Mercury 60 hp 4 Stroke - Oil Change, Lower Unit Lube Change, Winterizing

In this video I'm taking you through how I winterize my own Mercury 60 hp Command Thrust. This would be the same engine as the 40 Command Thrust, as well as the 50 Command Thrust and the standard 50 hp and 60 hp Mercury EFI Four Strokes. Most of these same details will also apply to older models of these outboards. Thanks for watching, and be sure to go subscribe to be notified when our next videos are uploaded!
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Search Keywords: Outboard Winterizing, Outboard Oil Change, Mercury Oil Change, Outboard Lower Unit, Outboard Lower Unit Lube, Outboard Gear Lube, Mercury Outboard, Outboard, Outboard Motor, Outboard Motor Install, Installing Mercury Outboard, Installing Outboard, Repowering, Repowering Boat, Pontoon Outboard, 40hp Outboard, Replacing Outboard Motor, Installing Outboard Motor, Pontoon Boat, Pontoons, Pontoon Restoration, Outboard Rigging, Four Stroke Outboard, New Outboard Motor.

[@dayleash2784]

Thank you very much. Very helpful and very clear! I appreciate it!!!!

[@tomspontoons]

Perfect!! Glad it was helpful. Thanks for the kind words and for watching the channel!

[@rick4649]

Great video. Clears up about any questions I might have.

[@tomspontoons]

Perfect! That’s what we’re going for every time we share a video. Thanks for watching!

[@user-vn2gy6xf5i]

Great video btw. Great camera work. So many of the others are obstructed views and your delivery is easy to listen to and your delivery is well done.

[@tomspontoons]

Thank you so much for those kind words! Lets us know we're doing something right!

[@bwarholak]

Great video and very informative. This is exactly what I needed to know. Thanks for posting this!

[@tomspontoons]

Thank you, and thanks for watching!! Happy to help!

[@GoldRatEngineering]

Great video mate

[@tomspontoons]

Thank you!! And thanks for watching!!

[@andybinkle9701]

Great video!

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks for watching!

[@davidwelday3276]

I am buying a new pontoon boat today with that motor! I know nothing about them; this was very informative. As a DIY'er I'd recommend always get new seals for those gear oil plugs before you start. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

[@tomspontoons]

It’s a great engine by Mercury. Absolutely agree about the seals. For a dollar a pair it’s a good idea, especially if you’re unsure!

[@mikestanton8432]

Great video. Very helpful. Nice job!

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks for watching. Glad you found it helpful!!

[@kahnkhairi9714]

You are the best brother very nice exclamation

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks for watching!!!

[@wiscogunner9546]

Great video! Thanks!

[@tomspontoons]

Hope it helped!! Thanks for watching

[@user-lr3hp4vh8k]

Obrigado amigo 🇧🇷

[@tomspontoons]

Happy to help!

[@warrencheney4936]

Do you ever spray Fogging oil in the cylinders to complete the winterizing?

[@tomspontoons]

I do not. The fuel mixture I run through has lubricants designed to go through these EFI motors. On carbureted motors I fog them into the intake.

[@user-vn2gy6xf5i]

After you fill the lower unit, wouldn’t it be easier to Tilt the engine all the way up and turn away from you so the hole is face up and lube doesn’t come out? That way gravity assisted you in keeping lube in and placing the bolt in the drain hole.

[@tomspontoons]

It definitely wouldn't hurt to do that, but in doing so you may need an extra set of hands to deal with the lube pump while you get the bolt back in the drain hole. Getting the bolt back in the fill hole really buys you a ton of time, and if a drip or two gets out there's still plenty of lube in there to take care of the gears.

[@bradhoule]

Hey Tom, I noticed that you have Drain Plugs on each pontoon. Is the Plug itself a Stainless Steel plug, and do you use any type of sealant on the threads?

[@tomspontoons]

I’ve seen them come in as stainless, brass, and plastic. They shouldn’t NEED pipe thread or dope, but it can’t hurt. I see it on most of them, but they don’t have it from the factory.

