How much damage did I do!!!!!!!!

[llfish]

Last fall changed lower unit oil. Used Pennzoil for the first time. Today was in a little bit of a hurry and started my 50 hp Evinrude 87 up. Ran for a couple of min. and herd a slight rattle. Shut it off checked oil. All gone. Checked the cardboard on the ground under foot no sign of oil. Checked the container that I drained the old oil into. Yes the old oil was still in the container. City picks up old oil the first week of June. Still had a little in the Pennzoil bottle. I know you can not tell me where the oil went but did I do much damage to the lower unit? <br /><br />Motor was running on the muffs and in neutral.<br /><br />Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[fishgrappler]

Re: How much damage did I do!!!!!!!!

You are probably alright still if you left in nuetral. I would fill it with gear oil and run it again. Put into gear if you hear any clanking or dinging you have gear damage. If not run it in the water. After runiing it for a few times in water check to see if the gear oil is milky if soo replace the lower unit seals and the impeller.<br /><br />This is just my suggestion based on experience. Good luck!

 

[llfish]

Re: How much damage did I do!!!!!!!!

I did go a head and fill it with oil and ran it on the muffs. No clanking.<br /><br />Thanks for the info fishgrappler.

 

[JB]

Re: How much damage did I do!!!!!!!!

You didn't mention that you put new gaskets under the vent and drain plugs, GOF. It is amazing how fast you can lose it (or get water in it) with used gaskets.

 

[llfish]

Re: How much damage did I do!!!!!!!!

Last fall new plugs with new gaskets. This time new gaskets.

 

[jimmbo]

Re: How much damage did I do!!!!!!!!

How much oil did it take to fill the unit when you changed it? How did you put the oil into the gearcase? I hate to suggest this, but by chance did you forget to refill the gearcase last fall?<br /><br />Fishgrappler...<br />Why do you think there would be more damage if it had run in gear?

 

[fishgrappler]

Re: How much damage did I do!!!!!!!!

if he only ran it for a few minutes in nuetral with water ciculating there was not a lot of stress on the lower unit gears. Had he put it into gear and put that force on it the gears would definatley overheat and burn out. A lower unit will run for a while without gear oil (oil mixed with water due to bad seals). It will eventually rid of all gear oil and run for a short time with just water. Then a clanky noise will start at that point its too late a new lower unit is needed.

 

[llfish]

Re: How much damage did I do!!!!!!!!

The rest of the story. Last fall it took almost a Qt. Took a look at the new drain plug that I used last fall and noticed that the black flat rubber gasket has a grove in it. Explains why the oil leaked out. Wife replaced the cardboard because it had oil on it. She did not want the grandkids to-get into the oil. Hell it is just money.<br /><br />Oil goes through the drain hole until it comes out the vent.

 

[G DANE]

Re: How much damage did I do!!!!!!!!

If thats the case, I dont think you hurt anything, just get new seals and new oil.

 

[llfish]

Re: How much damage did I do!!!!!!!!

Thanks for all of the information.<br /><br />Larry