions

[jerrybrecko]

Bought a Silverton express 271 1995. IO
-Put it in the water
-went to change engine oil like previous owner told me to do
-then he told me i was supposed to change before putting in water because outdrive gear oil needs to be changed out of water and i should not run the boat until doing so because if there is any water in the outdrive it could seize it and destroy it
-its going to cost $300 and a waste of a day tomorrow waiting for the haul out lift to do a 20 minute gear oil change

Is it true that not checking the outdrive gear oil this year may cause serious damage to my boat?

 

[Scott Danforth]

the primary reason to service the drive annually per the manual is to inspect for failed seals, inspect the bellows, inspect the u-joints, inspect the gimble, inspect the alignment, and if needed, change the oil.

so..... it is up to you. some people can get away from servicing their boat, then when there is an issue, it costs 15X what it would if the problem is caught early. however these are trailer boats. moored and slipped boats should be checked every year without question.

 

[poconojoe]

The "experts" should chime in, but from what I know....the drive oil should be changed at the END of every season to check for water intrusion, and any metal particles... especially if you live where water freezes in the winter. The reason is if there is water in the oil and it freezes, it can cause obvious freeze damage.
The other thought would be if there was water in your oil and you run it, that could be very bad too. You obviously don't want water in your oil...not good for lubrication purposes.

 

[poconojoe]

And what Scott said....all valid points. Yearly maintenance will usually save you in the long run, plus you will be confident that you're boat is in tip top shape. You don't want to get stranded on the water. It's not like a car where you can walk somewhere to get help.

 

[tpenfield]

I check the gear oil annually, but don't change it every year. . . maybe every 3 years (120-150 total hours)

Greasing the u-joints is an annual thing.

 

[alldodge]

Is it true that not checking the outdrive gear oil this year may cause serious damage to my boat?

Yes and No
Yes - IF there is water in the drive
No - IF there is no water

 

[ahicks]

I hope you are going to dive into this a little more so you don't have to rely on the PO for service advice. If you don't trust yourself to do a comprehensive job here, best to seek out some pro advice - soon.

There's a 30 second pass/fail that can be done on lower unit oil. Leaving the top screw in place, remove the bottom screw, but only enough to see if water, oil, or a mix of the 2 come out. If it's oil only, you're very likely good to go. Replace the screw and carry on. If you see water or milky oil, you're done. It needs to be serviced before it's used again.

That pre winter inspection that should be done here, in addition to Scott's list, should also include prop removal. This will allow you to grease the shaft, but nearly just as important, check the drive shaft seal just ahead of the prop. If you've run over a piece of fishing line, you want to get that out of there ASAP, as that line is very capable of taking out that seal - leading to water in the lower unit oil.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

My answer is yes and no as well. I didn't change it last fall for the 1st time since I've had the boat, 10 years. The reason is I didn't put 10 hrs on the boat for one reason or another. I was told you change it in fall as part of your winterization of the boat. Not in the spring but fall because if you do see milky oil that indicates water intrusion you have all winter to find out why and repair it. If you find a problem in the Spring any trouble shooting and repairs might keep you off the water that long.

I know nada about changing bottom gear lube in an Inboard or I/O but $300.00? My 115HP and 15HP O/B gear lube change might cost 25 bucks in gear lube and 10 bucks in O rings. It costs me more in fuel for my Truck to pick up the O rings and lube. I do my own and if I can do it right anyone can, 15 minutes for each one, maybe. Most of that time is draining the oil. Then I pour it into a Tupperware through a coffee filter to look for the smallest of metal particulate even if not milky. The vent plug for both Mariners is magnetized so if I don't see anything on that I let out a cheer. I save the oil to lube for my tools.

$300.00 really?

edit: If you do DIY it don't do what I did once. I mixed 2 different brands of lube one Fall. I thought I had water in the lower end the next fall, no thank goodness. Lost sleep over it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

if you read the OP's post, pretty sure the $300 also includes haul out. most likely this is a slipped or moored boat.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I understand now Scott. Too much heat on my head, temps hit 32C here on the lake, north breeze. I have never seen 32 on the thermometer -32 yes but not +32, that's low 90's I think. I've been metrified.

 

[harringtondav]

I say yes. At least drain enough each yr. to see if there is free water, and to see if the lube is milky. If so, change it. Else, two yrs max. I'm embarrassed to admit I got slack because, even though we have our boat conveniently on a rail lift, we barely put 5-10 hrs. on it annually. I use a NEO syn. gear lube, and it has been great for 20+yrs.

So I let it go for 3 yrs. Funky, crude oil smelling and black lube drained out. Last fall after one year, I found the same. I don't know if it went biologic/septic or what. Last winter I did 10 yr seal kits, and every steel part, bearing, shaft, etc. looked like it had been Praco/Magnesium phosphate plated black, and acetone wouldn't clean it off. My 20X loupe showed micro pitting.

I had plenty of barely used spare bearings and shafts from insurance paid wing dam encounters, so I completely rebuilt it a low cost. New NEO is back in the drive, but I guarantee you, I'll make annual checks, two year changes.

Hrs. use is an important measure for maintenance, but it seems gear lube can break down, incorporate water, or just plain go bad over time.

 

[roffey]

I understand now Scott. Too much heat on my head, temps hit 32C here on the lake, north breeze. I have never seen 32 on the thermometer -32 yes but not +32, that's low 90's I think. I've been metrified.

hijacking the thread for a sec. I saw 36 last week, that's the highest Ive ever seen, yet, lol.

Just to keep on track, I can check the gear oil from inside my boat and change it every couple of years but check the oil, power steering and gear oil level every day before going out.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I was grinding fiberglass today in 92 degree temps with a heat index of 102....thats 33C that feels like 39....my deodorant didnt stand a chance....

 

[H20Rat]

3 year change is average for me, but I check it at the end of every season for any signs of water. Really no reason to do it differently on a slipped boat. Check it once a year and change if any signs of contamination.

In the OP's case, sounds like you have no clue if there was contamination, and for some reason the previous owner told you not to use it before changing? Sounds like a red flag, but if it were me, I'd be hauling that boat out.

 

[444]

Since you just bought it, I would do it now. You really have no verifiable way of knowing any history on the thing. Some guys run bottom ends with leaky lowers and just change the oil out once or twice a year instead of biting the bullet and having it resealed. It sucks to drop the 300 bucks to have the boat pulled, I get that, but if you're getting water in there the damage it will do if unchecked will far exceed 300 bones.