PartsVu offers a wide selection of Yamaha Yamalube marine greases formulated to meet the exact specifications of your Yamaha outboard motor. Outboard lubricants come in 14 oz. cartridges for grease guns, or squeeze tubes for convenient application. Available in single containers or in multipacks, so you can save money by buying in bulk.
We also regularly release new, helpful resources like:
Yamaha Yamalube Marine Grease FAQs
What Kind of Grease Should I Use on My Outboard Motor?
To answer this question, marine grease is the right choice for all Yamaha outboard motors.
More precisely, Yamalube for Yamaha outboard motors is specifically designed to work with Yamaha’s exacting engine specifications and high performance in freshwater and saltwater applications.
The purpose of using Yamalube marine grease in mechanical applications is predominantly for lubrication. However, because an outboard motor spends a significant time exposed to water and high RPMs, it needs a specially-designed grease that repels water while delivering high performance.
Marine grease serves many crucial functions for outboard motors:
- Enables lubrication between metal components to withstand extreme conditions, such as high temperatures, high pressures, shock loads, or slower speeds under heavy loads
- Lubricates hard-to-access or closed systems for extended periods without frequent replenishing
- Aids long-term storage by creating an air-tight film against moisture
- Prevents corrosion from contaminants and foreign materials
- Due to its viscosity versus oil’s, grease acts to keep deteriorated seals effective and extend their lifespan without leakage
- Grease is often used in applications where installing an oil-based system is too expensive/impractical to circulate and retain
Is Yamaha Marine Grease Waterproof?
As stated before, the purpose of marine grease is to lubricate your Yamaha outboard parts and components while also providing a reasonable amount of protection from continuous exposure to water and corrosive contaminants.
Marine grease is formulated differently than normal greases:
- First, marine grease contains additives that make it “hydrophobic,” which means it is designed to repel water. A proper marine grease should have passed ASTM D1264 water washout testing – an industry standard. While standard types of grease are partially hydrophobic, they will mix much more readily with water and is not suitable for long-term applications. This can be observed in a milky white substance leftover from water-contaminated grease in it. By contrast, marine grease is much more resistant to this mixing and will not leave this residue.
- Second, marine grease is also formulated with tackifiers that enable it to be more “surface-active.” Or, in less scientific terms, it makes grease stick better. All-purpose greases are usually designed to adhere to common surfaces but may actually degrade your outboard motor.
- Third, marine grease contains corrosion inhibitors for both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. This extends the life of components to protect against rust, corrosion and pitting.
For these reasons, marine grease is not only used for parts of an outboard motor that come into contact with water but also for mechanical components that transport boats (such as boat trailer bearings, steering assemblies, etc.)
Who Makes Yamalube Grease?
One of the most common questions boaters ask is, “What Is the Best Marine Grease?” For Yamaha outboard motors, the best choice is Yamalube.
Yamalube is Yamaha’s proprietary brand of marine grease. Specifically designed for Yamaha’s extensive line of outboard motors, Yamalube is a multi-purpose marine grease. It provides superior lubrication, resists washout, and adheres to all frictional surfaces unaffected by engine/boat vibrations.
Can I Use Other Brands of Marine Grease for My Yamaha Outboard?
The answer is yes; you can use other brands of marine grease to lubricate your Yamaha outboard engine.
However, not all brands are formulated to withstand the high RPMs and specifications of Yamaha engines. And if you choose to use a cheaper off-brand, you may void your warranty if damage occurs.
How Do You Grease a Yamaha Outboard Motor?
Whether you choose to use Yamalube or a quality aftermarket brand of marine grease, the important thing is that you lubricate the outboard correctly.
A grease gun is an indispensable part of maintaining your Yamaha outboard motor.
If you’ve ever used a caulking gun for household or boating applications, the process for setting up your grease gun is very similar. The only difference is that a grease gun is a closed system to prevent grease from leaking out, causing a mess.
Essentially, you load a tube into the grease gun and use a trigger-activated plunger to slowly dispense the grease through a thin hose as needed.
Installing a new tube of grease is a simple but potentially messy procedure.
- First, put on a set of gloves to avoid getting grease on your hands.
- Next, open up your grease gun. Most grease guns have a screw cap on the end of the barrel; turn counterclockwise until the unit comes apart.
- If there is any remaining grease around the screw threads, wipe it with several paper towels.
- Pull the follower rod of the grease gun all the way back until it is fully extended from the main retaining tube/cylinder.
- After opening up the cylinder, remove the plastic cap off the tube of Yamaha marine grease. Be careful not to open the pull-tab side yet.
- Insert the tube of marine grease into the grease gun cylinder, making sure the tube is secure.
- Next, remove the pull tab to expose the grease.
- Re-screw the barrel back on top of the grease gun, then back up the seal by a half-turn to help bleed air from the follower rod.
- On top of the grease gun, press the air bleed valve while slowly pushing the follower rod until you feel a bit of tension.
- Firmly screw the cap of the grease gun back on.
- Pull the trigger of the grease gun slowly to remove the air from the hose. Once you see grease appear, stop pulling the trigger.
- The grease gun is ready for use.
- To store the grease gun, replace a storage cap on the hose after cleaning residue from the barrel with a paper towel.
How Often Should You Grease Your Yamaha Outboard Grease Points?
You must grease all Yamaha outboard grease points at regular service intervals—minimally, annually. Saltwater boaters need to lubricate much more frequently as saltwater breaks down grease, and saltwater on nonlubricated surfaces causes a great deal of damage.
How do I lubricate my Yamaha outboard grease points?
Zerk fitting, grease fitting, or grease nipples 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 Yamaha outboard engine to locate all the grease fittings on your specific engine. Most will be easy to find, but a couple is 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.
