hey everyone. After the new 798 didnt work, and I crushed the trolling motor, I now have oil coming form the weep hole at the top of my lower unit. > I swear I think the boat is somehow conspiring against me. Thank god my uncle has a five acre lake. Im killing the crappie while waiting on the new trolling motor to get here.

any one know what this oil means? im hoping its just a gasket.

Its a '95 Johnson 90hp.

Excuse my ignorance but I'm trying to figure out what a "lower unit weep hole" is.

Excuse my ignorance but I'm trying to figure out what a "lower unit weep hole" is.

I'm going to have to X2 that one.

A weep hole, (thats what we call them in the aviation biz)  is a little hole in a unit that designed to let liquid vent outside to alert you that there is an internal leak of some sort that needs to be taken care of.  the most common automotive one is the bottom of the water pump on your truck.  when green water shows up on the drive way. you know its time for a new pump.

There's a little square one one the very front top of my lower unit.  Oil is coming out of it.  I was wondering if that meant a whole lower unit reseal or what.

I understand auto water pump weep holes. They tell you when the pump seal has begun to leak and your WP bearing is soon to fail. I have had lots of outboards and never heard of a lower unit weep hole.

I'd suggest you contact Bombardier in Waukegon, Il. They bought out Outboard Marine some time ago. Johnson may have a website and Evenrude and Johson for years were identical engines except for the decorations.

Maybe the light went on in my brain. If the hole you are talking about is good sized and threaded that is an oil fill hole that vents the lower unit when filling and should have a gasketed special threaded plug like the  lower drain/fill bolt.

If that screw is missing you need a new one and you need to drain and refill your lower unit.

If that's the case be sure to replace the gasket or o-ring which ever it has.

Its not the overflow plug, thats in place.  This is on the very front.  It may not be a hole its where the lower unit meets the case above it on the seam where those two cases com together.  Oh well, took it to the shop a little bit ago.  I'll find out soon I hope.  they say they are two weeks backlogged.  Grrrrrrrr >  Oh well.  back to the bank for a bit. 

Keep us posted. This one had my head addled!

I'm willing to bet that it is a seal failure on the shift shaft.  Like NBR said, keep us posted.