VP SX Outdrive fluid

[beezel]

I noticed my outdrive fluid was low, so I ordered some of the VP stuff. When I went to put it in, however, I noticed my outdrive fluid is red/pink and the VP stuff is gold/amber. (I may have the colors backwards, I didn't take a picture. One was red, one was gold, however).

I have always been told to never mix fluids if they are different colors. My question is: How do I flush my system and fill with the good stuff? My boat lives in the water and pulling it out is quite the chore. I can certainly do it this winter as I winterize, but I'm right at the low mark and would love to put some in now instead of hoping I make it all season.

Previous owner did almost zero maint on the boat, still had the factory red paint on all bolts and spark plugs (it's a 2003!), so I'm kind of doubting they flushed/filled the reservoir with another fluid.

Ideas?

 

[Shaper79]

I have a mighty vac pump I bought from Amazon for like 100$ it comes with long straw like tubes and it's used to vac oils

 

[spoilsofwar]

No proper way to do it while the boat is in the water. You need to drain it via the drain screw behind the prop, and fill it via the same hole; bottom up. You remove the vent screw on the right side of the upper and the upper dipstick bolt as well. Fill until some lube comes out the vent hole, then (with the fill adapter still in the lower fill port) replace both dipstick and vent screws, then finally the fill screw. Trim drive up and down a time or two, place drive in a level position, and check the fluid level on the dipstick. Go boating.

Filling via the dipstick port is maybe okay for a small top up (but then again, why are you low on gear lube in the first place?), but certainly not for a full fill.

Color of gear lube is irrelevant as long as it's all GL-5 rated 75w-90 gear lube. I use Amsoil marine, others swear you must use VP, no point in arguing one way or another about brand.

 

[dannyual767]

I agree with spoilsofwar. You're gonna have to pull the boat out of the water and drain the old fluid out of the bottom and use a fill adapter to pump GL-5 gear lube in from the bottom. Also, like spoilsofwar, I use Amsoil marine. It's been working great for me and it was quite a bit less expensive than the VP gear lube. Some will say that the cost difference isn't that much and they might be right. However, I'm planning on changing this gear oil regularly. I purchased enough gear oil to do about 4 gear lube changes so the cost saving was significant! Just my 2 cents on that subject.

 

[bruceb58]

Just have to make sure the gear oil you use does not have any limited slip additives in it which most automotive ones do now. You yourself can decide if saving $10 in gear oil is worth not using the Volvo fluid. I used to use Mobil 1 until they started putting the limited slip additive in it. Now I only use the Volvo fluid. You can buy it on iBoats for a reasonable price.

 

[89retta]

My question is how did you check your fluid level if the boat is in the water ? Is it on a lift and was your drive up or down ?

 

[Thalasso]

Go to your local auto parts store.
As long as it's GL-5 rated you have nothing to worry about.
Specifications and approvals

[FONT=&quot]Mobil 1 Syn Gear Lube LS 75W-90 meets or exceeds the requirements of the following industry specifications[/FONT]​

• API GL-5

 

[spoilsofwar]

My question is how did you check your fluid level if the boat is in the water ? Is it on a lift and was your drive up or down ?

Given a perfectly flat calm water surface, the top cap of my SX drive sits about 3/4" (ish? That's a guess from memory) above water level. So technically I could check the drive lube level while in the water if I really wanted to. I wouldn't recommend it though; one wave and the drive is gonna dip under the water line and fill up.

 

[bruceb58]

Go to your local auto parts store.
As long as it's GL-5 rated you have nothing to worry about.
Specifications and approvals

[FONT=&quot]Mobil 1 Syn Gear Lube LS 75W-90 meets or exceeds the requirements of the following industry specifications[/FONT]​

• API GL-5

The LS means limited slip and is not recommended by Volvo. DonS even related some cone clutch failures to people using the GL5 fluid with LS additives added.

There is a Mobil 1 without the LS designation but is extremely difficult to find these days.

 

[BRICH1260]

If you are right and your current drive oil is red, I would get that out of there. I have never heard of red drive oil, always amber. I would recommend the VP oil or Amsoil. Most of the others have LS additive.Also they are not water absorbing oil like VP and Amsoil.