Contaminated Trim/Tilt Fluid

[WanabeBoater]

Today I was maintenancing my engine when I noticed that my Trim/Tilt fluid was cream colored. I immediately lowered the outdrive and when doing this, the fluid overflowed into the engine compartment. I grabbed a turkey baster and sucked the fluid out of the container. I refilled with fresh Trim/Tilt fluid. I looked around the cylinders for leaks and did not see any. However, I do remember topping off the fluid last year with the lower unit oil. Why I did this I do not know. Would this cause the fluid to turn cream colored, or do you think my cylinder seals are bad?

 

[rndn]

Re: Contaminated Trim/Tilt Fluid

Cream colored oil usually means water intrusion so it sounds like you have a leak.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Re: Contaminated Trim/Tilt Fluid

However, I do remember topping off the fluid last year with the lower unit oil.

The fluid is (or should be) engine oil. Mix some gear oil with engine oil and shake in a jar. If it turns creamy, and it's if as I never tried, it is your answer.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Contaminated Trim/Tilt Fluid

hum, well, if ya topped it off, ya should use what was in there. probably best to not mix types of lub. from what i understand , just about anything will work. short of gear oil. that's to thick i'd think. motor oil or hydrolic oil seems to be the thing. i think i got 30w in mine. just oil. creamy to me means water intruision too. certainly replace the fluid, but i don't know how to go about a methodical method of finding the leak. short of checking all connections and tightening them...

 

[WanabeBoater]

Re: Contaminated Trim/Tilt Fluid

I have rebuilt many a cylinder in my hay day and usually there is some type of sign on, near or around the two cylinders themselves. I went to the marina and he told me to use the Mercruiser trim/tilt fluid so I did. Friendly Jacek..I have never thought of that rational...I will try that..it only makes sense. But if worst case senario and I do have to replace the seals due to a small unnoticeable leak..what does a kit for an Alpha gen 2 usually run?

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Contaminated Trim/Tilt Fluid

The sign can be that retaining ring pushing out at the end of the cylinder where the piston goes in and out. But my system was getting creamy oil too, and my dad and I just rebulit my cylinders this weekend. No outside signs for failure, but when he got the one apart, there was some moisture evidence past one of the seals. Then the piston type thing at the back had "rust" evidence of water laying in there. Since you've rebuilt them in the past, you know that it's not hard or expensive ($22 kit times 2).