Best method for changing the oil

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jtmarten

jtmarten

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

gjcombs said:
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.
Click to expand...

I wish I could use a drain hose, would be easier having 2 to change.
I have a raised pedestal over the two mid-stringers for the inner motor mounts, and a drain just in front of both engines. I'd hate to drain to those holes and crud-up the inner hull underneath with 10-11qts of oil. 8^(
 
jtmarten

jtmarten

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

If you're referring to the green Harbor Freight extractor, it is on sale for $119.
 
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craze1cars

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

Always working on low budget options, I've had extremely good luck with this cheapie.
http://www.iboats.com/Seadog-Manual...54449073--**********.201145883--view_id.39723

Have had it for 10 years or so. Takes about 5 minutes of hand pumping for me to drain an engine with it thru dipstick tubes on 3 separate boats, Mercruiser 3.0, 5.0, and now a Volvo 5.0. Generally mess free unless I accidentally splash the bin I'm pumping into.

Obviously those more expensive pumps would be faster and more automated, but I don't mind 5 minutes of hand pumping once a year.
 
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bowhunterjac

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xltier

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

i have a 12 vlt pump mounted on a 5 gallon plastic pail.one side has a hose staight down into the pail and the other side has a clear hose that runs to the dipstick fitting.turn it on and it takes about 1 minute.the motor reverses for emptying too.i think it was around 100.00
 
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No shoes

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

Where do you buy this pump and how much is it? I am located in Ontario, Canada.
 
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sgm26

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

Only saw 1 mention of it but the oil must be warm, especially when you suck it through the dip stick hole. I had one of those fitting at the drain but found it easier to suck it from the drain than through the bottom drain. I am currently using a round metal can that sucks it through the drain. Again the oil must be really warm and don't try to get too much suction or it will dent the can. I'm sure a better grade pump will also work (about $100).

Of course this leaves the filter, which drops about 1/2 quart. For this I use a small shallow pan and heavy duty garbage bag.
 
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swihartart

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

OK... I'll weigh in on this one.
I like the idea of 2 trash bags, thick ones, 1 inside the other like the other post describes. It's cheap, easy and would even allow for dropping the pan to scrape whatever is left in the pan and I place magnets in my pans of my vehicles to catch anything metallic that may be circulating.

I'm not saying that it's necessary to drop the pan with every change but it's not that hard for my boat's setup so I'll do it every other year or so.

Also, I'm sure I get most of the oil out with gravity doing its job either through the drain plug (tip boat to maximize drainage) or after removing pan.

Magnets...also warns me of wear before I'm stranded from engine failure if there are shavings or otherwise.

I think a contractor grade bag is strong enough to hold up and easy to pull out of the bilge with no fuss or muss, just careful not to snag it on edges.
Snip a corner off and drain into the container of your liking.

To be fair, here is why I'm skeptical of the other pumping methods: Dipstick tubes don't normally go completely to the bottom of the pan nor can they remove the inevitable builup that occurs in oil breakdown deposits. Pumping will get most but not all.

I understand that some boats do not allow for easy access and a pump is necessary but my post is to address those of us who have a reasonable access and instead of pumping should consider gravity drained methods with a warmed up engine for the best possible results to preserve the engine.



I'm gonna do mine tomorrow and this is the plan...kudos to Big Ski Ohio for sharing this idea...I'll repost with results and photos of the process.
 
bruceb58

bruceb58

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

swihartart said:
even allow for dropping the pan to scrape whatever is left in the pan and I place magnets in my pans of my vehicles to catch anything metallic that may be circulating.

I'm not saying that it's necessary to drop the pan with every change but it's not that hard for my boat's setup so I'll do it every other year or so.
Click to expand...
Sort of off subject here but why would you want to drop your pan every other year....or ever for that matter?
 
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craze1cars

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

swihartart said:
OK... I'll weigh in on this one.
I like the idea of 2 trash bags, thick ones, 1 inside the other like the other post describes. It's cheap, easy and would even allow for dropping the pan to scrape whatever is left in the pan and I place magnets in my pans of my vehicles to catch anything metallic that may be circulating.

I'm not saying that it's necessary to drop the pan with every change but it's not that hard for my boat's setup so I'll do it every other year or so.

Also, I'm sure I get most of the oil out with gravity doing its job either through the drain plug (tip boat to maximize drainage) or after removing pan.

Magnets...also warns me of wear before I'm stranded from engine failure if there are shavings or otherwise.

I think a contractor grade bag is strong enough to hold up and easy to pull out of the bilge with no fuss or muss, just careful not to snag it on edges.
Snip a corner off and drain into the container of your liking.

To be fair, here is why I'm skeptical of the other pumping methods: Dipstick tubes don't normally go completely to the bottom of the pan nor can they remove the inevitable builup that occurs in oil breakdown deposits. Pumping will get most but not all.

I understand that some boats do not allow for easy access and a pump is necessary but my post is to address those of us who have a reasonable access and instead of pumping should consider gravity drained methods with a warmed up engine for the best possible results to preserve the engine.



