OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

[projectcop]

After all of the research into buying and operating a boat, the one thing I never asked my self until now is...........................................

How do you all drain the oil on your inboard motors? I saw a thread about pumps and pumping the oil out, but is that how it is done with a boat? I cant imagine letting the oil run into the bilge and then letting it run out of the plug hole in the transom....I really never thought of this until now. Do you all pump it out? Is that how it is done??

Believe it or not, this is a serious question.

 

[Silly Seville]

Re: OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

1. Suck it out with a tool designed for such purpose. 2. Install an engine oil pan drain hose kit. I drain my engine via the oil pan plug. Gets all of the gunk out. I do not see how the "suck" method removes sludge from the bottom of oil pan.

Oh, and if you love changing your own oil, but hate burned forearms...install a remote oil filter kit! Very pricey, but VERY worth it!

 

[superbenk]

Re: OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

Yes, pump I out. There are basically three options. 1) dump the oil into the bilge (some people will line the bilge with heavy garbage bags to hold the oil but it sounds tricky to get them out without spilling or ripping). 2) get a special hose with a valve on the end that attaches to the drain plug & will fit through the bilge drain at the transom. Then you can empty out the oil into a bucket behind the transom cleanly. I think some new boats come with this from the factory now & it seems like a good idea (you can buy the hose here on iBoats). 3) get a vacuum pump (either manual or electric) that either has a tube that slides down the dip stick tube or attaches to a garden hose male end on a different tube on the engine & sucks the oil from the pan. Again, you can find either the manual pumps here on iBoats along with electric motorized pumps etc.

Option 2 is what I'd probably prefer, but I've been doing just fine with option 3 for as long as I've had my boat now.

 

[sdowney717]

Re: OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

dont get your bilge oily.
when you pump your bilge and if it makes an oil sheen on the water and if someone calls it in and the USCG sees it then you can be facing a big fine.

pump out by the dipstick. Some marine motors were made with the pickup so low this works well.
Others you put a small hose or copper tube down the dipstick.
I have a topsider hand pump with a 2 gallon tank.
I also have a vacuum jar
Some people rig up a pump
http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/10.htm

 

[seaboo]

Re: OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

The way i do mine is I place a catch basin in the bilge, drain the oil into it. Run a hose from the drain plug into the basin and drain the basin (yes installing a drain plug hose kit would be easier, but...) However, I have the room for a basin under my engine and I pull the store the boat out of the water in the winter (if it was in the water the whole time I would use a vacuum pump). I too do not see how a pump will remove the sludge from the bottom of the pan (assuming there is sludge to be removed).

 

[25thmustang]

Re: OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

Small manual pump that goes through the dipstick tube. It's a slow process to get it all out, x2, but it's the easiest way to do it, especially with having done one motor with the boat in the water.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

Most times you suck the fluid out of the dipstick. The problem lies with the fact that you will NEVER get it all out. The best way to do it is to replace your drain plug in the oil pan with a fitting that has a long tube or hose to the top. My remote oil filter is mounted right in front of the manifold(got all the parts used off of a junk motor for free). These two things along with a battery powered pump make oil changes a 10 minute job. And that includes getting the equipment out, and cleaning and putting it away. I have 2 five gallon gas cans for oil disposal, so when I suck it out of the engine it goes right in there. The hardest part is disposing of the oil. But I do that once a year for all my oil changes, car, truck, boat, lawnmower.

While the pump is pumping out the oil, I usually check a spark plug or two, check wires, cap and rotor and replace the water seperator filter. If I do all this it takes an extra couple minutes.

Then I move on to the outdrive. Another 10-15 minutes and I am done.

 

[mpdive]

Re: OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

After all of the research into buying and operating a boat, the one thing I never asked my self until now is...........................................

How do you all drain the oil on your inboard motors? I saw a thread about pumps and pumping the oil out, but is that how it is done with a boat? I cant imagine letting the oil run into the bilge and then letting it run out of the plug hole in the transom....I really never thought of this until now. Do you all pump it out? Is that how it is done??

Believe it or not, this is a serious question.

Superbenk has one of the best ideas. My Stingray came from the factory with the extended hose attached to the boats drain plug. All I have to do is unscrew the bilge drain plug and pull it straight out. It is attached to a chain which is in turn attached to the hose valve assy. I just pull it till the valve comes out of the drain plug hole and open the valve. Easy as pie. If your able to do this on your boat you'll love it.
Mike

 

[90stingray]

Re: OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

i too like the idea of draining out of the pan. I am too cheap to get the extension hose... so I just drain into some doubled up ziplock bags. That way you can manipulate them to get out of the bilge area. Goodluck!

 

[projectcop]

Re: OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

Ahha....So that is how it is done. Thank you ALL for your replies. I think if I wind up with an inboard, I will do the drain plug with hose/out the transom plug hole. I like the idea of being able to contain it all, and not polluting. I think a remote filter set-up would also be a good thing.
Also thinking about a dual remote filter (depending on condition of motor).
Once again, thank you all for your quick and very informative replies.
George

 

[Silverbullet555]

Re: OK. Dumb question of the day right here......hahahaha.......................

For years I pumped out of the drain tube.

If you go that route and your drain tube has a threaded end make an adapter to thread on. It makes it much more efficient. My Volvo Penta's both had the threaded end on the dip stick.

This past year I installed the second drain plug in the pan and installed a fumoto valve. No more sucking the oil out of the dipstick. Hook up a piece of hose and run the hose through the drain plug in the transom. Drain it right out with out much trouble.

You can buy retrofit kits to install a drain line. I don't know if all the marine motors have a second drain on the pan or not. I actually bought a kit that came with a drain tube retrofit and a remote filter bracket. Never used it as I decided to go with the fumoto valve instead.