Guys,

So, I decided to do my own drive oil change. I've got the dual water pickup, so the drain hole is in the rear of the hub. I made quite a mess, but suffice it to say, I got MOST of the oil in the catch pan.

My question is, how do I get my pump screwed in to refill it? There's a large brass/bronze washer that doesn't want to come off the prop shaft that is blocking straight access to the port. Does the washer come off? Gear puller?





Thanks. Brad.

Hi Brad,

That washer comes off. Sometimes they corrode or drive on, but I have either gotten them easily off just hitting/tapping edge with hammer to jar it loose or a flat head screw driver between housing and washer and twist it. Those usually do it. Bottom line, it slides right on and off if not corroded.

Chris

Chris,

I figured as much. It kinda had to. I usually take the approach that, "Sometimes, you just gotta be willing to break it." In this case, I wasn't.

Thanks. Brad.

Quick tap with rubber mallet.
apply a bit of grease to the contact points when it goes back together

Brad, I change my drive oil every year and put grease behind washer and on splines. Never have washer or prop stuck.

They stick even with some grease but pop right off with a little pressure between the washer and the anode. Clean the old grease off before you put on fresh.

PowerBoatr, Liberator,

Noted.

It came off easy enough. Just needed to know it was just stuck and not threaded or pressed or whatever.

My drive oil reservoir had some pretty heavy sludge in the bottom of it. So, I cleaned it out with mineral spirits, then alcohol, then brake cleaner. After letting it dry for a while, I half filled it with new oil (AmsOil Extreme 75/110), and I'll let that drain through overnight. Then I'll pump the drive full and fill the reservoir and call it good.

Drain plug magnet was spotless, FWIW.

Thanks. Brad.

I never fill the bottle. you fill from the bottom and the second it starts into the bottle stop and let it find its level. if you fill the bottle you will have to push the air out of the hose as it fills or you may not have it full.

that sludge is common. Sounds like you did the drive lube change perfectly. Good way to clean and flush some oil through before filling with fresh.

Comped,

I didn’t “fill the bottle”, per se. I put some in it while the drive was draining, in an attempt to flush the old Merc oil out through the reservoir tube. I filled it to the lower line before pulling the drain, and it was empty-ish when the drive was done draining. The I filled the drive until oil came out of the vent, leaving the ball valve under the bottle open, then closed the ball valve, put the vent plug in, then the drain plug, opened the ball valve and filled the bottle to the lower line. There should only be traces of the old oil in the drive, and nothing but clean, new oil in the reservoir and line.

Thanks. Brad.