Servicing Suzuki DF50 motor

[Nautek]

I am going to do a full service on my Suzuki DF50
Is there a prefered oil for engine and gearbox?
I would normally get a marine mechanic to do this job however we do not have one in the area
Is draining the engine oil an easy task?

Allan

[Russ]

I have a DF70 which is basically the same motor.

I think it uses 10w-40 oil. Check your manual for specs. Probably need about 3 quarts.

Oil change is very easy. There is a plug on the side of the motor. Remove it with an allen wrench. My motor came with a wrench for this. Fill plug is yellow inside the cowling. Removing the oil filter is a little more work. I used to just hand remove it and put a bunch of paper towels inside to catch the oil. Now I found removing the lower cowling is very easy. You will see a few allen bolts and then you have access to the oil filter. Also the low pressure fuel filter, may as well change that while in there.

Youtube has several videos on the lower oil. I used 75W-90 Royal Purple gear oil. You can use any synthetic oil, but I like Royal Purple. It took a little more than one bottle (US Quart).
Remove the lower drain plug and then the upper and the old oil will drain right out. The plug is VERY tight. I used a flathead socket to loosen it.
Get a lower unit oil pump (see below). Screw it into the lower drain and pump oil up into the lower unit. It is important to pump the oil UP from the lower hole and push the air up out of the top hole. Once you see oil coming out the top hole, insert the top plug and the unscrew your filler and insert the lower plug.

Done.
Pat yourself on the back and go spend the $500 the dealer would have charged you on something fun.

[Crikey]

I have a Suzy df60a and always had to watch what I was doing for the lower unit oil changeout. If you're really particular you can leave it until it's only doing one drip a minute.
I've done it in the parking lot of the marina once and was glad I had brought plenty of paper towels along. Outboard gear oil is pretty standard high pressure lubricant so mixing brands (other than synthetic) is not a big deal over the short run. I really like the fitting for pumping it in upward. As you stop when it overflows through the upper hole I'm wondering how much you'd lose between unscrewing the fitting, and replacing the lower plug? Doing it through the top with a turkey baster is a total pita!. After a change, and after the very next run, I've always doubled checked the engine and gearbox levels to make sure nothing needed topping up. Got caught one-time when a new filter ate up a whole lot of level afterwards and it took me more than a few runs before I noticed it was low.

Ross

[Highlander]

Ross
After filling up ur lower unit from the bottom plug , when the oil starts coming out of the top level hole install the top plug first so as when u remove the pump hose, I have a pump , it creates a vaccum so u have minimal loss when re-installing the bottom plug

J
PS install new gaskets on both plugs

[yukonbob]

With the cowling off you can also to the high and low fuel filters (i do the low pass every other year and high every three) Also think about doing an impeller change every other year.

[drams_1999]

I agree with all the other posters......and none of these things are very difficult. You can get a pdf online for dirt cheep of the service manual for your Suzy DF50. You can't go wrong.

The only thing I would add is that I never bought the pump for refilling the lower unit. Simply squeeze the bottle into the bottom hole until the oil comes out the top hole, no mess, no fuss, no problem. Works every time.

I probably saved enough over the years to add the roller furling and lines led aft just by doing this stuff myself.

Good luck!

[Russ]

Lower unit oil change
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V_QfSiTKAo

Oil change and that service reminder blinking light.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmEt90JY0EM

As mentioned, the water pump impeller should be changed regularly also. I just changed mine after 6 years. Old one looked brand new, but it's easier to change in my driveway than on a bouncing sea.