Tim Bower
The most important element of DIY boat maintenance is the “hands on” part. All too often, the best DIY intentions are ruined by procrastination, carelessness, cheapness, or just plain laziness. I don't know why our friend Russ didn't check the lube on the lower unit of his Merc 150 this fall, but last week I picked up the Russ Craft from off-season storage in the back corner of the pole barn. When he took it out, he noticed a puddle of gray viscous 90-weight water on the floor directly beneath the motor. It's a bad sign.
Because Russ didn't inspect the lube this fall, he didn't realize that a significant amount of lake water had entered the case. Ten days of subzero night temperatures in January may have caused the glacial pressure, as the water expanded and turned into ice, creating enough pressure to fracture the die-cast aluminum. Perhaps in the middle of a freezing full-moon night, as Russ slept under his duvet and dreamed of summer afternoons on the sandbar, he might even have heard a dramatic crackle as the gear case cracked. His boat would have been just as snug.
Despite the fact that the Mercury 150 is specifically designed for easy DIY maintenance by owners like Russ, he admitted that he didn't check the gearcase lube for several seasons. It was always okay in the old days, so he cut the corner.
Outboard Man Dan was able to provide Russ with a good used gear case, which Dan refurbished with new seals, a water pump kit, and new lube. Being proud DIYers ourselves, my good friend Chuck Larson and I volunteered to help Russ replace his gear case last Saturday afternoon.
The first job was to remove the old lower unit. As work began, Russ said: “Dan says the fishing line probably broke through the propeller shaft seal, but I haven't stopped checking the fishing line since I got this Tempest propeller a few years ago.”Line cutter hole It is included. ”
Chuck and I looked at each other. Next, I looked at the propeller. A small tail of fishing line was sticking out of one of his PVS holes in the propeller hub.
“Russ, that hole is there to ventilate the exhaust around the blades and increase the motor speed for better acceleration,'' I explained. “They are not line cutting equipment.”
“Really,” Russ said, rubbing his chin. “Really. I think that might explain it.”
When I pulled the propeller out, that little line tail turned into a greasy bird's nest of monofilament that got tangled around the propeller shaft, jammed the seal, and clogged up several seasons' worth of line. Humiliation is a great tutor, but my good friend Chuck and I didn't push it too hard on Russ.
Read next: Reverse rotation theory goes up in flames
We provided Dan with an old case as a part.
“Just throw it in the recycling pile,” Dan said. “If it had that much water inside, it would almost certainly break the gear anyway. This unit wouldn't have lasted another season. I'd rather have it break in the middle of the lake this summer than in the winter.” It would have been better if it was split in between.”
Let Dan find the silver lining. And remember, boating Friends, if you're going to do it yourself, do it all. And do it right.