Kicker Motor Service Question...

blubeast · 11-17-2001, 07:42 AM

Just did my annual service on my 6 yr old Merc 15hp kicker. Lower unit oil was milky for the first time. I know the dealers say this is a BIG problem and that the seals should be replaced.. but is it REALLY necessary if the oil is changed annually? You can buy alot of oil for the price to get the seals fixed and do it every couple of months.

Pursuit · 11-17-2001, 08:13 AM

Blubeast
I had a Jonhson 10 hp a 1557 vintage it was a great old motor. When I changed the lower gear case it would come out milky and I made a point of changing it twice a year. It lasted a long time and as far as I know it is still running. It is not good and if you start seeing water droplets in the oil time to take care of it. something to check on remove the prop and see if there is any fishing line wrapped around your prop shaft that may have worked it's way into the seal. Sometimes you can pull it out carefully and it may cure the problem. The water in the gear case will cause damage to the bearings so keep a close watch.
Fish till you drop !!!

Smily · 11-17-2001, 08:52 AM

Hi Blubeast,

It is Very important to have good seals and not to let water in the Lower unit. The reason is a there is lubricant for the gears down there and if the proper lubricant is not there you'll fry the lower unit. If you think it is expensive now on replacing the seals, Try replaceing the lower unit. A little Maintance in exchanging the seals goes a long way. So the idea of changing the lube is NOT a good idea. I don't know how long it took to get milky and I doubt it if it get's better. Like all seals they really don't fix themselves like other things.

I still wonder how come it looks milky. It's still a relatively new motor. You must use it alot. Or sometimes the seal just decide to give way. Good luck with it.

:smile: Smily :smile:

blubeast · 11-17-2001, 10:37 AM

thanks for the replies.... no, it does not get alot of use... maybe 40-60 hours per year. Lower unit oil is change each fall... this was the first year where water in the oil was a problem. Thanks again for your thoughts.

blubeast · 11-21-2001, 01:03 PM

Here is the message sent to me by DC.. thought others may benefit from this info. Thank-you DC for the info.

I tried to answer your question last night, but it never got posted, so will try again. I had the same problem with two older Mercurys (1965 and 1969 50 hp. The repair shops would not guarantee that it would not leak even if they fixed it. A lady at Southside Marine in Corvallis told me about a product that eliminated the problem. It is a grease product sold by NAPA Autoparts Stores. It is called Lubriplate
No.105. It is a Motor Assembly Grease. Comes in a 10 oz. tube. It does not mix with water so it maintains its lubricating ability even when the seals leak. I have used it for a number of years. It works great. I check the lower unit at the start of each season and thats it for the year. You put it it the lower fill hole and keep squeezing until the new grease comes out the top hole. It is a pretty cheap solution---something like $4 or so a tube.