When I was winterizing the boat, I changed the lower unit oil. Much to my surprise and dissapointment, the old oil looked like eggnog. I know that means water is getting in there but I would like to ask those of you with experience...where is the most likely spot that water is getting in?
What steps would you recommend to fix the problem?
Were you running the motor in gear before you changed it? That will whip it up and give it the color you described(i've done it and panicked). If you weren't running it before you'll need the dealer to do a pressure test. 99% of leaks are from fishing line getting wrapped behind the prop and breaking the seal there..Good luck!
This sounds familar. I noticed that the gear oil in one of my engines was green like antifreeze. Interesting enough it was the side that got the fishing line caught in it last summer. John do you think it is a probem?
Very well could be... Any oils that have a milky look to them indicate water getting in - much like a headgasket.
Get it checked and service right away. One thing you can do if you service it yourself is to use a extremely clean drain pan, drain the gear oil, and put a strong magnet in it and run around for filings - excessive filings could indicate a severe problem (some drain plugs actually have magnets built in to trap filings from causing greater wear). Either way, best to have a good outboard mechanic check it out. If the fluid levels are still decent, you might not have any problems after changing the fluid and the seal.
When I change oil in the lower unit,end of every season, I also remove the prop and check behind for fishing line. Then I will grease the shaft and re-install the prop. Haven't had any problems so far! Another thing I don't really tighten the hell out of the lock nut on the prop when I put the prop back on.
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