Post by Bill Hall on May 14, 2012 12:11:52 GMT -6
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rudetech1
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Houston Tx
Lower unit oil changes. 11:11 PM 6/21/2006 Reply Edit
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Most manufacturers advise you to change the gearcase lube at LEAST once a year. In commercial application, this is out the window. Some commercial customers may change it every two weeks, months. Depending on the hourly use, most do not know the hours so they have made it a monthly PMS. Heres the skinny on tourney fisher persons. Take the weight of a boat / motor / gear / fuel / livewell and persons. Add it up. Now take the general perception of hole shot and imagine all this weight on a gear smaller in diameter than a beer can with 225 hp torqueing down on it, with generally less than 10% slip of the prop and think of how much pressure is going into the gearcase at this time. The pinion on most BRP/OMC have about .020 worth of movement. Now once we have hit the hole shot, loaded the gearcase to the max. Now we want to turn the pinion at 5700 rpm,pulling it up out of the water with the jack plate so less water flows around it to keep it cool and jumping up and down a little as we pass over the top of the waves. The pinion is loading/unloading with every wave, even a little chop makes a difference. Now you know what a gearcase goes thru from the day you bought it. Changing the lube once a year is not enough! Now take into consideration that all I have said is for the touney guys/gals. Funny, it also sounds like the weekend bass fisherman too!! There is no difference!! Unless you take 30 seconds to get the boat on plane and run at 5000 rpm all the time!!! We haven't even added in the saltwater/ freshwater densities. The shallow water temps in the bays,90's in the summer months. Change the lube at least 3 times a year, more if you use it alot. Use good quality lube, check the magnets for metal, remove the prop and look for fishing line. ( Super lines will take the seal out quick!) Mono will melt some,Spider wire WILL make it into the casing, even as far as the shifter. This is the least expensive of the maintenance. A new lower unit can get to the thousands easily. The lube you choose is a important. Synthetics are better, they reduce heat, maintain viscosity better, and do not mix with water! Synthetics last longer, this is the only way I would recommend the 1 or 2 time a year change. Even then,I want to know what is in the lower unit, so I'd change it anyway. If you follow this guide line, the gearcase may last a lot longer than the other guy/gals!! And you may not be at home waiting for a call from the service dept. missing all the fish!! Good luck, hope this helps somebody out!
mjakubowsky
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Granite Shoals Tx
Re: Lower unit oil changes. (rudetech1) » 6:37 AM 6/22/2006 Reply Edit
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Very good advice and thanks. Will treat it like my truck, every other month.
Chairman, LBJ Fish Habitat Project
Treas. Austin Bass Club
American Bass Anglers
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AwesomeBullet
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St Cloud FL
Re: Lower unit oil changes. (mjakubowsky) » 9:11 PM 6/22/2006 Reply Edit
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Yep....when I raced the Bullet, I changed the gear lube before each race day, than again before I took her back to the lake to play...amazing how fast gear oil can get nasty when you run extreme transom heights and torture the poor lower unit...
But what about the Etec, where you're not supposed to change it for 3/300?
Ranger360
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The Woodlands Tx
Re: Lower unit oil changes. (AwesomeBullet) » 9:29 PM 6/22/2006 Reply Edit
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That is a great tip. Thanks for going into detail about all the stress the pinion gear endures.
rudetech1
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Re: Lower unit oil changes. (AwesomeBullet) » 6:53 PM 6/23/2006 Reply Edit
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Yes, the E-tecs have the 3 year/300 hour lube change. This is for AVERAGE use. Once you throw in a jack plate, extra load etc. you have to use good judgement. If you fish a lot of tourneys,shotgun starts etc. You will be changing the lube a little sooner. The XR lube is wonderful, I have started changing some of the 3 year stuff just recently, on the pleasure boats, it looks like new at the 200 hour range.Just a little darker. The problem with waiting so long between changes is that you may never know if you have picked up the other guys fishing line around the shaft. I recommend at least checking it for water. You still need to check it to make sure it's full, why not just change it. Nuttin worse than missing fishing due to water in the case. On the commercial boats, heavy loads, at 200 hours, the lube is ready for a change. Standard lube would've never made it this far! When I recommend changing E-tec lube sooner, it's not the case or the lube. It's due to outside elements. The shallow water fishermen especially. Running a gearcase where these guys do, the E-tec and other gearcases take a beating along with every thing else.
AwesomeBullet
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Re: Lower unit oil changes. (rudetech1) » 1:51 PM 6/24/2006 Reply Edit
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Gotcha....so since I am hitting sand bars, have her jacked sky high on the plate, and run hydrilla mats WOT that make the lake look like shag carpet, I should probably so it sooner than 3/300....
rudetech1
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Re: Lower unit oil changes. (AwesomeBullet) » 7:35 PM 6/25/2006 Reply Edit
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Yep, this is exactly what you need to do. Sand bars definately degrade the lowwer unit lube. My old saying was, " if you need to get thru sand and muck, Buy a Troy built tiller, they last longer"!
fishytx
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Re: Lower unit oil changes. (rudetech1) » 10:47 PM 6/25/2006 Reply Edit
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I need to chane mine then. I think it's been like six months since my last lower unit oil change. And after reading this I know I am going to change it.
I feel about the same way with water pumps too. I change mine once a year just to be on the safe side.
Jodyzx185
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Humble Texas
» 7:58 AM 7/7/2007 Reply Edit
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I have a 2000 EFI 150 and want to use synthetic oil in lower unit. What is the best and the numbers to use. 70/90 are what.... Thanks.
Sorry it is a yamaha V Max!
Jody White
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