1986 Mercury outboard gear oil?

[pete32]

What wieght of gear oil should I be using? for a 1986 25hp Mercury outboard. Also any good tips on apply the gear oil?
Pretty much a noob at this.
Thanks All

 

[emckelvy]

Re: 1986 Mercury outboard gear oil?

Use "Hi-Vis" marine-grade gear oil. The stuff you can purchase at Wal-Mart for around $3/quart will do just fine. You can even get a little pump that goes in the quart bottle and that'll make getting the oil in much easier and less messy.

To drain your gear oil, remove the lower oil drain plug. Then remove the upper (vent) plug and let 'er drain.

Once the old stuff is all drained out, fill from the drain hole until a solid stream of oil comes out the vent hole. Reinstall the vent plug, then the drain plug.

Note be sure to check the gaskets on both vent and drain plugs and renew if they are worn out. They're only around a buck apiece at your local dlr.

HTH............ed

 

[pete32]

Re: 1986 Mercury outboard gear oil?

Is there a wieght because I could swear there was a wieght on the bottle?
10/20 or something like that?
Also how many time should I do this?
once every season?
every other trip?
once a month?
Thanks

 

[DRIFTER_016]

Re: 1986 Mercury outboard gear oil?

Do it in the fall when you are winterizing the boat.

 

[pete32]

Re: 1986 Mercury outboard gear oil?

What happens if you put the gear oil from the top insead of the bottom?

 

[Kev144]

Re: 1986 Mercury outboard gear oil?

putting it in from the bottom and letting it ooze out the top is the tell tale sign that you have the correct amount of gear on in. if you put it in the top you can easily over fill or not enough due to no tell tale sign when the pump is screwed into the top hole. Do it from the bottom. Mercury sells gear oil aswell as walmart etc.

 

[kingsnakejr]

Re: 1986 Mercury outboard gear oil?

80w90 lower unit oil. And when attaching the pump to your drain hole, remove the other end of the hose from the pump. This makes screwing the threaded end into the lower unit sooo much easier. When you've gotten it screwed in just slip the hose back on the pump and pump it until oil comes out the vent hole.

 

[pete32]

Re: 1986 Mercury outboard gear oil?

I looked for a pump but could not find one. Wal Mart sells the stuff in 8oz. bottles. So I unscrewd the top vent and bottom vent and drained the oil,(a little more than 8oz. came out.) The bottles are tapered so I cut the top off a little and shoved it into the bottom vent. All the oil went into the gear so I used another bottle, after a couple of squeezes of the bottle oil came pouring out the top. I placed the top vent on (no problem). With my finger plugging the bottom hole I put the bottom bolt in, but not after some oil had poured out. Is this typical or do I need to do the whole thing again?
Thanks

 

[j_martin]

Re: 1986 Mercury outboard gear oil?

It doesn't hurt for an ounce to escape before you put the lower plug in. On a bigger engine (V6) it's mandantory, or you'll blow seals.

Normal procedure is to pull the plugs, drain the oil. Hook up the pump (which fits quart bottles, by the way) to the drain, pump it till the oil comes out the vent. Put in the vent. Unscrew the pump (a little oil escapes), and without panic screw in the drain plug.

Wipe up the mess and go fishing.

hope it helps
John