I bought a lower unit for a RD-19 off of ebay a few months ago just because it was cheap.
the seller said he drained the gear oil and it was clean . . . . . (sound familiar ??).
well, upon opening the gear case because I don’t trust ANYONE on ebay or craigslist,
this is what I found – – – after it was all cleaned up, the gears appear to have very little wear
so I am satisfied with the $75.00 and free shipping. just a new impeller and some seals
and now it is a very reliable "ready spare" should I ever need one.
so in my opinion, if you check the gear oil frequently for water intrusion and change it every two years,
you will be golden. I use Pennzoil Marine gear oil and am very pleased with it.
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