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Yamaha Outboard Grease Points – Here's How

Yamaha Outboard Grease Points – Here's How

Every Yamaha outboard service interval instructs you to grease points, but what does that mean? This article dives into this issue to offer some clarification as to what exactly you need to do.

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Greasing the points of your Yamaha outboard requires lubricating four types of areas:

  1. Grease fittings, grease nipple, or Zerk fitting (all names for the same thing)
  2. Moving components and pivot locations
  3. Bolts and screws
  4. Propeller shaft

To perform this task, you will need the following:

  • Yamalube Multi-Purpose Marine Grease grease gun cartridges
  • Yamalube Marine Grease - 10 oz tube
  • Yamalube Silicone Protectant & Lubricant
  • Rag
  • Disposable gloves (optional)

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU GREASE YOUR YAMAHA OUTBOARD GREASE POINTS?

You must grease all points at regular service intervals—minimally, annually. Saltwater boaters need to lubricate much more frequently as saltwater breaks down grease, and saltwater on non lubricated surfaces causes a great deal of damage.

GREASE POINTS

The following describes how to lubricate the four primary types of grease points on your Yamaha outboard:

GREASE FITTINGS

Again, Zerk fitting, grease fitting, or grease nipple are all names for the same thing. It is a metal fitting used to feed marine lubricating grease into a bearing under moderate to high pressure using a grease gun.

Refer to the owner’s manual for your outboard to locate all the grease fittings on your specific engine. Most will be easy to find, but a couple are likely tucked away and are not quite as visible. While you must familiarize yourself with the grease fittings on your specific engine, common grease fitting points include:

  • Steering linkage
  • Swivel bracket
  • Tilt tube
  • Steering cable grease fitting

To add grease, first wipe off the grease fitting before attaching the grease gun nozzle to avoid pumping dirt and debris into the grease point. Also, you may have to remove rust or other debris clogging/blocking grease fittings.

Pump grease into the fitting until grease begins oozing out of the exit points of the area being greased. The old grease will be pushed out as it is being dislocated by the new grease. Wipe off the old grease with your rag.

When a given grease point is full, leave a bit of grease on top of the grease fitting to keep rust and other debris from accumulating. Wipe off any excess Yamaha marine grease with your rag, then move to the next grease fitting.

MOVING COMPONENTS AND PIVOT LOCATIONS

Again, check your owner's manual to identify all recommended lubrication points. Essentially, you’ll want to lubricate anything in your Yamaha outboard that moves, such as the throttle cables, shift cables, cowling latch, and pivot locations. We like Yamalube Marine Grease for cables and steering rods (as well as other Yamalube products). For other moving components in the engine, we like Yamalube Silicone Protectant & Lubricant as it is just a little easier and less messy.

BOLTS AND SCREWS

Liberally apply Yamaha Marine Grease from either your grease gun or tube to your transom clamp screws and any other bolts and screws. Left in place and unlubricated, over time, bolts and screws will seize up and become very difficult to turn when the time comes.

Yamalube marine grease - propeller shaft

PROPELLER SHAFT

Remove the propeller shaft, then liberally coat it with grease from either your grease gun or from your tube of Yamalube Marine Grease. As part of performing this task, take the time to make sure that your propeller and shaft are free of fishing line. Also, inspect the cotter pin. If the cotter pin shows any sign of deterioration, replace it. Cotter pin replacement is a very easy and inexpensive task that can avoid inconvenient and expensive problems.

Yamaha WR No. 2 Grease is a specialized grease from Yamaha intended for use on oil pump seals, driveshaft splines, and the driveshaft bushing area. This Yamaha grease is only available in a squeeze tube application and provides excellent water resistance, rust protection, and is also resistant to heat.

Proper Yamaha maintenance requires genuine Yamaha outboard parts and products - Yamaha Outboard Maintenance is happy to help.

4 comments

My hydraulic steering is blocking access to the two grease fittings on the front of my 200 Yamaha. Even a 90 degree coupler would not fit. What would you suggest I do next?
———
Yamaha Outboard Maintenance replied:
Hi Chuck,

Great question — this is a common issue with the hydraulic steering setup on the front of the Yamaha 200s. If even a 90-degree coupler won’t fit, here are a couple of options you can try: • Turn the steering all the way to one side – This often gives you a little more clearance to access the fittings and may let you get a standard or 90-degree fitting in there. • Use a flexible grease gun hose or extension – These are made specifically for tight-access zerk fittings and can thread right onto your grease gun. The flexible hose will allow you to reach the zerk at an angle. • Temporarily disconnect the steering linkage – In some cases, popping off the steering link rod bolt (just in front of the engine) gives you full access to both fittings. You can grease them and then re-install the bolt and torque it back down to spec. As a quick note, we’re not certified mechanics, so for safety and proper procedure we always recommend checking with a certified Yamaha technician if you’re unsure or need assistance. If you’d like, I can also link you to one of the flexible grease hose options — just let me know! Best regards, Markine

Chuck,

I have a Yamaha 150 OB. I need to grease the zeros, but standard grease gun coupler is too small and my owners manual isn’t stating the size. Any idea what size of grease coupler I need? I think I have 1/8 now. Thank you.
———
Yamaha Outboard Maintenance replied:
Hi Craig,

Great question! Yamaha outboards—including the 150HP models—typically use metric-sized Zerk (grease) fittings, and the standard 1/8" NPT grease gun coupler can sometimes be a bit too small or not seat properly on these fittings. For best results, we recommend using a metric-compatible coupler or a locking grease coupler (like those made by LockNLube or similar), which can grip tighter and work better with Yamaha’s fittings. Also, make sure you’re using Yamaha marine grease or an equivalent high-quality marine-grade grease for the job. If you’d like help finding a specific coupler model that fits your grease gun setup, just let us know what you’re using and we’ll be glad to point you in the right direction!

Best Regards Markine

Craig Jenkins,

I have pumped grease into the Zerk located on the shaft of my 200HPDI. I have almost put in a full 14oz of grease. Does this sound right?
———
Yamaha Outboard Maintenance replied:
Hi, Jim thanks for your question! Pumping nearly a full 14 oz tube of grease into the Zerk fitting on the driveshaft area of your Yamaha 200 HPDI does seem excessive. Typically, only a few pumps (3–5) of a grease gun are needed during regular maintenance—just enough until you see a slight amount of grease begin to push out around the fitting or seals. If grease is going in without resistance and not coming out anywhere, it could be:

A blocked or failed grease relief path, preventing old grease from escaping. * Over-greasing, which can damage seals over time due to pressure buildup. * Or the grease fitting may be feeding into an open cavity, depending on exact location. We recommend checking your service manual for grease point specs, and inspecting the area for any signs of over-pressurized grease forcing past seals. If unsure, having a Yamaha-certified technician inspect it would be a safe move.

Best Regards Markine

Jim Smith,

Thank you for your support and being there for us Yamaha owners. Your’re the best.
———
Yamaha Outboard Maintenance replied:
Hi Javier, Thank you so much for your kind words! We truly appreciate you being a valued customer and taking the time to read our post. Your appreciation means a lot to us! Wishing you a fantastic day on the water, and feel free to reach out anytime if you need anything! Best regards, Markine D

Javier C Salazar,

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