[@owenwestbrook741]

Do you have or can you make a video on what to do if you failed to winterize your outboard? I have a 2023 90hp Yamaha 4 stroke that I used maybe 3 times last summer and did not winterize. I only use it in fresh water, but I did nothing to put it away for the winter. Can anyone help? Thanks!

[@tomspontoons]

I haven't made that video...with that motor you should be just fine. If it were my motor I would add a very healthy dose of SeaFoam (if a large fuel tank, 20 gal or bigger I'd dump a whole bottle in) and then top off the fuel tank with fresh recreational ethanol free fuel...then I'd go run that thing for a few hours to flush the fuel system and push that SeaFoam treatment through it. The new EFI outboards have a closed fuel system and are far less susceptible to fuel issues even when stored without treatment. It's always best to winterize it properly, but in this case you should be just fine!

[@mikemcelveen2973]

Is it better to run the motor with the earmuffs on or a water hose hooked up to the flush port? Thanks

[@tomspontoons]

Definitely run it on muffs. The flush port is for passive water flow only and is not designed to have the motor running when hooked up.

[@mikemcelveen2973]

Thanks!

[@tomspontoons]

@@mikemcelveen2973 Happy to Help!

[@J.O..]

So the broker who sold me the boat said that it would survive the southern winter to just leave the engine in the water since the lake doesn't freeze .. what do you think Tom?

[@tomspontoons]

I’m a way up north guy…but I’ve read that from tons of folks who leave their boats slipped all winter in the south. Technically, it’s self draining so it should drain out either way. Worst case, call around to a few marinas or service departments in your area and ask!!

[@32phoenixx]

How do you get the water out of the engine after flushing it so it doesn't freeze in the winter? Thanks.

[@tomspontoons]

Outboards are self draining. So tilting it back down to vertical will remove the water from the engine block. Some folks run their outboards on antifreeze just to be safe, but technically it’s not necessary. The only motor I’ve heard of that needs to be run on antifreeze is the bigger new Suzukis, and it was a service bulletin released not too long ago.

[@32phoenixx]

@@tomspontoons copy that. Thanks.

[@tomspontoons]

@@32phoenixx happy to help!

[@shooter3288]

curious. the storage # 3 you put in the tank, does that take the place of fogging the cylinders? i have a 2021 50 hp mercury 4 stroke & the manual states to fog the cylinders. so i was just curious

[@tomspontoons]

I have to advise anyone to always follow the owners manual to be safe. I have never fogged my EFI 4 stroke outboards personally. The storage mix has lubricants that should take care of normal winter storage. If it was going to sit for more than 6 months I might consider fogging the cylinders to be safe.

[@shooter3288]

@@tomspontoons gotcha yea that makes sense. I thought it was weird myself. I had a Tohatsu EFI & they even said to mix 100:1 with 2 stroke oil & run it thriu for winterizing

[@tomspontoons]

That would make me nervous because I’d be afraid the injectors would gum up from oil sitting in them!!

[@shooter3288]

@@tomspontoons yea you would think but it never did lol

[@johnufkes3974]

Hey Tom, I restored a 25ft pontoon over the summer with pontoon stuff furniture. It has a 50 hp 4 stroke mercury BF motor. I just winterized it last weekend and I had the muffs on it and it wouldn't pee. I always watch that when I take it out. Someone said there's a thermostat that doesn't open until it reaches a certain temperature. I tried back flushing it but it didn't help and I don't want to run it without water flow. Do you think it's the impeller?

[@johnufkes3974]

It's a 2012 motor.

[@tomspontoons]

As far as I know that motor should spray out the tell tale hole immediately, versus some of the old motors that didn’t start peeing until plenty warm. Sometimes they don’t like to spray out the tell tale on the hose, but will pump great in the lake, due to proper suction/vacuum. I would try it in a tank or in the lake before tearing into the impeller. Not a terrible task if it is indeed the impeller though. If the motor sat a long time it could have dried up and may need replacing.

