Free Yacht Chapter 4: Outboard Motor Mutilates Foot

Step 3 Gear Oil in Bottom End

So I took it home and set about getting it ready. First step, top off the bottom end with oil.
"Some leakage is good, it means the bearings are being lubricated" says the manual. In other words it's likely the bottom end would be empty and need frequent refilling. The manual calls for SAE 140 oil.
I looked everywhere but grocery, drug, and parts stores only have multiviscosity with names like 10w-30. That's runny 10wt. oil that's supposed to lubricate as well as thick 30wt. oil. That's fine for new motors that are designed for it. But old ones are different.

Viscosity is the number of seconds it takes a liquid to drain out the hole in the bottom of a "viscosity cup" and empty it. An old machine is like that. A can of oil with holes in it. I needed straight-weight thick oil so it would stay full longer.

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Committee of Unctuous Pedants thinks that runny oil is good somehow. They can have it. I finally found the right stuff at One-Stop Autoparts.[phone], 6040 San Pablo Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608 Woohoo!

I cleaned the plug threads and added an o-ring to the plug before putting it back in place.