?? stern drive oil change for first timer

[wtx]

I drained alpha 1"s stern drive fluid yesterday. Let drain for hour till it quit draining. Pumped fluid in till it came out top hole. Placed top screw in and pumped in another quart. Looked in boat at monitor bottle which had maybe only drain down to 1/2 inch of fluid. Never would drain completely? So I filled monitor bottle and went to lake. I got 2 full quarts in and maybe maybe 4 oz on third quart in

Boat ran out perfect but did I screw up could there be a bubble or the drive not be full?

Any advise appreciated. I am a brand new boater, enjoy working on hotrods and scooters but boats are new "toy" for me. This forum is amazing with all of the info and knowledgeable souls here

 

[Don S]

Re: ?? stern drive oil change for first timer

First of all, you need to tell us EXACTLY what outdrive you have. I looked at your previous posts and found this Alpha I is on a 2003 boat. Which makes it an Alpha I Gen II outdrive. BIG difference.

Next time you drain the gear lube, you should also be removing and cleaning the reservoir. You do not have to empty it through the drive. Just disconnect the hose, remove the bottle and empty it.
The reason for cleaning, is the solids in the gear lube build up over time and plug things up.

I got 2 full quarts in and maybe maybe 4 oz on third quart in

You shouldn't have gotten that much oil in the drive and not see it in the reservoir. I would be pulling the drive and looking for gear lube in the ujoint bellows. That oil had to go somewhere.