Plug in leading edge side of the upper drive part of the leg - old Stringer drive

[oldsub86]

Ok, so there is a red plastic plug in the front side of the upper leg.
It covers up a grease nipple used to lube the swivel joint.

Mine is crumbling and if I get it out, it will be in pieces.

Is there any harm in running it without the plug?

I don't mind getting a new plug but I am not going to get it before I put this thing in the water and try it out.
Taht leaves me with only a couple of options.
One is to run without it and the other would be to leave it alone until I get a new plug. The housing seems to move freely so it may not be in real need of grease.
A third option might be to either put some tape over the hole temporarily and a 4th might be to see if some other type of plug that is readily available will screw into the hole.

Anyone know the answers or have a good resolution to the issue?

Randy

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Plug in leading edge side of the upper drive part of the leg - old Stringer drive

I do not remember if my '78 hydro mechanical ever had any kind of plug in it. When the subject came up a while ago, I went out and checked. There was no plug and no threads for a threaded plug. I have no clue whether there was ever one in it OR how long I had run it without one. It just did not seem like a good idea to have water being forcefed in there so I took a 1/2" pipe tap, threaded the hole and went to the hardware store and bought a 1/2" nylon pipe plug that uses a allen key to screw it in. budda bing!