Re: Mercruiser 3.0L Drive lube refill
Since it may have been low for a while (possibly since initial burping after fill up) and you just never noticed it (Tsk, Tsk. Make a check list with drive lube level being one of the checks), Pressure test the drive and if pressure is good try this 1st before tearing anything apart.
1. Remove plug from bottom fill port on drive unit and see if any milky oil / water comes out. If just normal looking oil, then install the Merc oil pump in the hole. If milk or water comes out, you got problems Lucy and off to the shop ya go with it.
2. Remove the cap on oil resevoir, remove the vent plug from top section of drive. If oil comes out of the vent plug, your drive "probably" survived and put the plug back in.
3. Pump fresh oil into the drive as in a normal refill, If vent plug is out, then till it comes out the drive vent plug.
4. Put vent plug in the hole (if it's out) and continue pumping till oil starts filling the resevoir. Calculate how much oil you put in to drive when it came out the vent. If zip, or just a tiny bit, then drive is probably OK.
5. Top off the resevoir as needed and put cap on.
6. On the muffs, run her till the drive starts seeing some heat from the exhaust and spinning the gears and see if you see any leaking at all on the drive and inside where the hose comes thru the transom. Also check that oil level does not drop, as you should be pretty full, at this point.