Checking for mositure or water in I/O outdrive, Mercuriser

[Chet labrozzi]

Hello Guys,

A friend of mine said I should check for mositure or water in my outdrive prior to winter storage. How exactally do I do this? He said something about opening up a screw or drain and see if there is water? Oil merky? It's an mercruiser gen 2 bravo I think so how would I go about doing this? I never did this before on any of the boats I had, just curious or is it just an extra check I dont need to do?

 

[oops!]

Re: Checking for mositure or water in I/O outdrive, Mercuriser

yes, you do need to do this.

there is a plug on the very bottom of your drive unit....it looks like a slot bladed screw driver fits in there. loosen this plug with the drive up (so you can get at it....(just turn it till its free...) then lower the drive...put a dirty oil bucket under the drive....undo the plug.......then at the top of the drive...there is a similar plug that says "vent" undo that plug.....

the oil will now drain freely into the pan.......the oil should be dark.......not milk shake color......you will see some "frothy" stuff.....this is just air in the oil....but if the colour is milky at all....its time for a seal job.

this is part of the regular winterization process........if there is water in the drive oil.....the water could freeze and crack your lower unit. or just rust your gears.

to re fill the drive......use mercrusier drive oil.....you can purchase a small pump with a hose......attach the hose to the bottom of the drive....leave the vent open at the top....and pump the oil in to the drive from the bottom........do not pump it in from the top when the oil comes out the top....its full....replace the top vent plug....make sure the rubber seal is around the plug........remove fill ose....then add plug to the bottom of the drive....make sure they are tight.

there could also be a reservoir for drive oil in your engine area.....(newer motors) make sure that is full.

 

[Chet labrozzi]

Re: Checking for mositure or water in I/O outdrive, Mercuriser

Yes there are two reserviors inside the motor area? do i still need to refill from the bottom or will the reserviors fill it themselves? I will pull out the plug and see what it looks like, if it's clean should I still change it?

 

[oops!]

Re: Checking for mositure or water in I/O outdrive, Mercuriser

allways refill from the bottom on a change.....and yes ...change it...

every winter.....

here....read this.....it can help.....it was written by a pro boat mechanic

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=178695

do not use muffs to introduce antifreeze into the block

 

[Chet labrozzi]

Re: Checking for mositure or water in I/O outdrive, Mercuriser

Just checked it and it's dark, no water, it appears to be fine. I will change that along with the engine oil in the spring..plus i think i'll do plugs, fuel filter etc in the spring, who knows when it was last done being i bough the boat this year. Oh, i already used muff's did it the same i always did with my other boats. I started the boat with fresh water and muff's ran till it got up to temp. let run for a little while longer. shut down, turned off the water, removed the hose. Opened the drain plus on each side of the motor. Hooked up a 5 gallon can with a hose to a set of muff's restarted the engine till i had pink coming out the exhaust, it took a little while but it took almost 3.5 to 4 gallons, that should do it huh? i just pulled off a hose on the lower side going to the water pump and it was full...hopefully i should be ok?

 

[oops!]

Re: Checking for mositure or water in I/O outdrive, Mercuriser

chet, as far as introducing antifreeze into the motor from the muffs.......

we have seen quite a few cracked blocks that way. the t stat does not open because the fluid around it is below the 160 deg temp it needs to open.

here is another one to read......all the pro mechanics say no....... http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=280921

possibly next year.....you may want to consider a change of that habit....its a 5k mistake

i am taking these threads form the mercrusier forums here at iboats.......they are in the adults only section at the top of the forum.....

this forum (iboats) is a real wealth of information......i would not have finished my boat with out it.

 

[Chet labrozzi]

Re: Checking for mositure or water in I/O outdrive, Mercuriser

yeah thanks so much, after reading your post and the forum here i went an bough more antifreeze, pulled off all the hoses on the motor and dumped more in, i do still have a question why doesnt the pink antifreeze work in an antifreeze tester?

 

[Philster]

Re: Checking for mositure or water in I/O outdrive, Mercuriser

Change fluids now --- not in the spring.

 

[Don S]

Re: Checking for mositure or water in I/O outdrive, Mercuriser

why doesnt the pink antifreeze work in an antifreeze tester?

Because the pink stuff is propylene glycol, the normal green antifreeze is ethylene glycol.

You need a different type of tester for the propylene glycol type of antifreeze.

 

[Chet labrozzi]

Re: Checking for mositure or water in I/O outdrive, Mercuriser

Thank u sir, I will buy the other tester tomorrow and check the fulid in the hose prior to the theromstat and see what it reads..just nervous, this is a new boat to us, the old one I never drained the block just ran it till it was warm and then pumped the antifreeze through and it was always fine.