Gear Case Drain Plug Gasket

[white diamond]

I have a 2004 DF250. Last December the repair shop sold me plastic drain plug gaskets. I told them I had never used a plastic looking gasket. The clerk told me that was "the new kind Suzuki is using now". Well I went to use the boat for the first time this year and the lower drain plug is leaking (it was put on just as tight as I have done for years). Does anyone know if Suzuki is using a new type of gasket or did the clerk just sell me the wrong part?

[Harper]

The gasket, part #09168-10034, is a fiber gasket. I've never seen one that's plastic, and I can find no indication that it's been superseded by any other part number.

[white diamond]

Yep, went back to the same dealer and the owner waited on me. Got the correct gaskets. Just glad that the boat has not been in the water with the gaskets leaking.

[white diamond]

I recently re-powered with a 2016 DF300APX and went to the dealer to get supplies for my 20 hour service. They told me that the new motor is now using those plastic gaskets. I have no confidence in the plastic gaskets since they leaked on the old DF250. Does anyone know if the old style fiber gasket can be used on a 2016 motor?

[wilbur1]

Mercury switched over to them also. Its like a plastic star washer with a O-Ring embedded in it.

[white diamond]

That's the one. I don't know how to keep them from leaking. I tightened the drain plug as tight as I always done for many years. Any tighter and you will have trouble getting the drain plug out a year later.

[Harper]

I'll bet that if you can find a good hardware store, you can find a fiber gasket to fit.....a place with a good assortment of o-rings and gaskets of all sorts. Next time I replace my gear lube, I intend to do a little sleuthing.

[white diamond]

I have 4 of the fiber gaskets as I had bought some extra. I don't want to do anything that will void the warranty since I do my own maintenance. If Suzuki has changed to plastic, I need to know if the fiber gaskets are still acceptable.

[Moonlighter]

We had those nylon washers on Evinrude motors many years ago and they always worked fine.

We always replaced them with new ones when the oil was changed.

If Suzuki now specifies them I am sure they would be fine. Hard to imagine that they would make such a change and not be certain that they will do the job as specified.

[Lunchmoney]

If it has a rubber O-ring, it's easy to over torque and distort. There should be a torque specification to follow.