1990 15hp mercury 2 stroke

Lower unit oil grey/milky. Do

Lower unit oil grey/milky. Do I need just seal/seals on prop shaft behind prop?

Were your gaskets good on your

Were your gaskets good on your plugs? if not change them and pressure test the seals

well you need to pull the prop to start see if you have oil come from the prop seal. If not you'll drop the lower unit to change the water pump seals top and bottom and pressure test the gear box to check the seals 12-15 psi for 20 mins

hope this helps

"mmmmaybe ,disassemble and ins

"mmmmaybe ,disassemble and inspect for wear and metal filings."

Plugs had new gaskets installe

Plugs had new gaskets installed when I changed oil after purchasing. Can you guys recommend the best place to buy a seal kit? Thanks.

You can get a seal kit from an

You can get a seal kit from any dealer or on here from the parts all run about the same price. If I had the serial number. I could give you the part number. Look around the net as I see your in Bc taxes would but high for any one I use in the states.

"Ken, you should let the oil s

"Ken, you should let the oil settle out in a clear jar for a few days before you tear down the lower unit.

In Canada because we get drastic changes in temperature between winter and summer it is nearly impossible to keep a lower unit sealed completely.

Milky oil is almost a fact of life, particularly on the 6/8/9.9/15 horse Mercs/Mariners built from 1986 on unless they are stored in heated facilities in the off season.

Over the years I have discovered that "just milky" is (ok) but needs to be watched. If you actually get water then it's time to change the seals. You can err on the side of caution but I think you will find you would be redoing the seals every 3rd year or so.

I have a pair of 9.9's (1986 and 1987) plus a 1991 15 horse. All have milky fluid to varying extents. All have in excess of 2000 hours run time and none have ever had the seals changed. Just keep the fluid changed once a year and leave the seals until you actually get water coming out of the lower.

At least that is my suggestion..."

"Thanks Graham, I may let it g

"Thanks Graham, I may let it go another season & see what's happening. Had an old 20hp Evinrude that leaked so bad I had to change the oil twice a season. On the other hand had 2 mid 70's 6 hp Evinrudes that didn't leak at all Oil drained in the Fall was just like new. 15hp Mercury works so good I hate to mess with it. Throttle/shift took some getting used to."

"You have the throttle/shift a

"You have the throttle/shift all in the tiller handle - it is actually a pretty neat feature once you do really get the hang of it.

I have converted my 15 over to remote, but still love having that all in 1 handle on the 9.9's...

And yes, would just keep an eye on the gear oil. If you find water coming out first when you first undo the drain then it's time for new seals. As long as you are just getting the cloudy oil, keep it changed and don't worry too much..."

"Hi Graham, Was thinking of bu

"Hi Graham, Was thinking of building a small console for my boat (14ft. Princecraft Fisherman) & mounting it on the middle seat. But even used prices for controls are expensive. Will probably stick with the tiller as is. Starting from cold I find I have to make sure I'm headed in the direction I want to go & give it to 'er when it fires up after 2 or 3 pulls. If I leave it in Neutral it runs poorly & usually stalls & is harder to start. I miss being able to rev the motor a bit in Neutral to clean it out during a cold start. I might be flooding it a bit since it's my first Mercury. After running, no problem. Starts evry time, first pull & makes real good power. According to a GPS I have hit 23 mph with 2 adults when wind & tide weren't an issue."

"Wow, I did put a full console

"Wow, I did put a full console on a Princecraft Fisherman - I don't have great pic's of it, but will post something below.

I did use the middle bench seat adding two boat seats on swivels bolted right to the existing bench. The entire console was built out of 1 sheet of 3/8" boatboard (Starboard). I have a factory close by that sells it for about 150 bucks a sheet (about 1/3 the cost of retail) and wanted to see how it would work out.

I added steering (Teleflex Rack) and a US Marine shifter (both obtained on Ebay for about 100 bucks). With a few more finishing add-on's, did the whole thing for about 400 dollars.

You may want to find a Merc dealer and pick up a can of "PowerTune" - sells for 5 or 6 bucks and just follow the directions on the can. It does a pretty decent job of cleaning out the "cooties" and may help with your poor idle. It could be carb related, but the powertune is a good first step. I use it to bring motors out of storage - you would be surprised at the crud that comes out the exhaust...

Here's a front view of my little boat


"

"Hi Graham, My Gawd, doesn&#39

"Hi Graham, My Gawd, doesn't look much like mine now. Must be a lot more comfortable on a long trip. I find my left arm & shoulder get kind of cramped up. Is your motor electric start? Kind of wish mine was as one of previous owners (my boat is a '91) converted left rear bench into a live well with a bilge pump plumbed through the hull to empty it. I left the pump & fitting in place when I re-painted the boat last spring"

"It's great, cuts so much

"It's great, cuts so much wind that it has extended the season with that boat by a couple months in the spring and fall. Also have the added bonus of keeping the bow down/plane at lower speeds with the weight forward like that - it did shave a couple mph off the top end however - small price for comfort.

No, I didn't go with electric start. That would have added an extra 300 bucks or so - and figure I can pull alot of rope before it's worth 300 bucks And while it would be nice, I don't see it as a major drawback..."