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Well the boat has been sitting for a while due to reasons I don't need to get into, but started the engines up in July on the hard in prep to get back in the water. I expected some issues after sitting for four years. Not that it makes a difference but they are 8.1 EFI Mercruisers with ZF gears. any way the tranny cooler did not like the cold winters and had pepto bismol coming out the exhaust. Shut it down, changed tranny cooler and have sucked all the tranny fluid out, put in new 3 times and it still shows a milky red of water, anybody else find a better way than just keep changing the tranny fluid. I am using a suction tank to get out the oil, not really possible to get to the drain unless I let it all just empty into the bilge, yet another mess to clean.

any thought, tranny fluid is expensive, but cheaper than new trannies. lucky it was fresh water.

What I would do is use a compatible fluid (that's cheaper then tranny oil) to do the flushing... Something like kerosine or diesel... As these don't evaporate that fast you could even let them settle (the water will collect on the bottom and the tranny oil will dissolve in the kerosine/diesel) and reuse the flushing liquid as needed...

Then, and only then, would I do a last flush with tranny oil...

NAPA sells a funnel called "form a funnel" You can get those thing about anywhere and they help with guiding the spillage. I know on my boat getting to the bottom of the transmission is a bear but I think you might have better luck getting all the bad stuff out instead of sucking it out. Suck all you can out like you have been doing and then pull the plug to get the rest. Still messy though. Don't forget the lines would need to be purged as well.

Thanks for the replies, I was a little concerned about putting a different fluid in, not knowing if Kero would degrade any pumps or gaskets. if that would not do any damage to the tranny I would try it. getting to the bottom of the tranny, not really and option without a trained rat. I don't see the tranny fluid separating from the water like oil and water, it just seems to stay in solution.

If anyone is sure that kero will not harm the tranny I would like to try that, but if not I will keep changing the fluids.

STraenkle wrote:getting to the bottom of the tranny, not really and option without a trained rat.

I strongly suggest you train a rat then... Without opening the drain (which is in the lowest location some crud will always remain there and foul your tranny oil... If you can't find a suitable rodent try doin it "blind"... It IS doable!...

STraenkle wrote:I don't see the tranny fluid separating from the water like oil and water, it just seems to stay in solution.

Your current strawberry milkshake like "fluid" is an emulsion... It will eventually separate as oil and water don't mix... Adding kerosine or diesel will hasten the process...

STraenkle wrote:If anyone is sure that kero will not harm the tranny I would like to try that

Kerosine, diesel and tranny oil are all petroleum products and are therefore compatible... I don't see any damage occurring to either the pump or the gaskets... Personally I would use diesel (as it has some lubrication qualities) but that's really just me... If you do use diesel you could even run the engine (and tranny) without load for a short while without damaging the pump... It would help to flush the system from the "milkshake"...

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Don't use diesel fuel or kerosine on anything with friction discs such as what that gear uses. The discs can absorb and swell.



Remove the gear filter.

The center opening in the filter housing goes to the very bottom of the gear. Find a hose that just fits snug in that hole and pump out the fluid from there. The gear holds 4 qts and i've pulled all four out using that method on that gear model.

Also while they are somewhat considered as having lubricating properties, it is not enough to properly lube tapered roller bearings that are load preset. Doesn't take much to score a race or one of the cylindrical rollers.

TO flush use a house brand of dextron fluid for lower cost and make sure the filter gets cleaned each time and replace when done. Filters run about 60 bucks.

So far all the above is advice I would agree with. But then you have to get he last bit of water and contaminated fluids out after a good through flush or three.

I had a similar problem with an outdrive.

No matter how much you flush it seems like you can't get the last of the water out.

I had some Corrosion X that I had gotten in LIQUID, not aerosol form

After may flushes with less than 100% success I finally flushed with pint or so of the CX and it worked like a charm!

Magic in a can! (or in a bottle in this case) Thanks, UV!

You need the LIQUID not the aerosol.

Peter