Help Diagnose Yamaha 150 Oil Leak

[Peltz]

I have a 2004 Yamaha 150 2 stroke. I noticed an oil leak the other day and would like help finding the source of the leak. It is a 2 stroke so there is no motor oil. The oil that is leaking is not the same color as the 2 stroke oil I put in the oil tank. It is an amber color like normal automotive motor oil and thicker than 2 stroke oil. The leak is minor - no puddles or anything, just residue that has leaked down the outside of the motor. The red marks on the photo indicate where the oil is leaking and where it has settled. The motor runs fine and I have not noticed any performance issues. The tilt and trim work normally also.

Can anyone help? Is this a crisis and I shouldn't use the boat until it is fixed or can I wait and fix it later in the season? I don't want to miss the last half of summer while my boat sits in a repair yard, but I also don't want to create a bigger problem. Thanks

[triumphrick]

There have been several posts about these leaks lately. Since I just sold my boat with a 150 2 stroke, I had a similar problem. It seems when tilted forward it leaks. The cap on the oil tank inside the housing is not a tight fit. I put a zip tie around mine to tighten it up and stopped the leak. The color difference could be anything the oil is picking up on it's path out of the housing...good luck!