58
CHAPTER FOUR
On translucent batteries, it should be between
the marks on the battery case (Figure 15). On
black batteries, it should be about 3/16 in.
above the plates or even with the bottom, of
the filler wells. See Figure 16. Test battery
with a hydrometer (Figure 17). See Chapter
Eleven.
TRANSLUCENT BATTERY
—I Electrolyte (clear
fluid) must be between
upper and lower lines.
STERN DRIVE LUBRICATION
The lubrication tasks discussed in this
section should be performed at the inter\^als
indicated in Table 1. These intervals are only
guidelines, however. Consider the frequency
and extent of boat use when setting actual
intervals and perform the tasks more
TOP VIEW
BLACK BATTERY
LOW
OK
CUTAWAY VIEW
LUBRICATION, MAINTENANCE AND TUNE-UP
Hydrometer
Read with
hydrometer level
59
frequently if the boat is used under severe
service conditions.
Stem drive capacities are listed in Table 4;
recommended lubricants are given in Table
5. Lubricate all Electric Shift stem drive units
with OMC Premium Blend gearcase
lubricant. Lubricate all Series 400 and 800
units with OMC HI-VIS Lubricant. These
lubricants have different viscosities and
should not be substituted for each other. Use
of regular automotive grease or other
substitute lubricants will also result in
premature failure.
CAUTION
Check stern drive lubricant level when
unit is cool If more than a teaspoonful
of water drains from filler hole or if the
lubricant has a milky-brown color, have
stern drive checked by a dealer to
determine and correct the problem
before running the unit again.
Dispose of old lubricant properly. Disposal
methods are discussed under Engine Oil and
Filter Change in this chapter.
Lower Gearcase
Lubricant Level Check
Properly maintaining the lubricant level is
extremely important, since oil is circulated to
the upper thrust bearing by the pumping
action of the rolled spiral on the drive shaft
on 1967 1/2 and later models (earlier models
used a plunger-type oil pump in the bottom
of the gearcase). As the oil level decreases to
about 3/4 full, the oil circulation begins to
decrease. If the level is only about 1/2 full, no
oil will circulate at all, starving the upper
thmst bearing and causing severe damage.
1. Remove oil level plug and gasket located
on side of drive shaft housing (Figure 18). Oil
must be even with bottom of vent plug hole
when unit is level.
2. If level is down, add lubricant as described
under Lower Gearcase Lubricant Change in
this chapter.
60
CHAPTER FOUR
Lower Gearcase
Lubricant Change
1. Remove the oil level plug (Figure 18) cind
the drain plug from lower gear housing
(Figure 19). Tilt unit slightly to aid draina,ge.
2. Insert OMC gearcase lubricant tube (Table
5) into oil drain plug hole and fill until oil
appears at upper oil level plug hole.
3. Install oil level plug first, then quickly
remove lubricant tube and install drain plug.
Upper Gearcase
Lubricant Level Check
1. Remove upper gearcase oil fill plug
(Figure 20). On older units not equipped with
the fill plug/dipstick, remove the oil level plug
located above the drain plug (Figure 21) on
the starboard side of the upper gearcase.
2. Wipe dipstick attached to plug with a
clean paper towel and reinstall in upper
gearcase. Wait a moment and remove
plug/dipstick again. Lubricant level should be
at the oil level mark on the dipstick.
3. On older units without the dipstick, the oil
should be even with the bottom of the level
plug hole threads.
4. If necessary, add sufficient OMC gearcase
lubricant (Table 5) through the fill plug hole
to bring the level up to the dipstick mark or
even with the level plug hole threads but do
not overfill
Upper Gearcase
Lubricant Change
1. Remove upper gearcase oil fill plug
(Figure 20) and drain plug on starboard side
of upper gearcase (Figure 21). On older units,
remove the oil level plug located just above
the drain plug.
2. Tilt drive unit enough to permit the upper
gearcase to drain completely.
3. Bring drive unit back to a vertical
position.
NOTE
Filling an empty gearcase in Step 4 is a
slow process, as the lubricant requires
time to fill all the cavities in the
gearcase,
4. Insert OMC gearcase lubricant tube (Table
5) into oil drain plug hole and fill until oil
appears at upper oil level plug hole.
5. Reinstall dipstick and check lubricant
level. When it reaches the mark on the
dipstick (newer units) or is even with the level
plug hole threads (older units), the unit is
properly filled.
