Oil Change

[joey nathan]

1997 3.0LX
I know, I know, what a NOOB! But I've only had this boat for a couple of months.

But if I want to change oil myself, do I just allow it to drain into the bilge and then collect it from the outside at the drain plug?

Seems kinda messy. Or is it vacuumed out of the dipstick? How does a dealer handle this? How does John Q. HandyMan handle this in an environmentally friendly manner?

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Oil Change

I pump it out the dipstick. It is best to get the engine up to operating temperature first. Else you will be there all day.

Allowing it to dump into the bilge is not a good idea. . . Kind of like making an omelette by dropping the eggs on the counter.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Oil Change

Don't drain the oil into your bilge. Though I doubt you can even reach the oilpan drain plug. I use an oil change pump like this one. The tube goes down the dipstick tupe and the oils gets sucked out into the container. Just make sure you warm up the oil first or it will take forever.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: Oil Change

The dipstick goes right to the bottom of the pan, so you can put your suction tube on the end of the stick tube and suck there.
Ditto on warming first, cold oil won't pump. Also it's wise to prime your pump with a little oil b4 you start. Makes it way easier.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Oil Change

just to add fuel to the fire.
agree with the above statements. use an vacuum oil extractor. i got the same one that's pictured in r.j.dawg's post. it works very well. assuming the oil is warmed up.

 

[Simoniz]

Re: Oil Change

Or just get 2 stout plastic bags (1 will do if you're feeling lucky). Place 1 bag inside the other and drain the oil via the drain plug in the sump into the bags and then carefully lift the bags out of the bilge.

 

[eavega]

Re: Oil Change

I've changed the oil on my 3.0 l Mercruiser for the first time last weekend. I guess I am lucky in that my Stingray has plenty of room underneath the engine to get a low-profile oil collector pan (which I already have for my own cars) in the right place. I modified the oil pan with a line so that I can run it out of the bilge drain so I don't have to try to jockey a gallon of oil in a container out of the bilge space. Worked like a champ, whole operation took less than 30 min, and that included warming up the engine for better flow.

Rgds

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Oil Change

Or just get 2 stout plastic bags (1 will do if you're feeling lucky). Place 1 bag inside the other and drain the oil via the drain plug in the sump into the bags and then carefully lift the bags out of the bilge.

You ARE kidding right?

 

[Don S]

Re: Oil Change

Or just get 2 stout plastic bags (1 will do if you're feeling lucky). Place 1 bag inside the other and drain the oil via the drain plug in the sump into the bags and then carefully lift the bags out of the bilge.

I doubt you do many oil changes in a boat, or you would know better than to even suggest such a thing.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Oil Change

Sinoniz I could see how that works but I personally would not chance the ripping of the bag and trying to clean up the mess all of the deck of my rig especially with teal carpet! The pump is the weapon of choice but I like getting all the crud if any out of the pan via extended drain hose but that being said you have to drain the oil 1st and that means either into the bilge or onto a megshift trough to the bilge plug .

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Oil Change

Don't drain the oil into your bilge. Though I doubt you can even reach the oilpan drain plug. I use an oil change pump like this one. The tube goes down the dipstick tupe and the oils gets sucked out into the container. Just make sure you warm up the oil first or it will take forever.

Yup

Unless you want to spend the $ for a Jabsco electric oil pumper.

A few heafty trash bags .. good luck getting not only to the drain plug .. but getting it past all of them cut off zip ties that will shred them bags up quick. Im not saying that Simoniz cant do this for His boat .. but most boats cant be done this way.

YD.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Oil Change

I doubt you do many oil changes in a boat, or you would know better than to even suggest such a thing.

Yup...Of the two IO's I've owned there is no way I could get anywhere near the drain plug. Not to say it's not possible on some boats, but certainly not on my past Chaparral or on my present Doral. And thanks to the filter relocation on both boats or I would have had to be a contortionist just to get at them.

 

[Simoniz]

Re: Oil Change

You ARE kidding right?

Er No.

I doubt you do many oil changes in a boat, or you would know better than to even suggest such a thing.

Well, I must be lucky in that there's plenty of room in my boat (where I've done quite a few oil changes). If this method doesn't work for you, then dont use it.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Oil Change

Well, I must be lucky in that there's plenty of room in my boat

yep, yer lucky. all boats are not created equal. on mine, ya can't even remove the oil drain plug from the pan w/o lifting the ft. of the engine. so some other method of removing the oil was necessary for me. the siphon pump filled the bill for me. i do use a plastic bag under my oil filter though. this work well enough for the minor spill that occurs when ya remove the oil filter.

 

[Simoniz]

Re: Oil Change

Actually, I guess I would be even 'luckier' if, instead of the small 3 litre motor, I had a V8 in there, so there would be no room to get at the drain plug...

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Oil Change

Actually, I guess I would be even 'luckier' if, instead of the small 3 litre motor, I had a V8 in there, so there would be no room to get at the drain plug...

There are some compact rear bench models that you have to Remove the back bench assembly just to get to the drains on the motors to winterize LOL ..

Some of these compact model boat are a complete B to winterize. Trust me. You just cant get to Anything without removing a bunch of stuff.

If you just tried one of those dipstick suckers .. you would never go back to your trash bags Ever again. . .. Or you could Craigslist it to me for .50 on the dollar .

YD.