Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Milky lower unit oil - 1988 Evinrude 6hp

G

GigaShad

Contributing Member
First time changing this oil and it seemed that there was about as much that came out as the amount that I put back in, but it appears that I have water contamination.

Also, I could be mistaken, but I did not see a seal in the drain bolt. At least not the same type of seal as the breather bolt.

Lastly, there was a significant amount of metal in the magnet. What would be your recommendation for resolving all this?

Link to photos
 
Some oil drain plugs use an o-ring.-----Since I can not see your motor / parts I can only guess.----Post pictures._____Did you resolve the " no reverse " issue ??----With large amounts of " metal " on the magnet you need to take this lower unit apart for inspection?----Repair as needed.----Likely a good idea to install all new seals on a 37 year old motor.
 
Might look bad, just did this 15. Also notice rock damage from fast speeds on a gravel road. I tie a couple rice bags around my lower units and that takes care of it. We travel quite a bit on gravel....try to keep speeds under 35 mph.
.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20250526_201429_Messenger.jpg
    Screenshot_20250526_201429_Messenger.jpg
    961.5 KB · Views: 36
racerone said:
Some oil drain plugs use an o-ring.-----Since I can not see your motor / parts I can only guess.----Post pictures._____Did you resolve the " no reverse " issue ??----With large amounts of " metal " on the magnet you need to take this lower unit apart for inspection?----Repair as needed.----Likely a good idea to install all new seals on a 37 year old motor.
Click to expand...
I posted a clickable link to the photos in my original post. It says “link to photos”.

Some guys are telling me to just sell or get rid of the boat because of these problems. I was planning to repair them though. Are these lower unit problems more work then they are worth?

I really like the boat and outboard and don’t want to get rid of it, but also, I’m very inexperienced with outboards. What is your advice?
 
timguy said:
Might look bad, just did this 15. Also notice rock damage from fast speeds on a gravel road. I tie a couple rice bags around my lower units and that takes care of it. We travel quite a bit on gravel....try to keep speeds under 35 mph.
.
Click to expand...
Some guys are telling me to just sell or get rid of the boat because of these problems. I was planning to repair them though. Are these lower unit problems more work then they are worth?

I really like the boat and outboard and don’t want to get rid of it, but also, I’m very inexperienced with outboards. What is your advice?
 
These are wonderful motors and need a bit of care.----If you answer question and act on advice you will see positive results.----If you are scared to open it up then.-----Buy a new motor that will be under warranty and needs $120 / hr dealer support.
 
GigaShad said:
I posted a clickable link to the photos in my original post. It says “link to photos”.

Some guys are telling me to just sell or get rid of the boat because of these problems. I was planning to repair them though. Are these lower unit problems more work then they are worth?

I really like the boat and outboard and don’t want to get rid of it, but also, I’m very inexperienced with outboards. What is your advice?
Click to expand...
You didn’t post a photo of the drain plug. Some have a groove just below the head, where an O-ring goes. The O-rings are prone to taking a set, they should be replaced each time.
Others are a straight cylindrical shape, they use a fibre or synthetic washer.
You can’t go by a parts diagram as the plugs may not be original.
 
Yes the old plugs were much better with the removable and replaceable washer that lasted for decades.
 
racerone said:
These are wonderful motors and need a bit of care.----If you answer question and act on advice you will see positive results.----If you are scared to open it up then.-----Buy a new motor that will be under warranty and needs $120 / hr dealer support.
Click to expand...
The lower drain bolt seal looks to be a basic O-Ring. Is there anything special about it? If nothing specific, I have a whole O-ring kit. Can I just use one of those?Here is a link to the part on Amazon
 
I tried that route, from a mechanics O-ring kit. They are not quite one of the standard sizes.
Just buy the real one, packs of 5 (Sierra) are only $4.79
 
Back
Top