Well, I finally got to finish up my Spring Maintenance and tune-up. I changed my plugs and I think the old ones looked great. Of course, they only had about 50 hours on them. I hardly used my boat last year.
But unfortunately, when I pulled my lower unit plug... The first 1/4 cup came out as clear water...
I let it drain for an hour while I cleaned and polished other stuff. Then filled it with new HP SAE 90 by Qucksilver. I took a photo of the debris that was attached to the magnetic plug.
So, here's my dilemma. I know I need to have the seals replaced. But I'm thinking, the boat is going fishing a time or two while I shop for A) a new lower unit, then I can rebuild this one and have a spare, or B) a good mechanic that can fix this one (without me dropping off my boat for a month) like a did two seasons ago for carb work.
I'd really appreciate any advice from the knowledgeable guys on CBAngler. Can anyone recommend a good mobile tech that can do this work in my driveway? Should I NOT take the boat fishing a time or two before fixing this?
* The way I see it, the lower unit has fresh new oil - so it's in better operating condition today than it was last December when I took it for the last time. Take a look at the drain plug photo. Is that "terrible" or "not too bad?"
Oh - it's a 1994 Yamaha VX-76 225hp in Pasadena, MD (Anne Arundel County).
Thanks guys,
Mike