Pulled the boat for the 20 hour service

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matt_unique

New member
Well today I pulled the boat out for the 20 hour service on the engines. I'm totally impressed with my 2004 Tacoma, in low-range 4WD it pulled the Tomcat up the ramp with no problem. I towed it about 1/4 mile to an area where I would be left alone to do the service. The Tacoma comfortable pulled the boat in low-range 4WD but of course I would never take it on the highway. For short distances - no problem. That is very good to know and more convenient than paying someone to tow it to the shop for example.

The oil and gear oil change went pretty well. The engine oil definitely shoots out of the hole when you first pull the plug! Vice grips on a large flat head screwdriver made pretty easy work of pulling the gear oil plugs. I had replacement gaskets for all the plugs but they were not at all indented so I used the existing gaskets. The outdrive fluid was definitely milky. I will pay close attention to how it looks at the end of the season service.

Removing the lower cowling took some figuring out, I tried to use a phillips screwdriver but quickly stripping the slot. I changed over to a small socket and the bolts came out nice and easy.

As with anything the first time you have to figure a few things out but it went quite smoothly.
 
How much discoloration is normal? Particularly for the 20 hour service? Something to bring to the shop now or watch at the end of the season service?
 
Milky is usually an indication of water in the gearcase oil, not sure about the synthetics though...do they foam up?
Back in 1996...when my Evinrude was new...I had milky gearcase oil at the first change....turned out to be a bad seal fixed under warranty.
 
At 20 hours it should look just about like it did when you put it in their. I would be concerned and I would say that a seal isn't doing its job.
 
matt_unique":34c0umlx said:
Well today I pulled the boat out for the 20 hour service on the engines. I'm totally impressed with my 2004 Tacoma, in low-range 4WD it pulled the Tomcat up the ramp with no problem. I towed it about 1/4 mile to an area where I would be left alone to do the service. The Tacoma comfortable pulled the boat in low-range 4WD but of course I would never take it on the highway. For short distances - no problem. That is very good to know and more convenient than paying someone to tow it to the shop for example.

The oil and gear oil change went pretty well. The engine oil definitely shoots out of the hole when you first pull the plug! Vice grips on a large flat head screwdriver made pretty easy work of pulling the gear oil plugs. I had replacement gaskets for all the plugs but they were not at all indented so I used the existing gaskets. The outdrive fluid was definitely milky. I will pay close attention to how it looks at the end of the season service.

Removing the lower cowling took some figuring out, I tried to use a phillips screwdriver but quickly stripping the slot. I changed over to a small socket and the bolts came out nice and easy.

As with anything the first time you have to figure a few things out but it went quite smoothly.
Click to expand...

Milky or foamy??
If you just ran it it could be foam/lots of little bubbles?
Take a sample to someone who knows the diff. Hate to have water in a new gearcase!! :wink: :mrgreen: :beer
 
I was thinking about it a little more this morning. What are the chances that two, 2008 engines have bad low-end seals allowing water penetration? The color was precisely the same on both engines...basically a gray...for the entire pour. Meaning, it did not change color as it poured out. I did run the engines from my mooring to the dock, then of course I gave her some gas to go up the trailer a bit. I pulled the plugs within 10-15 minutes of shutting the engines off.

I emptied the oil catch tub into the empty cans of the hypoid gear oil. I can have someone look at it but of course I had old motor oil in the bottom of this oil tub, a little water spilled in, etc. I can pour some out into a mason jar and take a look. Would air bubbles have made their way out overnight?

Thanks
 
Matt-

I would think larger air bubbles would make their way out of the hypoid oil fairly quickly, with smaller ones taking some time, maybe several days or more. If you set some aside and just give it time, the air ought to clear itself out after several days, perhaps a week or so if it's very finely divided. If it's air, it will clear itself up.

On the other hand, if there's water in the oil, it won't be chemically combined with the oil and won't evaporate anytime soon, even given weeks or maybe months. Take some of the oil and gently heat it up to 150-180 degrees and keep it there for a few hours. If there's water in it, it will evaporate from the oil and the oil will clear up.

Between these two tests, you should be able top determine whether it's water or air in the oil.

You might also get a good strong magnet and immerse it in some of the clouded oil and see if after several days or weeks metal particles cling to the magnet surface.

You could also get some filter paper (drip coffee filters will work), and fold it up into a cone and put it into a funnel and let some of the oil filter down though it for as long a it takes. Any suspended particulate matter, metal or otherwise, like particles of a seal, will filter out on the inside of the paper.

Just some thoughts to give you something to work with.

Joe :teeth :thup
 
OK, let's use the KISS principal. Up front, you've lost the first sample, and I assume you've refilled the lower gear cases. So put it back in the water for another 20 hrs, pull the !@#$ boat and let it sit for an hour. Re-drain the cases, take to oil to a Suzuki outboard shop and, together, look at it. Go from there.

I know it's a pain in the rear, but it's better than getting rusted gears down there (sounds like hemorrhoids.)

boris
 
Another option after the next 20 hours (and I agree that you should re change the oil again soon) is to send the oil off for analysis.

I suspect fine metal particles--and this is fairly usual in the first oil change.
 
On my honda's the drain plug for the lower unit is magnetic. If you had metal in your oil, that plug should of had a lot of "metal sludge" on it. I didn't do my 20 hour service (had it professionally done) but have done it after each season of use and it's alway's looked like new. Then again, I didn't run the motors before hand.
 
When I returned my old engine oil and gear fluid to the local Suzuki dealer I spoke to a mechanic about the outdrive oil. He thought Suzuki may have used another type of gear oil, perhaps a synthetic or something, that has a different color. He agreed the chances of 2 brand new engines leaking water in the lower unit was not at all likely. Particularly where the color of the fluid was uniform for both engines.

The next time I change the gear oil I will have a clean catch basin to collect a more accurate sample. It will also tell me for sure if the strange color from the first drain was indeed some kind of synthetic or other gear oil or if there is some kind of problem.
 
Their is a name brand of gear oil on the market that is a milky color.
i used it a couple years ago but the name escapes me. Comes in a big plastic tube. Something to due with auto racing? C-Otter
 
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