Originally Posted by Knot 4 Me

I have a 2004 260SSi Chaparral with a 496MAG. It came with 6 years of warranty on the motor/drive (2 from Merc, additional 4 from manufacture). There is no issue with warranty on doing annual maintenance yourself as long as a problem does not occur from doing the maintenance improperly or using improper materials (i.e. wrong weight engine oil). I've done all the annual maintenance since day 1 and it is both easy and inexpensive to do. I'm pretty anal about my maintenance and therefore do a little more than required but it is still dirt cheap. Here's a quick rundown of what I do and the corresponding ballpark costs:

Oil changes twice per year (mid-season/winterization) using Mobil 1 15W50 (9 quarts per change) and Wix filters - @$110

Fuel/WaterSeparating filter (winterization) - @$10

Greases (Gimbal Bearing/Driveshaft Spline/Coupler) - @$3

Gear Lube (mid-season/winterization) using Merc High Performance Gear lube (3 quarts per change) - @$60

Pink Antifreeze (2 gallons) - @$6

Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer (winterization) - @$12

There are a few misc items I left off such as 2-stroke oil for "fogging" the motor at winterization and a good water-resistant grease for the prop shaft splines but the list hits the high ticket items. I also had some up front costs associated with doing my own maintenance such as an oil changer, prop wrenches, alignment tool, etc. But for about $200 year I easily cover my own maintenance. Keep in mind you do not necessarily need to do a mid-season oil and gear lube change depending on how many hours you use the boat and the type of water you run in. I do the mid-season changes as they are cheap and give me peace of mind. I pull the outdrive every other season to check alignment and grease the driveshaft splines (u-joints are now sealed) so if you do not have a means to support during the removal/replacement process that is another cost to consider. I built my own drive cart.