[@dustinhohner2098]

i would check impeller.

[@johnufkes3974]

@@dustinhohner2098 I am actually un- winterizing right now. I have the motor in a tank and still no luck. Replacing a impeller looks like a bigger job job than I could handle.

[@johnufkes3974]

Really weird that you commented at the same time I am working on it. Last time out I think I sucked up sand because there was sand on the back of the trailer.

[@davidalbertson6690]

Tom, is that the matte blue fence from pontoonstuff?

[@tomspontoons]

It is, but from my understanding it was the very first prototype they tried. I got my hands on it way back in 2020. They had very little of it and none of the key parts/pieces for doors and such so it's pretty much impossible to make a whole boat work. It's sharp, but the metallic colors they're coming out with are great too!

[@davidalbertson6690]

@@tomspontoons I ordered a set for my project. They gave me a good price since it was the only color they have left. I was assembling it today and realized I need to leave a small gap on both sides of the gates so they’ll have room to swing. I was thinking to bolt it to the rest of the panels with spacers on both sides then come back and install the hinges after the other panels are bolted down. Is that how you do it? Sorry if you already covered that in a video. I haven’t seen it.

[@tomspontoons]

@@davidalbertson6690 That's great that you were able to make a kit of those work! I install the hinges on all of the doors all the way around, then I clamp in the fence risers in between the door and the next panel. That way when everything gets bolted in there'll be about a 1/4" of space left between.

[@tomspontoons]

@@davidalbertson6690 check out right around 22:30 on this video and you'll see the clamp on the door and the fence risers!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rp_Kn6Sddq90bNU

[@tedmiller1745]

Can you give me the part number for the gas separator filter. Do not need the kit. Thanks!

[@tomspontoons]

They are universal for fitting. Any Mercury or Sierra water/fuel separator/filter should fit that housing.

[@josephmendez271]

What about the water in the motor.

[@tomspontoons]

Outboards are self-draining, so trimming the motor up and down a couple of times will move the water out of the engine. If you want to be extra sure, remove the safety lanyard and crank the engine for a few seconds, or barely bump the key a few times (without letting it fire dry!!!). That will move the water pump impeller in the housing to let any extra water there drain out.

[@wrecker1861]

Per Mercury that lower should be using 80W-90 not the straight 90.

[@tomspontoons]

Interesting. My local dealer sells the 90 for that motor, and Mercury’s website shows the 90 “for all outboard lower units”. Either way, I gotta trust my local dealer who’s been in business over 50 years.

[@turnerrogers8190]

I also seen this on mercurys website. I have the 60hp CT. I just changed the lower unit for the first time. They had blue fluid in from factory which I’m guessing is the straight 90. I got the 80w90 and it isn’t blue. I’m confused on what to use now.

[@turnerrogers8190]

The 80w-90 quicksilver brand says for all mercury outboards under 75 hp. I’m guessing either one is fine but I can’t find a definitive answer anywhere🤔

[@wrecker1861]

⁠@@turnerrogers8190call Mercury like I did if you want a no nonsense answer. I called and they said both work but 80w90 is best for my application.

[@mikebatte6946]

Where is the safty lanyard?

[@tomspontoons]

It’s integrated into the side mount control box.

[@mikebatte6946]

@@tomspontoons jeez. Have had this boat 7 yrs. Never new that was there! Great vid. Thanks!

[@tomspontoons]

@@mikebatte6946 just depends on the control box style. A top mount binnacle shift throttle will have to have a safety lanyard installed separately on the dash. And some boats didn’t even have them surprisingly. New laws are requiring them on more and more boats, at least here in Michigan!

[@mikebatte6946]

@@tomspontoons it was under the key start

[@tomspontoons]

@@mikebatte6946 bingo! Sometimes people take the lanyard off and just flip the switch into the run position…not the safest, but bypasses the system to let it start.

[@zeke-qc3zt]

Remove the oil fill cap first.

[@tomspontoons]

I’ll bet that would speed up the draining a bunch!