What lower unit lube do I need?

[5oldjohnsons]

Went to change out lower unit lubes on two of my engines today but dont know what fluid to use. I just got these engines this summer so i've never changed either one before. The first one is a 1963 Johnson 18hp and the other is a 1949 Johnson 2.5hp. I drained the 18hp and the fluid smelled like 80w-90 but didn't seem as thick. Also after a quick glance at the 2.5hp i didn't notice a drain anywhere. Do I need to pull the lower unit off to drain it or did I miss something? Thanks

 

[kfa4303]

Re: What lower unit lube do I need?

Hi 5oldjohnsons. You want to use marine grade 80-90w oil in the gear case of the 18 hp. You can get it at wal mart, NAPA and any marine supply store. You'll probably want to get a screw on, hand pump too, if you don't have one already. It makes the job a lot easier. Here are a couple links that can walk you through the job and some other basic tune up procedures. Make sure you have some nice, new, nylon washers for the DRAIN and VENT screws. I'm not exactly sure about the '49, but some one will chime in soon. Hope these links help. Keep us posted.

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/07/columns/max/index1.htm
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=158086