Changing Gear Oil
 

I am pretty disappointed with the manual gear oil pump I purchased this year to fill my Bravo 1 drives.

Looking for recommendations on what other people are using that is simple quick and clean.

I got one on here cpl years ago. It is just a pump sprayer like garden type. Works great. Probably build one pretty easy if you have parts.
Somebody probably has link.

1 gallon garden sprayer with the drive attachment from your pump kit attached to the end. I put about 3 quarts in the garden sprayer and watch the level as it slowly fills the drive. I'll even walk away for 2-3 minutes and do something else when it first starts to fill.

Here is what I use (bottom of link). Holds 3 gallons. I like the quick disconnect fitting that oil cannot pass through without the hose end attached. Do note that due to the diameter of the quick disconnect fitting you have to remove the zinc that surrounds the propshaft on Bravo I drives.

http://www.stevensinstrument.com/gearcase.htm

Here is what I use. 30 pumps fills a Bravo and 60 pumps fills an SCX.

I bought a hand pump thing from wherever (WalMart, Marine Max, etc.) I bought a cheap garden sprayer & pit the hand pump end on the sprayer end.
Basically buy the 2 parts + a small on-off ball valve, 2 hose barbs and adapters (all from Lowe's/Home Depot) put them together & you've got yourself a drive-filler-upper.

Search "garden sprayer" here on OSO. It's been discussed several times.

And 180 pumps fills a wet #6.
Good pump; btw, Mr Gadgets sells these complete with all fittings.

Not to get off topic but How is SLIM liking the swells out in the Pacific?

Sweet pump! If I only had drives to fill.....:lolhit:

I made a new fiting that screws into the drive to fill that is a good 2" longer and knurled.
Biggest pain was always trying to screw/unscrew that short original adapter with oily hands.

So much better.

Having fun. Freshening up the drive, trans and engine now; should be a good year next year :drink:

Excellent !!

i use amsoils gear lube pump with a steel end to screw into the merc and i do about 40 drive oil changes a yr in customers boats and have it in a one gallon jug, ive used it for 3 yrs. its good for a 1 liter, 1 galon or 2.5 gallon jug and only about 15 bucks for the pump

Show a picture please!

Ken

Heres the one I made last season. Pump was about $13 at Home Depot. I placed an allen head bolt (head is knurled from the manufacturer) in my lathe and drilled the hole thru it, then tapped the end and screwed in a short nipple. The other quick disconnect pieces are easily found at hardware stores. :drink:

Very similar to tinmans.
Biggest improvement that can be made on any of these gearlube change kits is to have a long fitting.

I built one similiar [but not as nice! lol]

Just wondering where you guys got the "longer" fitting, I cant find one locally.

I was also considering using some form of "coupler" so that I could use mine to fill other stuff that took gear oil like differentials, etc. But, I decided it would be a good idea not to contaminate the oil for the outdrive with other forms of oil.

Let me know where you get the longer fitting, Thanks!

Michael

So does the "Flo-Master" make cool BBC exhaust sounds while you fill your drives? :coolcowboy:

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/a...oil-oil-4a.jpg

OMG...there's ONE in every crowd...lol. :lolhit: :drink:

Being a tool maker, I made mine. Same as the regular design, but made it longer and retained the abilty to turn the fitting w/o the hose turning.

Tinmans is just an off the shelf 1/2" shoulder bolt. The 1/2" has ther required 3/8-16 thread needed and also the undercut for the oring. Just gotta drill a hole thru the center (best if done on a lathe to keep it centered) and add a hose barb or whatever on the end.
Sholder bolts can be bought anywere, Menards, McMasterCarr.... just buy a long one.

Exactly. :drink:

OK, Thanks! I will give it a shot, Hopefully I can do it AND not lose any fingers, lol

OK, I found a 1/2 shoulder bolt that will work, gonna see if I can find someone to mill a hole through it for me, just curious? How difficult is it to make it so the fitting turns and the hose doesn't? Thats SUCH a pain!

I was wondering if I could use an adapter or union to attach the "regular" fitting to the shoulder bolt, any ideas?

Thanks!
Michael

That's why I used the pipe nipple on the end....then screwed on the male part of the quick disconnect. Now you can simply take it apart (at the quick disconnect) when installing, or removing the shoulder bolt from the drive. Even if you leave it together, the bolt turns freely in the qd setup, so the hose never twists or kinks. :drink:

http://www.stevensinstrument.com/FillPts.htm
Scroll down to Hose Assembly Parts and look at parts 32-113 and 33TA. 33TA, when not attached to 32-113, will not flow gear lube. I thread 33TA into the drive, hook up the quick disconnect 32-113, fill, unhook 32-113 and then all you have to deal with is removing 33TA and replacing it with the drain plug. Again, the part you thread into the drive will not flow lube in either direction when not hooked up to the quick disconnect. You can adapt these parts to a homemade pump and not buy the expensive 3 gallon unit they are made for. Do note that 33TA is too fat to clear the prop shaft zinc on a Bravo I drive so you either have to remove the zinc or get the Bravo extension here: http://www.stevensinstrument.com/GrcsAdptrs.htm

Thanks for the Idea's guys, I think I might buy another shoulder bolt, cut the "head" off it, and weld it to the top of the "other" shoulder bolt which will give me enough "meat" to tap it, then I will just screw the regular fitting [the one that lets the hose turn] into the longer shoulder bolt. It SHOULD work, I think? LOL

Mike

Dude, you are putting way too much work into it. Look at Tinmans pic. PLenty of meat to work with as it is. Just drill it 5/16" x 1/2" deep and tap it with a 3/8" tap so you can use your current turnable fitting. Drilll 1/8" or so thru . Done. :)

I had considered doing that, but, I wasn't sure if there was enough "depth" on the head of the shoulder bolt for me to get enough of it tapped to screw the fitting in? I guess if you guys have done it, there must be enough meat. I will give it a shot.

Basically, I am "up here' in Ontario, and looking for boat related projects to keep me busy for the next 6 months when I will be bored senseless and freezing my azz off, LOL!!

I agree with you US1, I am probably putting too much thought into it, Its something I have a tendency to do, thanks for "reeeling me in"!!

Michael

Yep, the head thickness is fine. Actually, just the 1/2" OD of the shoulder bolt is large enough that the head thickness is of no relevance. A machine shop can drill and tap it for you in a couple minutes. Key is to keep the smaller thru hole centered at the ends....don't want the hole breaking into the threads. Drill 1/2 way thru from both ends if doing it at home with a hand drill.
Good Luck