6. Install fill and/or level plug(s) first, then
quickly remove lubricant tube and install
drain plug.
Intermediate Housing Service
(Early Models)
1. Remove the intermediate housing vent
screw to relieve any pressure build-up.
2. Lubricate the grease fitting with OMC
Triple-Guard grease.
3. Reinstall the vent screw.
LUBRICATION, MAINTENANCE AND TUNE-UP
61
Intermediate Housing Service
(Late Models)
1. Remove intermediate housing drain/fill
plug (Figure 22).
2. Allow reservoir to thoroughly drain.
3. Add OMC Hi-Vis gearcase lubricant
through the plug hole until the level is visible.
4. Install the drain/fill plug.
Tilt Unit Gearcase
Lubricant Change
1. Remove tilt unit drain and fill plugs.
Figure 23 shows the fill plug and approximate
location of the drain plug on the bottom of
the unit.
2. Allow reservoir to thoroughly drain.
3. Install drain plug.
4. Add OMC Premium 4-cycle motor oil
through the fill hole until the level is visible.
5. Install the fill plug.
f
li
Tilt Bearings/Tilt Gear
(Early Models)
1. Remove the rubber cap from the grease
fitting on each side of the tilt shaft (Figure
24).
2. Lubricate the fittings with OMC
Triple-Guard grease.
3. Wipe the fittings clean and reinstall the
rubber caps.
Tilt Bearings/Tilt Gear
(Late Models)
1. Pry off protective rubber cushion (A,
Figure 25) on each side of the unit to expose
the grease fitting.
2. Lubricate each fitting with OMC
Triple-Guard grease.
3. Wipe the fittings clean and reinstall the
cushions.
4. Lubricate the tilt gear teeth (B, Figure 25)
with OMC Triple-Guard grease.
62
CHAPTER FOUR
Swivel Bearing
Lubricate the swivel bearing (Figure 26)
with OMC Triple-Guard grease at the
intervals given in Table 1.
Steering Shaft
Lubricate the outboard and inboard
steering shaft grease fitting at the inten^als
given in Table 1.
ENGINE TUNE-UP
A smooth running, dependable marine
engine is more than a convenience. At sea, it
can mean your life. To keep your engine
running right, you must follow a regular
program of preventive maintenance.
Part of any preventive maintenance
program is a thorough engine tune-up. A
tune-up is a series of accurate adjustments
necessary to restore maximum power and
performance. In addition, some ignition parts
which deteriorate with use must be replaced.
Engine
tune-ups
are
generally
recommended at 50-hour intervals. If the
engine is used infrequently, a tune-up should
be performed at least once a season. Tune-up
specifications are provided in Table 6 at the
end of the chapter.
a. Valve adjustments (Ford engine only).
b. Compression check.
c. Ignition system work.
d. Carburetor inspection and adjustment.
Careful and accurate adjustment is crucial to
a successful engine tune-up. Each procedure
in this section must be performed exactly as
described and in the order presented.
WARNING
Marine parts are more expensive than
comparable automotive parts (contact
breaker
points,
distributors,
carburetors, etc) but they are designed
to operate in different environments.
Automotive parts should not be
substituted for safety reasons, as well as
long component life. Major reasons for
this are found in Section 183.410 (a) of
the Coast Guard Electrical and Fuel
System Standards,
VALVE ADJUSTMENT
NOTE
This procedure applies only to the Ford
4-cylinder engine.
The inline valves are numbered
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 from front to rear for this
procedure. Intake valves (2-3-6-7) should be
adjusted to 0.012 in.; exhaust valves (1-4-5-8)
are set at 0.022 in.
1. Start the engine and warm to normal
operating temperature.
2. Stop the engine and remove the rocker
cover as described in this chapter.
3. Disconnect the spark plug cables. Remove
the spark plugs as described in this chapter.
4. Rotate the crankshaft to open the valves in
the sequence given, then check the
corresponding valves for correct adjustment
with a fiat feeler gauge:
a. Valves 1 and 6 open—adjust valves 3
and 8.
b. Valves 2 and 4 open—adjust valves 5
and 7.
c. Valves 3 and 8 open—adjust valves 1
and 6.
d. Valves 5 and 7 open—adjust valves 2
and 4.