Weird looking oil

Just changed my 2013 Merc 75 hp oil and this is what it looks like.  Not metal shavings but it appeared to be congealed.  Any ideas??

I doubt you cracked anything, as if you did, you would have low compression, and the motor wouldn’t start, and if it did, it would be very hard to start and would run awful.

Also, you really shouldn’t run standard motor oil. 

I have two Yami 4-strokes, a 15 and a 60. A few years back I ran out of Yami oil and used valvoline automotive oil on my 60. 

Fast forward to fall, and the oil out of the 15 looked great, and the oil out of the 60 looked like the OP’s.

Now I only run oil with the NMMA certification. Also, aside from moisture, outboards run at a much higher RPM than your typical vehicle, which might be 2000 RPM. Your outboard runs at 5,000 RPM quite a bit - huge difference. 

Think oil selection would be my number 1 suspect. 

Guys -

It was the Engine Oil, lower unit lube looked normal.  Will keep everyone posted but good idea on the additives for the future.

Only concern is I have a tendency to run it all winter.  I do drain my engine after I get off the water but wonder if me running the boat on 10 degree days cracked anything.   

Is this for the lower unit or engine?

If it’s for the lower unit I would suspect that you have a water issue, either a seal issue, or gasket on drain / fill plug.

If it’s for the engine I would suspect water as well. For 4 stoke outboard engines, you should really look for NMMA FC-W specification. Outboard oil has a number of additives to prevent moisture buildup that is not found in regular automotive oil. 

If it is engine oil and that is water I would ask for a new engine.

My guess is he could ask all he wanted, its was a "used" seven year old outboard when he bought it so I doubt it came with much warranty.

If that's motor oil and you have some water don't panic. It may be a thermostat stuck open not allowing the motor to get warm enough to burn out the water. If it has been used for long hours of trolling or idling it's also not overly uncommon to see this occurrence.

If it's lower unit lube there's alot of questions like was there a o ring gasket on the vent and drain screw blue or the new ones are yellow per mercury was there enough in the gear case. I had the same problem first lube change on my 40 mercury when used it was water getting in came out milky Brown I then changed it my self with the blue gear lube from mercury just personal preference new washers and once done I spray some mercury touch up spray paint on the vent and drain plug and there painted in 0 leaks. Now going on 22 years 0 problems since.

CZ, is that oil from the lower gear case or from the engine block?

First boat I owned I changed the gear case oil and it was brown and white with water.  I thought WTF.  It never happened again so there was no mechanical failure to cause it. Why it was contaminated I dont know .  Maybe a lose plug? Maybe the previous owner didnt take care of it?  Good that I didint rush off and spend hundreds on diagnosis.

Thank you all.  Bought the boat from M-W marine 11 months ago.  Will be bringing over to them to see what they say.  I know it could have happened with something I did but shouldn't happen to a motor with less than 200 hours

Water.

Hope this Helps you out, Per Mercury.   

QUESTION:

What should I look for when draining my gear lube?

ANSWER:

Inspect gear lubricant for metal particles (lubricant will have a 'metal flake' appearance). Drain lube into a clean pan/container. The presence of fine metal particles (resembling powder) in the gear lube indicates normal wear. The presence of metal chips in the gear lube indicates the need for gear housing disassembly and component inspection by an authorized dealer.

Note color of gear lubricant when draining. If the color is white or cream it MAY indicate the presence of water in lubricant. Gear lubricant which has been drained from a gear case recently in operation will have a yellowish color due to lubricant agitation/aeration. Gear lube which is mixed with assembly lubricant (Special Lube 101 or 2-4-C) will also be creamy white in color. This is normal and should not be confused with the presence of water. If water is suspected to be present in the gearcase, a pressure check of the gearcase should be completed by an authorized dealer. Pouring a portion of the gear lubricant into a glass jar and allowing the lubricant to settle will allow any water in the lube to separate and settle to the bottom of the jar.

The presence of water in gear lubricant indicates the need for inspection by an authorized dealer. The dealer will disassemble the gear housing and inspect the oil seals, seal surfaces, O-rings, water pump gaskets, as well as the gear housing components for damage.

H20

That would be water in the oil

The dead giveaway is the oil is no longer black it is brown

You have a gasket or are a seal that has gone bad in your lower and unit

The worst thing you could have is a crack