How often do you have to change the sterndrive lube if you don(39)t put many hours on it-gctid372852

[Guest]

Last year I changed the sterndrive lube and used the boat maybe 5 hours all season. (job + bitchy *** water hating wife+ 1,001 things that need to be done around the house). The lube is not cheap do i have to change it?

[Guest]

Every other year would be my minimum. Same time you do the regular outdrive service, replace the bellows, etc.

[cwiert]

For a little peace of mind, you may want to crack the drain screw at the bottom of the outdrive, just to make sure no water got in there. If all looks good, then tighten it up, top her off, and leave it alone until next year. That's probably what I'd do.

John

[Guest]

If you only put 5 hrs on your boat a year I would go with Johns suggestion and just drain a little out of the bottom of the drive into a cup so you can check it for metal or water.... Change it when you get to 100 hrs

[Guest]

Abigayle III wrote:
If you only put 5 hrs on your boat a year I would go with Johns suggestion and just drain a little out of the bottom of the drive into a cup so you can check it for metal or water.... Change it when you get to 100 hrs

I am not advocating this but I do know someone who never changes it. It is synthetic and never wears out.

He checks for water in the lube every year and tops it up. Also checks for metal.

The drive is twenty years old and he finally changed the cone clutch this past season. Everything inside looked great.

1800 hours on the engine and the drive.

He did put new lube in when he put the drive back together.

It is in a sealed unit not exposed to air or water and in reality should last forever.

As for bellows check them every year but they too are good for at least 5 to 7 years.

I can hardly wait for the replies!!!!!

OMC King Cobra

[2850Bounty]

Drive gear lube is not subject to any internal combustion by-products.

If you prevent water intrusion and metalic debris contamination, the oil will last for year and years.

Do the drain plug test! If good, install a new O-ring or gasket, and run it.

[Mocoondo]

I am fanatical on maintenance. I used to change mine all the time, then I got smart and realized I was just throwing away good lube.

After installing a drive shower, the condition and "wear" on the gear lube improved dramatically. No more dark, cloudy lube. No more strange odors. No more metal on the magnetic screw. I now change the gear lube "on condition" only. In other words, when it needs it, I plan on changing it. So far, it hasn't needed it, so I haven't changed it.

Every once in a while (twice a season, typically), I crack the lower screw, drain a few ounces of lube out and see what it looks like. I even take a few drops and smear it on a clean sheet of white paper and closely examine it for any evidence of contamination. If it looks blue/green and fresh, smells fresh, and exhibits no contamination or abnormalities, I replace the o-ring (with a quality blue Mercruiser/Quicksilver part, not the inferior aftermarket pink ones), put the plug back in, top the reservoir off and carry on.

I'm at about 300 hours and at least four seasons on my existing gear lube and have no intention of changing it again until it needs it.

[yachtman]

I was amazed at how much quieter and smoother the out drive was by using synthetic gear lube. As the others have said if its not burnt or has water or metal in it run it. If its not synthetic I would probably change it out every 2 or 3 years. Now as for the water hating wife I changed mine out after 25 years but I should have done it sooner. (can I say that?) Hehehe

[2850Bounty]

So Dave.... are you suggesting that we change wifes more frequently than than gear oil, or the other way around?

Or... run them both for years until they become contaminated?

I'd better be careful... this may apply to husbands also.

.

[yachtman]

2850Bounty wrote:
So Dave.... are you suggesting that we change wifes more frequently than than gear oil, or the other way around?

Or... run them both for years until they become contaminated?

I'd better be careful... this may apply to husbands also.

.

Well you know that if things aren't working properly we'll then some.times you have to buy a new one.

[Guest]

yachtman wrote:
Well you know that if things aren't working properly we'll then some.times you have to buy a new one.

When I said I could hardly wait for the replies I never dreamed the response I would get.

Who would have Thunk it!!!!!!!

[yachtman]

check737 wrote:
When I said I could hardly wait for the replies I never dreamed the response I would get.

Who would have Thunk it!!!!!!!

Sorry I couldn't resist..

I have a question.... im going to get flamed for this maybe. Now im not suggesting that you don't do maintenance because im a maintenance freak but.......

My question is how often do people change the gear lube in the rear differential of their car or truck? How often do they really have problems? Answer: to both almost never

Not that a outdeive is the same but its similar gears and such. My point is alot of people never change theirs. So having said that if the lube looks good there probably isn't any real reason to change it. Now me on the other hand I changed mine every year even though it was fine but then I am that way.

[smitty477]

'Well you know that if things aren't working properly we'll then some.times you have to buy a new one.'

One of the few areas that make boating in general look economical.

'My question is how often do people change the gear lube in the rear differential of their car or truck?'

Well we change those fluids at 40-50K miles so we are likely more like you and 'wasting' our time but that is what we do.

Same thing with trans fluids and tranfer cases as well including all specifically required additives.

Hope this helps

[Mocoondo]

yachtman wrote:
Sorry I couldn't resist..

I have a question.... im going to get flamed for this maybe. Now im not suggesting that you don't do maintenance because im a maintenance freak but.......

My question is how often do people change the gear lube in the rear differential of their car or truck? How often do they really have problems? Answer: to both almost never

Not that a outdeive is the same but its similar gears and such. My point is alot of people never change theirs. So having said that if the lube looks good there probably isn't any real reason to change it. Now me on the other hand I changed mine every year even though it was fine but then I am that way.

I tend to put a lot of miles on my cars but never touch transmissions, diffs, transfer cases at all.

A good friend of mine owns a transmission shop and he swears up and down that transmissions will last a lot longer if you don't screw with them. He says he sees more problems with transmissions when people start flushing them with high miles. He insists that if you reach 50,000 miles, don't ever touch the thing beyond that.

I also currently have a 4x4 tow vehicle and I have never changed trans, diff, transfer case, at all, period. I change the oil when the meter on the dash reaches 10%. I run full synthetic oil in my personal vehicles.

My 4x4 snowplow, same thing. Bought it new, never have touched fluids except for engine oil, push mountains of snow during the winter, leave it parked 6 months out of the year, 105,000 miles currently, not a hint of trouble.

I operate a fleet of 20 or so Class C rental motorhomes on E350 and E450 chassis. We change engine oil every 6,000 miles but never change trans or rear diff. A couple of my units are 2008 model year approaching 150,000 miles already with no hint of any sort of mechanical problems. We will run the 08s one more season ... up to about 210,000 miles before retiring them from the fleet. All of the units have an in-line trans filter which is roughly the size of a spool of adding machine paper. We change trans filters every 12,000 miles (every other oil change), but that does not require dropping the pan or any sort of fluid flush. I should also point out that we've never smoked a trans. despite these coaches slugging it up and down the rockies out to the national parks most of the year.

Some people may say that is neglect. I have not yet heard a compelling argument favoring repetitive fluid change of sealed, lubricated gearcases. If the gearcase is operating within normal parameters, there is nothing from the outside getting inside to contaminate the fluid. If a gearcase is overheating, it is not because of the fluid, but rather, because of some other failure which will need repaired regardless of any sort of fluid change interval.

[Guest]

If you have an Alpha 1, GenII outdrive, I'd replace the oil every other year when I replaced the raw water impeller since you have to drain the gear oil to remove the lower 1/2 of the outdrive.