If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

[CharlesW]

When I changed the oil in the lower unit of my 1986 40 Evinrude, the siphon tube dropped off the pump into the gallon jug. Hey, no biggie, just poured it into another gallon jug to get the tube out.<br /> But when I poured it out, it had almost a jellied appearance to it. Since I have no idea what the stuff I pumped in the lower unit looked like, I bought a fresh gallon and will be changing it again.<br />What would cause the jellied condition?<br />It may have frozen at some time, but it freezes every winter in the lower unit of my O/B and in the outdrive of my I/O. It was about two years old if that would make a difference. Never heard of gear oil going stale, but I never saw this jellied look in the 30 years I have been doing this, either.<br /><br />Charles

 

[rodbolt]

Re: If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

hello<br /> I dont know but if it got cold enough to freeze the oil its was mighty cold. sometimes the additive package in oils will seperate or you may have had some moisture contamination. wow must have been cold

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

That's a good question. I would think if it had water in the Lower Unit, you would have more problems than just gelled fluid. Maybe not! But like you said, I would just change it out a couple of times in-between runs and see how it looks. Don't forget new seals on the drain/fill screws. If it looks OK, I wouldn't worry about it. What lube are/were you using(Brand)?

 

[CharlesW]

Re: If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

The lube in question is OMC Ultra HPF Gearcase Lube.<br />The jellied lube was in a plastic gallon container that was purchased in September of 2003. It had been opened and used to change the gearcase oil in my OMC Cobra last fall, then recapped and stored in a non-heated storage area for the winter. Pretty mild winter in Iowa this year. It had not been exposed to any contaminants that I know of.<br />When I drained the O/B last fall, I couldn't find my new drain/fill plug gaskets so I drained and refilled it this spring to be able to install the new gaskets. Now, I get to do it again. The lower unit should be pretty well flushed out for the season. With an 18 year old motor, thorough flushing might not be a good thing. <br />At $36 a gallon, it will be stored in a heated area this winter.<br /><br />Charles<br />Charles

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

I gotcha now. Wonder if some moisture got into the container(Humidity, Ect) and had a reaction that caused the gelling. Very unusual indeed!

 

[R.Johnson]

Re: If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

CharlesW: Did I understand you correctly? Did you say your gearcase's freeze every winter? We did have a mild winter here in Iowa, but we also had some sub-zero day's.

 

[CharlesW]

Re: If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

Originally posted by R.Johnson:<br /> CharlesW: Did I understand you correctly? Did you say your gearcase's freeze every winter? We did have a mild winter here in Iowa, but we also had some sub-zero day's.

Bad choice of words on my part. I should have said they are subjected to freezing temperatures every winter. I have no idea if they do or do not freeze. I was trying to make the point that this winter was not much different than others and if freezing in the gallon jug was bad, freezing in the unit should be just as bad.<br /><br />Charles

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

It will not freeze in your area, unless there is water or excessive condensation in it. If that was the case, there would be a whole bunch of lower units blowing seals and cracking cases over the winter..

 

[Brew2]

Re: If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

I really doubt the "freezing" option, unless the oil had been contaminated. In Calgary, we typically get a week or so of extremely cold weather every winter (-60 fahrenheit with wind chill) and I've never had a problem with "jellied" gear lube in the spring.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Brew

 

[CharlesW]

Re: If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

My mechanic just thinks some of the ingredients in the oil were thickened more by cold weather. It hadn't had a chance to warm up sufficiently to return to its normal consistency.<br />Since It might not be 100%, I am going to change it again to be safe. 10 minutes and $5 or $6 worth of lube seemed like a good investment.<br /><br />Charles

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: If OMC lower unit oil freezes?

Charles, you may want to try using synthetic gear oil since you are changing it again anyway. It tends not to mix with water as easy and has alot better resistance to extreme temps.(hot and cold).