I'm gonna do mine tomorrow and this is the plan...kudos to Big Ski Ohio for sharing this idea...I'll repost with results and photos of the process.
Click to expand...

Holy overkill batman!! Talk about taking a 5 to 10 minute project and turning it into an hour or two...and I gotta agree with Bruceb: It offers no benefit...

There's no reason to be skeptical of pumping methods. As correctly mentioned a few posts ago, oil should be warm when changed. This means it's freshly circulated, which means the oil is holding any small contaminants and debris in suspension and is sucked up (though most has already been caught by the filter anyway). If you have debris so large that it is sitting on the bottom of the pan and not able to circulate, then one of two things: 1. You have debris that will sit there harmlessly for decades and never cause a problem (just like all the junk at the bottom of your fuel tank). or 2.) You have a major internal engine problem and something is coming apart.

I respect that everyone marches to different drummers...I certainly do! But I can't concieve of any need to ever pull the pan off of any engine, unless it was to begin the process of rebuilding the motor, replace the pump, replace a damaged or rusted pan, or to replace a gasket in order to fix an oil leak. As a maintenance process it is completely unnecessary...even if you do happen to find it to be a little dirty when you pull it.

As for your idea of putting magnets in the pans. OK...again I see little beneft but it certainly can't hurt to offer a little overkill there. But why not just use a magnetic tipped drain plug instead so you can skip pulling the pan?
 
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swihartart

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

LOL... Batman!
:D

It's not so much the "dropping of the pan" as the concept of the post, but how clever a garbage bag making it easy in a tough area to place pans, and getting the rigid pans out of the bilge without ruining carpet and a huge mess.
I think I just wanted to recognize innovative thinking to common problems.

Some people say this pump works...that one don't...some even disagree as to the exact same pump.

One thing I'm sure of...gravity.

As far as the pan thing, you're right...overkill but insurance. I have 4 vehicles in my life, and they're all old even though I'm only 38. I love turning wrenches as a hobby, did it in the Army, it makes me feel young again, so I don't mind going the extra mile to get all the crud out of the pan, (not sure where the crud comes from but it's there...I'd ask the experts at BP but they're busy) probably the most important thing in an engine is good clean oil (I'm not debating "good" oil so don't ask!)

Besides that's 2 extra beers in the man cave tinkering with the toys. The boat is a full restore I bought last year so I have no idea what's in there yet, everything else has been changed/upgraded and I'm in the last steps to enjoying a new hobby. I'm blessed with my setup also, I could throw a party in my engine compartment with seats removed! :D


1995 Ford F150 straight 6, 221,000+ miles
1996 Nisan Maxima 180,000 miles
1951 Farmall Cub ??????? hours / rebuilt once

I fix 'em all and enjoy doing and learning new ways to do it.
Maybe I should stop designing websites and become a boat mechanic, they make killer money from what I read (some of them don't even back their work) but fear not, I won't drop pans unless the owner specs it.

Speaking of overkill, it may be a good poll/ post to get ideas of who changes their impellars yearly as recommended by merc. When I went to buy my lower shift cable at the marina I asked the owner if it's necessary and 2 mechanics and he started laughing at the same instant...
 
bruceb58

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

swihartart said:
When I went to buy my lower shift cable at the marina I asked the owner if it's necessary and 2 mechanics and he started laughing at the same instant...
Click to expand...
I don't believe Mercruiser recommends annual impeller changes.

Did you happen to tell them of your annual pan pulling? They would have probably had a coronary!
 
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swihartart

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

To each their own but to answer why do it ever...guess what your brand new oil is sitting in after you change it...old sludge.

Didn't mean to start trouble, just said I like the garbage bag idea... and that I enjoy fixing and maintaining my stuff.

If you don't want to drop a pan ever, I'm OK with that and will not criticize, what I read and what I've heard, boats cannot have enough maintenance...just my humble opinion.
 
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swihartart

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

And if I may make another point, it amazes me of how jacked some others get here about fellow boaters finding "Common Sense" ways of owning and maintaining a boat, which is supposed to be fun, and not going broke spending money on the best of this or that which has to be of such a high standard because it is a boat. Yes...spark arrestors....Yes...stainless to prevent rot...but some things, hmmmmm.

It's almost like there are vendors here trolling for our wallets at times...just me practicing my free speech...I believe I've earned it.

I read posts daily and try to help others with problems I may be able to help with, and also learn from others replies about my own, however, getting slammed because I want to be extra careful with my equipment just plain sucks.


No emoticon...see ya later.
 
MRS

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

MRS said:
I bought the fram oil drain plug kit from kragen and the hose fits nice thru the bilge hole.
Click to expand...

Ok one more time I bought the FRAM oil change kit from kragen for my old boat the hose fits excellent thru the bilge hole. We are only talking about changing oil right? You can make it as easy or hard as you want warm up motor and drain if you do the bag way great till you try and pull it out and hopefully you do not snag it on anything on the way out....
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: Best method for changing the oil

There is no such thing as "THE BEST" anything.
And as usual, tempers flare when someone doesn't thing someone elses best is actually the best, and yada, yada, yada...;...



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