Outdrive Oil

[onesloryd]

What is the best method of changing the out-drive gear lube?

[Vinny P]

The first question is what type of drive is it? If it is a Bravo, the first thing you do is pull the prop. Just below the prop shaft in the bearing carrier, there is a flat head screw, this is the drain. Just pull the screw out and let it drain. Then get a drive fill pump and fill the drive from the same screw hole that drains the oil.

If you have an Alpha, the drain screw is located just below the front of the drive bullet on the left side. Follow the same re-filling procedure.

[onesloryd]

Thanks for your help.
The drive is a Bravo One X.
Any suggestions on cleaning the hose that goes the reservoir as I am changing from Merc to Redline.

[bobby daniels]

I like to fill the bottle up with redline and leave the plug out of the bottom and let the redline run out and it flushs out the bottle,hose,and drive ,,sometimes I leave it overnite

just be sure when yor pumping it back in,,,, to fill to the fill screw on the right side and put the fill screw back in first

[CAP071]

Yes Yes Yes

I did the same when I changed fluid types.

[cig1988]

I have bravo's and the drain lug is located by the nose cone. I would drain & leave the plug out overnight. Remove the bottle, drain that, re-install. Start pumping fluid until the resevoir pumps out the new oil. Drain the resevoir again, fill to mark.

[onesloryd]

Thanks again for the help.

[technicalx]

what is the proper method for removing the air, after you've drained the oil. run the trim?

[technicalx]

After the oil is filled in the outdrive, trying to put the screw in the loweroutdrive, it begins to gush out. I would assume this introduces air into the outdrive oil cavity.

I was wondering it raising and lowering the trim might make the air bubble to the top of the reservoir. Sorta like shaking the outdrive.

[Dennis Moore]

Not to worry, as soon as the drive is started the air bubble will rise to the top of the drive. The reservoir will handle the bubble. It may seem a little spooky for guys that drain and refill their drives only occasionally but it has never been a problem for us mechanics that drain and refill drives every day.
You can overfill the reservoir a little if you feel you need to.
Many people like to install the vent plug in the driveshaft housing and then give the gearcase a few more squirts to drive the gear lube into the reservoir before replacing the drain plug, but it gets a little messy when you pull the gear lube fill hose away.
Dennis Moore