Jim Kelly wrote in message
...
The gaskets for the lube plugs can be purchased at West, Boater's World,
etc. They will be on a blister card in the section with lubricants and
filters. Make sure you get the ones for Mercruiser.

"Glenn" wrote in
Jim,

thanks for answering what was probably a stupid question.

Glenn, A short comment, then a long ramble on gaskets, washers and O rings
8-)

Short comment: I advise you to follow his advice if it's easy (I would/
will, but see below). But, hardware store O rings might also work, common
hardware store rubber washers don't.

Long ramble: This is definitely not a supid question. I went through the
same thing myself recently. I've been tinkering with and re-habbing an
oooooold motor that I inherited a couple of seasons ago.. I use it very
little and infrequently, but I 'd been noticing that a little moisture was
getting into the lower unit. I was worried about prop shaft seals, etc. but
it wasn't a lot of moisture and common sense would say that if one changes
the oil frequently, especially for storage, that a little moisture wouldn't
be a killer.

I then noticed that neither the fill screw nor the vent screw had any gasket
or washer of any kind. Neither had washers when I inherited the thing, and
being slow mentally, it just didn't register. Finally, I had the brilliant
thought that they should.

However, brilliance sometimes has limits. I didn't even think to go to the
boat shop because I just figured that a normal rubber/neoprene flat washer
from the hardware store would do the trick. Actually, they don't - at
least the ones I got. They got squeezed and distorted and don't seal when
the screws are tightened.

So I then tried regular old "O" rings from the hardware store - they seem to
be working great. My favorite hardware store has a selection of 1,000
different O rings from tiny to huge. I brought the screws in when I went
shopping. I now have it full of fluid and probably won't empty it (and thus
have the screws to take with me to the boat shop) until next season, if
ever. I might take a look- see at the boat shop to see if it's obvious the
designated gasket/washers are obviously better than common variety O rings.

HTH,
Cam



Automatic transmission fluid, either Type F of Dexron, is the
recommended
fluid for use in the power steering system.

Glenn wrote:

I want to Lube my outdrive and change the outdrive oil. The Clymer
manual says to open the oil vent plug and oil filler and replace the
gaskets/washers...before I do this are these standard thigns I can
find at home depot...or west marine. The manual does not list part
numbers so how do I know what I need to purchase as a replacement
gasket and what size. In addition a maintenance table in the manual
referss to type f transmission fluid and dexron transmission fluid but
list the application of these 2 products as power steering
reservoir....can anyone make sense of this to a newbie ,,,the outdrive
is an MC1 attached to a chevy 898.

Thanks