Lower unit lube?

[no bait nate]

have a used Johnson 15 i picked up last fall and haven't used this year yet. It runs good but i haven't had it tuned up at all. wondering what to do about the lower unit lube myself? do i just pull the two plugs (upper and lower) and drain the old fluid out? Then how much and what type do i refill it with? any help would be appreciated. thanks

[jwmiller33]

i'm not an expert but i asked the same question on this forum last fall when i wanted to change mine myself. it is actually pretty simply... there are two plugs/screws, like you had mentioned. take them out and let the old lube/oil drain out... if the oil is milky, you have water in there and might have seal issues and should get it checked out. if the oil is black and not milky colored, you are good to go.

i believe when you put the new lube in, you put it in from the bottom hole. squeeze the bottle and keep putting lube in until you see it come out the top hole, then quick put the screw back into the bottom hole to seal it off.. it works A LOT better if you have an extra hand to help you out putting that screw in. it can be a messy job but very easy and doable by anyone.

i think that is how you do it. can someone else confirm?

[delmuts]

Just as 33 said, Not to hard. One tip though! When the lube comes out of the top hole; put the plug back in it first. This will slow the oil coming out the bottom, and you won't loose as much.

[Down Deep]

Buying a pump will make the job a lot easier. You can get a pump at any dealer that sells your motor. Sells for $5 to $10 and are reusable. Mercury and Yamaha use the same one. The pump will come with a fitting for the bottom hole. Screw it in and pump in the fluid until it comes out the top hole. Then put the top screw in and spin off the the fitting and put the bottom screw in. Be careful not to over torque either screw as it is possible to strip them out. Turn till snug is good enough. I use Amsoil synthetic and usually go two seasons between changes. However, I remove the bottom screw at the end of the season and check a few drop of the fluid for water.

[boatfixer]

Yep, as simple as stated above. One thing I would suggest though is to buy a couple of washers for the drain screws and replace the old ones. Buying a pump is a good idea, especially if you plan on doing this yearly. Small investment for such a big convenience. You have a Johnson and be sure to get the correct pump. All the American made engines use the same pump fitting with the exception of the foreign made mercs and mariners.

[no bait nate]

thanks guys, only cost me 15 bucks, easy as stated and motor ran great yesterday

[jwmiller33]

great to hear! glad we could help.