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I have a new Montauk 170 with 90hp Mercury and getting ready to put it up for the winter. I am thinking of doing the maintenance and winterizing myself. I am very good mechanically and after looking at the manually and online it seems like an easy task. I actually prefer to do this stuff myself because I trust myself. I have worked on my previous outboards myself without problems however they were not under warranty. Any advice?
Invest in good tools like an oil filter wrench, grease guns (1 for engine grease, 1 for trailer wheel grease). Gear lube pump, funnel and oil storage tank.
Use OEM fluids, filters etc.
Make a manual/journal that lists everything you did and when.
2nd Phil's advice but I do want to mention yes somebody slightly mechanically inclined can do this, but your Mercury Owner's Manual is very in complete with what the call "storage/lay up" instructions.
You searched the internet and found the answers you need. All I want to advise is make sure you first run Merc. Injector fuel Cleaner thru the engine followed by Fuel stabilizer, and when up to temperature drain oil, replace with Mercury oil as all other fluids. Last but not least release fuel pressure at your VST.
Approx. 1 hour job and lots of satisfaction and knowing it was done right.
I seem to have heard that Merc 4 strokes were built by Yamaha at some point. I mention this because while doing end of season service on my Yamaha 115 4 stroke I had to use an impact screwdriver to loosen the small screws that secured the cover that conceals access to the spark plugs.
Problem was a steel screw into an aluminum block. I was not violently beating on it at all, but cracked the cover where the screw went through. Was not terribly concerned until I realized that the "cover" is actually the valve cover.
$500 later my spark plugs were done.
I still do as much as possible myself and feel better about it for the same reasons you do.
I am confident I can do as good or better than the dealer. I have all the tools I need, grease guns, torque wrenches, etc already. I have done much bigger jobs on my vehicles without any difficulty. The savings alone from doing the first maintenance and winterizing myself will pay for any special tools and a Mercury repair manual since quote was over $400. I will also have the knowledge of what and how the job was done.
