Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

[msd58]

I found about 1" 1/2" of green thick sludge at the bottom of my Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle. I was wondering what was taking so long for bottle to empty during the annual changing of the OD fluid. About two quarts did drain out bottom normally. I noticed the bottle's first 1" or 1 1/2 went down quickly. But there was about 1" 1/2" still in bottle after an hour or so I stuck my fingers in the bottle. Out came sludge not liquid. Green in color like the Mercruiser Gear Lube color. I pulled bottle off and had to scoop it the stuff out. Thick like cream o wheat! Has anybody seen this before? It's 1995 5.0 Mercruiser Alpha I. OD fluid changed every fall. Temp today was nearly 72*F

 

[Jeepster04]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

Do you use Merc High Perf oil? Ive read it will sludge up in the bottom of reservoirs.

 

[msd58]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

Do you use Merc High Perf oil? Ive read it will sludge up in the bottom of reservoirs.

Yup, since I owned the boat 10 plus years. Maybe a few times the when the boat yard did the lube change because I did not have time they used something else. Most its been the greenish/bluish hi-perf stuff by Mercruiser.

 

[Don S]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

The Merc Hi Performance will sludge up. That reservoir needs emptied and cleaned when doing your annual gear lube change, it's part of the job. If your shop doesn't have what you want to use, take them some.

 

[msd58]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

The Merc Hi Performance will sludge up. That reservoir needs emptied and cleaned when doing your annual gear lube change, it's part of the job. If your shop doesn't have what you want to use, take them some.

Thanks. I took the bottle assy apart. I know now that I did not take off properly. The sensor assy is still on the boat. I have the bottle and there is a nut, spacer and washer. I don't know the sequence to put them back together now. They all ended up in the sludge.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

Thanks. I took the bottle assy apart. I know now that I did not take off properly. The sensor assy is still on the boat. I have the bottle and there is a nut, spacer and washer. I don't know the sequence to put them back together now. They all ended up in the sludge.

Sorry to say, But now that you have taken the bottle a part, you will need a new oil reservoir.

The newer reservoirs weren't really designed to be pulled a part like that.

Good luck with it.

 

[msd58]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

Sorry to say, But now that you have taken the bottle a part, you will need a new oil reservoir.

The newer reservoirs weren't really designed to be pulled a part like that.

Good luck with it.

..........great, it seems simple enough just put everything back in the right sequence

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

The Merc Hi Performance will sludge up. That reservoir needs emptied and cleaned when doing your annual gear lube change, it's part of the job. If your shop doesn't have what you want to use, take them some.

That's the gospel truth, right there.

And most people don't drain it. And more than one person has had a leaking outdrive that is out of oil, while their bottle is completely full. Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

I had the same issue this summer and the sequence is washer1st, spacer 2nd and nut 3rd it is not a practice I would perform on every lube change nut it's do-able andmine still works fine. Easy to take appart but you'll have to be crafty puttin back together.

 

[msd58]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

i had the same issue this summer and the sequence is washer1st, spacer 2nd and nut 3rd it is not a practice i would perform on every lube change nut it's do-able and mine still works fine. Easy to take apart but you'll have to be crafty putting back together.

thanks!!!!

 

[BIGALF]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

Just a question. Do you do anything from the reservior to the outdrive? Do you blow out the rubber line or force oil in the reservior from the outdrive when you pump it in?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

Just a question. Do you do anything from the reservior to the outdrive? Do you blow out the rubber line or force oil in the reservior from the outdrive when you pump it in?

That's what I did when I "serviced" mine.

The system is ineffective if the oil cannot flow to or from the drive as it heats up and cools down....

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Found 1" 1/2" od Sludge in Mercruiser OD Reservoir Bottle.

I had about 1/2" of sludge in my bottle, I just take the bottle out of the bracket and dump it into a pan--did not disconnect anything-I wiped it all up and even rinsed it out with a little gasoline-then dried it all with a good paper towel before refilling.