TOPIC: clarification greasing lower unit 1959 58a

Another thread discussed grease and oil but no pics of how. My other engines have upper and lower drain/fill holes. This has one larger hole, clear water dribbled out. Below that is a small screw and only thick oil dripped out. Pics attached. I don't remember what I did when I changed impeller last year. Kind of embarrassing!!

second pic is of grease zerk.

So how do I change oil or grease? Or how do I even check? Is grease zerk for filling or only for pivot. Thanks in advance.

Dave, I'm not a big Merc fan but I've had some older ones. They used corn head grease in the lowers. The grease is highly water proof and lasts just about forever. You can buy the stuff online or if you have a farm implement store nearby they would have it. John Deere uses it alot.
Here's a glassics link.
www.fiberglassics.com/fiberglassics-forums/home/main-forum/corn-head-grease-suitable-for-lower-units

to drain and install new grease , take the small screw out then on the bottom front of the lower is a large screw, take it out. put grease ( john deer corn head) or lubriplate 105 in from the bottom and squeeze till all the old grease comes out the small screw hole. that is it.
the large screw you pointed to in the pic is for a flush attachment(do not run the motor using this set up).

I decided it was time to join The Hellen Keller School for the deaf dumb and blind. I looked for the lower screw multiple times..... I re looked for the large screw multiple times...... I asked this forum for help......I looked again......!!!!! So today I decided I had the rarest of them all and made a plan around that idea........Found the lower screw, deaf dumb and now blind..........Getting old sucks!!!!

there were some merc motors that did not have the lower drain. stupid idea but they are out there. some D Quickies and if I am correct some early merc 800's correct me if I am wrong.

And,...I've even found 'missing' lower drain plugs 'hiding' behind pounds of Bondo when an after-market nose-cone kit has been installed by the owner. When I called him and asked him what he was thinking,...He responded, "All you need to do is remove the L/U and turn it upside-down to drain the oil".
When asked how he refilled the unit,...He said, "Very slowly".
Too funny!!!

doc F

I am not the only one! Good news is that no water or other bad things. Going to finish up some odds and ends and will be showing off again. Heck even the wood guys like the 59 Playmaster!

Hey All,

I have a couple 1961 800 FGS Mercs. The one I am running which has an "A" s/n does not have a bottom lube drain. Manual says to pump in oil at the left fill plug (top arrrow) and it overflows out through vent to the right. The other 800 I have, which is the later "B" model, has a drain plug at the bottom of the gear case.

And the large plug to the far right is the water pump connection. Dave I am curious why you say "do not run the motor using this set up"?

The 1/8" plug on the starboard side is the access to grease the reverse lock cams which are submersed when the motor is in the water. The water drains out through a 1/16" hole (bottom arrow) when taken out of the water. It's a good idea to keep that hole open or water can be trapped in that cavity when the motor is in vertical position.

Thanks,
Terry

I am talking about the flush plug setup. the reason not to run it with the setup like this is the water does not go through the water pump but goes direct into the outlet of the pump and the impeller will not be lubed enough and be damaged. only run with a setup that goes in the intake for the pump (muffs).