Looking for opinions on winterizing my 9.9 4 stroke kicker. I will have about 20 hours on this motor this year and wondering if I need to change the oil and filter or just change the lower unit lube for winterizing. Suggestions?
Looking for opinions on winterizing my 9.9 4 stroke kicker. I will have about 20 hours on this motor this year and wondering if I need to change the oil and filter or just change the lower unit lube for winterizing. Suggestions?
Generally you are supposed to do it every 100 hours or once per year as far as I know. I don’t use mine anywhere near 100 hours a year but always change the oil before putting it away for the winter. Motors are expensive and oil is cheap so I’d just do it.
How does it look?
Does it smell like gas at all?
If it’s a little runny with some gas smell to it I’d change it.
If your lower unit oil looks good, I’d leave it.
Need to? No
Should you for peace of mind and low cost. Yes
I’d do the oil and leave the filter alone.
-J.
Warning : I am not an engine expert.
My opinion on this new motor would be to change the engine oil in the fall and leave the lower unit lube. A new motor may have some filings in the oil that I wouldn’t want sitting over the winter in the engine. I would make sure the engine is cold and put in the vertical position and remove the lower unit plug only. Oil and lube are less dense then water so the water will be on the bottom of the lower unit. let any water drain and put the plug back in. don’t remove the top fill plug as this will cause the lube to mix and drain as well. In the spring I would replace the lower unit lube.
I have a 1996 Evinrude 60 hp and a 2007 Tohatsu 9.9 hp. I have the dealer maintain them and both still run like new.
I have a 1984 honda kicker that I do nothing to but change the oil every 10 years that runs like new. You all are wasting your time and money, buy a good motor and it will last forever.
Just change both once a year. It should be fine if you don’t change it, but…. at least open the lower unit drain to see if any water or milky oil starts to come out.
Many of our outboards “make oil” from fuel dilution. As far as I know, there is not an oil that retains all of its its lubrication properties when diluted with the amount of gas in oil our outboards can sometimes produce. Add the high speed operation and the potential for excessive wear is there.
With the reduction in oil additive effectiveness with time, it only makes sense to change as a cheap insurance policy against oil related failures.
Just change the oil and filter and the lower unit lube every fall. Its less than $50 for piece of mind and good maintenance. I dont care how good of an engine you think you have (boat, car, whatever) if its not maintained its just another piece of junk.
Just change the oil and filter and the lower unit lube every fall. Its less than $50 for piece of mind and good maintenance. I dont care how good of an engine you think you have (boat, car, whatever) if its not maintained its just another piece of junk.
X2
Do you even have a filter? On my Yamaha, one qt of oil. Takes about 5 min to change. Lower unit, I would let a little come out, and if it doesn’t look like it has water in it, would just top off the little bit I let out. As to your main engine, I for sure would have them at least change the first time.
Also not an expert here, disclaimer.
I change mine every Spring. I want any and all metal to settle at the bottom near the drain, so I leave it all winter and change every spring. Same with the lower unit. No issues at all. I do check them both regularly since I put a good amount of hours on my boat.
Any good reason to do it in the fall vs. Spring?
If your going to let your boat sit over the winter, change in fall. It helps get contaminates from combustion out of the engine. Some may be corrosive to bearings etc.
It you use your boat all year like me, once a year any time.
Change the oil in the fall. I would also change the lower unit.
Oil is cheap. I know is new but things can change. Bought a 60 4 stroke yamaha last fall the owner said the lower unit was changed last
fall 2018 so I figured that it was good To go. WRONG when I pulled it out of storage this spring and surprise it had about a 3 inch crack in the lower unit. Pulled the drain pulled and the first thing out was about 4oz of water. If you don’t drain
It at least pull the plug and check it. If it’s clear your good to go. Don’t learn the hard way.Cost me about 1300 dollars.oil is a lot cheaper
Like a few have said change it in the fall. Not changing the lower unit lube in the fall could be a really bad idea if it is leaking and got water in there when it freezes it could crack the housing. Changing both should take less than 45 minutes
My new motor this spring isn’t a kicker (Yamaha 90 VMAX SHO) but it’s first oil/lower unit maintenance was at 20 hours. Then every 100 hours or once a year. I’ve always done my motor maintenance in the fall.
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