Milky Gear Oil

[DomsX20]

Hello My Mercury Friends,

Has anyone ever had milky gear oil? I have a 2002 X20 240 M2. Last spring (2013) I changed the stator/gear oil. The stator oil was good but the gear oil was milky. To confirm I had a leak, I made the decision to purge the milky oil and put in some fresh stuff. This year, I went for my spring tune up and found the gear oil was again slightly milky (not nearly like last time) so I suspect that I have a small leak somewhere. My question is....

Does anyone have a good idea where it may be leaking from? I REALLY hope that I do not need to pull the engine again but I will do what has to be done.

Let me know if anyone has experienced this or has a good idea which seals to look at.

Thanks!

 

[Dr Honda]

Did you let the milky oil sit in it all winter? If you did... then yes... you will need to pull the engine, and drive to get a good look in it. At this point, simply trying to change a seal and oil could leave you stranded with blown gears. (and damage the case)

This is why we recommend changing oil before winter. That way... if there is an issue... it doesn't sit for 5 months with water in it.

 

[DomsX20]

Thanks for the reply Doc. Delaying the inevitable, I just got around to working this issue. When looking a bit closer, I noticed that only one of the removed drain/vent screws had a gasket on it. I went remove the other gasket from the hole and found there were actually 2 different gaskets made of different materials jammed in one hole. Further investigation found that one of the gaskets was deformed making me think it may not have been seated properly. Also, neither gasket was blue in color as it should be. This will be my 3rd season with the boat and 3rd gear oil change. I honestly made some assumptions about the gaskets installed and was not aware the gasket was suppose to be blue. Ignorance on my part.

With this new information, I am going to take a risk. I just ordered 2 net Mercury Gaskets P/N 19183 and will be installing them properly. I will then plan to change the oil once again after 2-3 boat rides to see if the pump is getting water in it again. If the oil is milky, I will be pulling the engine and dropping the pump.

Good Luck to me.

 

[Dr Honda]

If you do an early oil change (after a couple rides) check what comes out VERY Close for metal, or signs of rust.