Help...Grease Leaking from Exhaust on kicker

[Lured In]

I have a 1988 8hp Merc long shaft kicker (2 stroke) The water intake is in the bottom of the cavitation plate just above the prop. It is an "exhaust thru prop" set up and I have 'watery grease" leaking out the exhaust. We just used it yesterday trolling at B10 and didn't have a problem. The only thing I can think of is that it was a rough ride maybe it shook something loose. Any thoughts or has anyone seen this before? graemlins/1zhelp.gif :sick:

[Pete]

I also have a 1988 Merc 8 HP long shaft 2 cycle. It's been leaking a tiny bit of grease for years. What has always concerned me more is that the leaked grease seems to be replaced by water in the gear lube. I change it frequently and haven't had trouble with it.

[6wapiti6]

Lured, :
I have a 2000 8hp merc long shaft, and have noticed a small amount of watery grease leaking from around the prop. Never a lot, and always just after use. Sounds eerily similar? Could anyone help. The motor runs fine and I have not had any problems other wise. :whazzup:

[AngleThis]

I have almost the identical kicker and I had the same problem. There is a little bushing for the shift shaft in the bottom end that had separated which retains the gear lube. Check your gear lube, I'll wager it is milk shaked, or altogether absent. My kicker would not hold lube and continued to run for who knows how long befor I bought it...those mercs are tough as nails. But sooner or later.... U get it. That bushing is a cheep part and not hard to replace; it's held in by a little set screw. You might also need to replace your lower end seals, but I'd start with the bushing.

Since you have to pull the lower end off anyway, take the opportunity to replace your water pump impeller.

Good luck

[letstroll]

I have an 87 merc 8hp. Mine does the same thing sometimes after long periods of trolling in cold water. It is very likely not a problem at all just burnt 2 cycle oil. When I run my motor at high rpm after a session of trolling it doesn't leak. I wouldn't get all excited and start changing seals. leaking seals will usually show up as water in your gear oil way before it starts leaking out.

Ray

[Lured In]

Its nice to know your not alone in times of need. :cool:

Salmonator....where is the lower unit drain screw? I bought this used and did not get a "repair or maintenance" manual. (BTW I looked at every Trophy that went by yesterday looking for you. Are you gonna make it down there anytime soon with the family?)

[BottomFeeder]

Same here, I had a 1998 25hp Merc. 2-Stroke that did the same thing for years. If it's tripping you out though, have it looked at.

TPM

[Lured In]

I have two screws on the lower unit, both on the starboard side. The top one is a little (3/8" head) just below the seal for the lower unit. The other is a larger (3/4" flat screw) near the bottom of the unit, below the prop shaft housing. Mechanical logic would tell me the larger, lower screw is the one I want to back out and see what happens. Is this correct?

How can I check the level/refill the lower unit gear oil if need be?

[sportsman]

We had the same problem and Stevens Marine said it is a common problem with kickers because when used for trolling they are operated at lower speeds and the "grease" is the unburned oil in the exhaust. They said to run the kicker at higher speeds once in awhile to burn away this residue.

[fishing is life]

lured in, check the bottom screw as the top screw being in will not allow air in to let the oil out. look for metal chunks also which is a bad sign.

when you want to fill, empty, then take out both screws and fill from the bottom up and then put the top screw in before you take out the oil dispenser on the bottom.

[Lured In]

Alright now I am really confused and potentially getting ready to crack off the lower unit. Under advise from the self proclaimed professional outboard mechanics on this site... :tongue: ...I have concluded that yes, the schmegg coming out of the exaust is unburned oil.

But, under guidance of the same, I also removed the lower unit drain plug and got a different colored, truley milky (almost white) gear oil. So now I sit here pondering...."do I really want to take off the lower unit to see what is going on, or just drain and fill the lower unit gear oil?"

Is this something that is relatively straight forward or should I take it in and get reemed to have it fixed? I am handy with a wrench and have rebuilt many car engines, but zero outboards. Thoughts....?

[Keta]

Some lower unit lube oil is a milky off white (lubraplate). I have a friend that has the same problem with his 8hp Merc. It is unburnt 2 cycle oil. Keep an eye on your lower unit anyway. Drain it in the fall and repalce the oil.
Check the oil after a few trips.

[Salmonator]

Lured in, get yourself a tube of lower unit lube. Unscrew the lower drain hole and quickly place the tip (or fitting if has one) of the tube in the lower hole and remove the upper screw. Squeeze in lube until the old stuff comes out the top screw hole. If the stuff that comes out the top doesn't look the same as the stuff that came out of the bottom, then once again you have a seal problem. If it looks just like the bottom stuff then it must just be the type of lube like keta said although I haven't seen it before.

Lured... Where about's is "down there" :tongue: If you're talking bouy 10, probably the last week of august for a few days. Maybe see ya there?

[ 08-02-2002, 03:49 PM: Message edited by: Salmonator ]

[Keta]

If it where me I would drain the old oil out and not risk contamination.

[Salmonator]

Yes that would be a good idea. But you need to know if you have a leak or not. It might not be bad right now, but if it gets worse I don't think I would want a 50/50 solution of saltwater and lowerunit lube protecting my gears, clutch-dogs ect...

edit: I suppose you could just drain the whole thing and watch for the fluid to change color as it emptied but I think you would see a better contrast if you pushed it out the top.

[ 08-02-2002, 03:47 PM: Message edited by: Salmonator ]

[wildlife fishing]

I had the same thing on my 15 merc. I was told the oil injector on injected motors have attendincy to foul out. (If oil injected.) I was told to get a seperate tank and mix 50/50.
I dis agreed. I was also told it was unburned oil caused by the injectors going bad. I would also checked the spacer and hub on the prop it can also cause issues when running at slow speeds and the amount of oil being injected /mixed. I Replaced the propand plugs on mine when I bought it had been in a rock fight by the previous owner.

I ran it at high RPM's in forward and reverse. all is running well. lots of smoke and sputtering when I first did this.
You can also get moisture in the lower unit oil by just letting them sit or after being run hard in cold water or on cold days, Then traveling it can cause some condensation buildup. When I was running the tournament circuits we would change the oil upon arriving at the destination after traveling through temp changes. Just an FYI you would see the differance after a few hundred miles.

[John]

I had a 8hp Merc ML and had the same problem. I contacted Stevens and they told me that it was normal for a new motor and not to worry. I used the motor for another season and did not have a problem with it. I now have a four stroke 9.9 and it does not do this. I think it is only with the two stroke models. Probably has something to do with the post above, Stevens did not give me a specific reason.

[SureSet]

I agree with letstroll. I have a new 2002 and get the same thing. The telling detail is that there is no water in the Lower Unit and the drip is pretty much a one-time spurt that has to be a build up of un-burnt oil in the exhaust hub of the prop. The level in the lower unit never gets low, nor does the "leak" continue for any length of time.

SureSet

[6wapiti6]

Thanks to all, this kind of eases my mind.

[Salmonator]

Wapiti, back off your lower unit drain screw just enough to let some fluid out. If it's milky/tan then you have a seal problem. If not then it's probably just burnt 2-stroke like mentioned. I had the milky lube on my '95 15 horse, a new seal fixed it.

[AngleThis]

Good point, letstroll. The oil could just be blowby on such an old motor. The condition of the gear lube will tell the story.