Best method for changing the oil

[Fishermark]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

I found a pic of the Mercruiser one... it's curious about them discontinuing it. That's the first I heard.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

I happened to have a spare vacuum pump laying around. I just connect it to one end of a large kerosene can and found a fitting that just fits in the nozzle of the can connected to thick walled clear vacuum tubing to the dipstick. works like a champ and the oil is already ready to take for recycle...

 

[fossill]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

My local dealer said that Mercruiser stopped using the drain hose through the transom plug a couple years ago.

Apparently, too many people had issues with the drain plug getting clogged by debris (leaves pine needs etc...) getting caught up one the hose/stainless steel wire though the transom hole, and then the boat flooding when it rained... resulting in people getting trashed starters etc...

But still, I wish I had one.

My boat is pretty well new ('08) with a merc and it still uses the drain hose as factory equipment. Seen '09's with it too.

 

[Flyin1500]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

I have always used a drill suction pump. Works great for me. Don't remember where I bought it but it works fine.

Yeah, I tried that method.....no good on the pump...actually it didn't even pump water. I'm leaning toward one of them vacuum pumps. Thanks for all the replies!

 

[MRS]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

I bought the fram oil drain plug kit from kragen and the hose fits nice thru the bilge hole.

 

[jtmarten]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

Well, which oil are you talking about? The oil in the STERNDRIVE or the oil in the engine?


If you're talking about the oil in the sterndrive then remove the upper and bottom plugs and let it drain out overnight!


If you're talking about the crankcase oil, use a vacuum type pump like this one:

When I did mine, I just pumped it about 15 times and went about my business. after about 5 min or so it removes the oil....hot or cold!



Regards,


Rick

I've had one similar to this for a few years. It worked fine the first few times I used it, but last night it took just under an hour to pull 5qts, frequent pumping, oil was nice and warm too. Its going in the dump. Harbor Freight carries a nice, pneumatic, 6gal extractor, pulls 2qts a min. I change my BMW's oil (8qts) thru the dipstick too, so the time savings will be significant and well worth the $120 price.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

Harbor Freight carries a nice, pneumatic, 6gal extractor, pulls 2qts a min.

Looks interesting. Does it come with the garden gose fitting?

 

[MRS]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

Looks interesting. Does it come with the garden gose fitting?

Yikes

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

Yikes

Why yikes? Too big?

I can think of other ways I cound use this thing too.

 

[bigskiohio]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

never had a problem with doubled up trash bags . can get the oil and filter. lot cheaper and better then the other answers. use a piece of carpet underneath or something if you are afraid of tearing but i an careful. bags are cheap the just snip corner of bag to drain into collection can funnel.

 

[MRS]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

Why yikes? Too big?

I can think of other ways I cound use this thing too.

How?

 

[CobiaXL]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

I had a spare rocker cover oil cap laying around,I drilled a hole in it.Now when i change my oil i put on the customized oil cap,then hook a 4ft garden hose to where u usually vacuum out your oil.Put the hose in some sort of container to catch oil,now fire up the compressor and add 40 -50 psi of air(Never higher then your peak oil pressure)through the hole drilled in the customized oil cap.The oil will blow out garden hose,right into the container.No mess and very simple.Oil filter must stay on during drain to create the pumping effect.This is also good to find the tiny oil leaks.Forgot to add you need to plug your pvc or any other holes coming out of rocker covers.

 

[bigskiohio]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

wont you blow dirty oil all over engine internaly and i doubt it gets all dirty oil out. sounds like alot of eefort and expense to change oil on some of these its not like you change oil every week, but if you had 10 boats that would be a different story.

 

[jtmarten]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

Looks interesting. Does it come with the garden gose fitting?

No garden hose fitting, although it would be easy enough to get an adapter for one.
The large diameter (5/16") hoses are too big for the dipstick tube on my 350's, and of course the long hose included is the large diameter. The small diameter (1/4") hose is too short, so now I have to drive back into town to get a longer length of the 1/4" hose and replace the original. It has a simple compression fitting so it should be an easy swap.
Seems to be good quality, and is ready to go out of the box with 1 exception. The input has a non-standard 3/8" female quick connect that has a male connector with a hose barb (useless). I removed it and installed a standard 1/4" male quick connect fitting. Don't know why they'd put a female connection there, generally the female connection is on the feed side, the tool gets the male connector.
I'll post again if/when I actually get this thing setup and working.

 

[jtmarten]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

How?

I'll use it on my 4 vehicles, tractor, my son's go cart, etc. I'll never have to crawl underneath a car to change oil again. Huge plus, especially for my BMW 540i, which I either have to jack up and use jackstands, or pull it up on ramps since it sits so low to the ground. If it pulls 2Qts/min as advertized, even my BMW will only take 4min.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

I'll use it on my 4 vehicles, tractor, my son's go cart, etc. I'll never have to crawl underneath a car to change oil again. Huge plus, especially for my BMW 540i, which I either have to jack up and use jackstands, or pull it up on ramps since it sits so low to the ground. If it pulls 2Qts/min as advertized, even my BMW will only take 4min.

When you top suck the oil out of a motor you never get an opportunity for the sludge that accumulates in the pan to drain out.

 

[gjcombs]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

I use the Moeller unit that looks just like that. Very happy with that unit, not a better way to change the oil. I always make sure I get 5 quarts out of the engine if it takes 5 quarts. Never had trouble getting the amount out of the engine that it takes by sucking it out of the dipstick. Works great and there is pretty much no mess. Can also suck the old oil right out of the oil filter when you pull it off so you can throw it right away.

I really like the drain tube out of the bilge type. However, the suction pump can be used to change the other fluids in other vehicles if you need to.

 

[natemoore]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

The drain hose out the rear plug hole is certainly best if your boat is so equipped but this has only been in use a few years. Older boats won't have it but you do have a garden hose male connection at the top of the dipstick pipe. I use a manual suction pump ($7 at Princess Auto) attached to this connection and suck out the oil. Warm up the engine first so if flows easier.

Gawd! Thank you! I've been wondering about its purpose for the past year! A dadgum hose fitting.

How much oil is left in the oil pan, or do you get the last bit out by removing the drain plug?

 

[jtmarten]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

When you top suck the oil out of a motor you never get an opportunity for the sludge that accumulates in the pan to drain out.

What sludge? If the engine is running clean, and you change the oil at regular intervals, you shouldn't have any sludge. Every few years I'll run a bottle of motor flush prior to an oil change, then drain with the plug. I used the top change method with my jetboat for 6 seasons, and when I changed valve cover gaskets last year, there wasn't a spot of sludge, and all the valvetrain looked like new.

 

[jtmarten]

Re: Best method for changing the oil

Gawd! Thank you! I've been wondering about its purpose for the past year! A dadgum hose fitting.

How much oil is left in the oil pan, or do you get the last bit out by removing the drain plug?

Nice! I was just looking at that today wondering what it was. I'm assuming the dipstick tube must extend to the bottom of the pan??

Looks like I'll be setting up a garden hose attachment for the extractor!