Tips on Changing Oil?

[Matt Garcia]

Anyone have any advice on changing oil for a Merc. 350 Mag MPI?

I have read to run the engine for about 5 minutes and also to remove the filler cap when draining. Any other tips?

[bfrank]

Just make sure it's good and hot. I usally change mine after I get off the lake, the first time I changed it I hooked uo the fake lake and let it run for 5 minutes and It took for ever to drain the oil. I also use a sealable freezer bag to remove the oil filter. That way the oil does'nt run down into your boat and you can seal it up for disposal. What grade/weight of oil do you use??

[Matt Garcia]

Thanks bfrank. How long did it take for you to drain your oil? I have heard about using the same method for the oil filter.

I dont recall what grade/weight of oil I used the last time since the dealer did it for me.

[bfrank]

With it warm not long at all, when I did it with the Fake a lake I started to get worried that the drain tub had something in it. It took at least an hour to drain it down. I was looking at getting a electric pump that has a hose that goes into your dip stick tube and actually sucks the oil out. It may be a claener and easier way to change the oil, its always fun crawling under the boat and trailer with a pan full of oil and not spilling any.

[Matt Garcia]

Ok thanks. It may be a little harder for me since my boat is a V drive and I dont have a center drain plug.

[jeffro]

matt, invest in a pump... much faster than letting it drain...

i tried the running it till the engine gets hot, and then draining...

the pump was fast is all i can say.

i have a 21i with the 350.

[Matt Garcia]

Jeff, what type of pump did you get? Where at?

[RZMike]

Matt,

Here's the pump I use.

I bought the pump at a local Boater's World store. Many variations of this. I bought this one because it's all metal. I'm hoping it will last longer than the plastic ones.

http://home.comcast.net/~rzmike/pictures/Oil_change_pump_a.jpg

Here's the homemade fake-a-lake I made for under $15. I have you to thank for the idea. You once told me how your mechanic had done it. :D

http://home.comcast.net/~rzmike/pictures/home_made_fakealake_a.jpg

[jeffro]

i actually borrowed a friends pump.. it was a plastic one. I think they are all about the same or at least do the same job. Maybe grab a metal one as i think they would last longer than the plastic ones....But the plastic ones (at least the one i used) was clear so you could see how many quarts of oil you havbe removed... that's a nice thing to have so you are sure of how much you take out.

ahh.... found it!

http://www.boatersworld.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=361857

http://a1672.g.akamai.net/7/1672/116/20040801/www.ritzcamera.com/graphics/boatersworld/products/366974343.jpg

p.s. these clean up really well, i thought i was using it for the first time, but it was just that clean from when derek had used it and washed it out with water.

[Matt Garcia]

Hey Mike where can I get a sawweet seat like the one in your picture? :p

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

[RZMike]

Originally posted by Matt Garcia
Hey Mike where can I get a sawweet seat like the one in your picture? :p




Sorry Matt, can't help you there. It's taken me 8 years to get that seat to the condition you see now. :D

[scootc]

I just changed mine last weekend using a pump just like Jeffro's. It has an adaptor that screws right onto the dipstick tube, and only took about 5 minutes to suck everything out. Works great!
The only thing I found is the engine on my 23V is tilted up at the rear, so we really had to crank up the front of the boat in order to get all the oil out.
To keep accidental spills out of the bilge I bought a roll of oil absorbant pads at PepBoys and put a few of these below the filter.
The entire process took less than 30 minutes.

[scootc]

BTW: Does anyone know why Merc says not to use synthetic oil? I went ahead with the Mercruiser oil this time, but would think synthetic would be a good alternative in the long run.

[bfrank]

This is the pump I just bought.

Jabsco Self-Priming Engine Oil Change System


An oil change system that never needs priming! Designed to deliver a 5-minute engine oil change without the mess of dripping hoses and spills, this system makes engine maintenance more convenient. Simple operation involves connecting the power lead clips to your 12V DC battery, inserting the 1/4" probe down the dipstick tube into warmed engine oil, and turning the pump on. The oil change system works until the last drop of oil is gone, and diaphragm pump runs dry without causing harm.


28966 Qty


$99.99
Stock: In stock

[jleger98]

As another option, here is a oil change pump that claims to be able to pump 5 qts in 3 mins right through the dipstick pipe. 35 bux, not bad.

.http://www.boatersworld.com/product/367210010.htm

I just ordered one, I'll let you know how it works

[gman]

work good as long as your dip stick housing is set up for it

[FIC]

Synthetic oil is fine if you use boat on a regullar basis , but if it sits for weeks at a time testing has shone that oil drains back to the pan and leaves no protective coating on the rotating parts mainly the camshaft causeing premature wear. Dom@ Fortes Inboard Connection

[kko]

i use one simular to bfrank,s it works well. jleger i aslo have the one you have it works good on trans. but it not so good on the oil it will work but it struggles for me on the oil. its is old though maybe a new one will be better. the oil bucket with a jabsco pump on topi got hooks to the oil drain hose and comes with a smaller hose to do the trany.

[jleger98]

I double checked tonight, and there is no oil drain hose on my boat. So the pump is going to have to do. I'm just plain not going to drain oil into my bilge.

I don't have the pump yet and my boat needs to be in storage by Tues PM, so I'll just do the oil change in the spring. That'll allow me to pour some oil over the top of the cam before starting it after a long sit. Time to get out the snow board.

[flyboy]

Best damn oil pump I have ever used. Period.

http://www.boatus-store.com/images/full/163126.jpg

[kko]

i also have the one flyboy likes i give it a 6 out of 10. the one in this pic is the one i have i would give it a 9 out of 10. it also cost three times as much but its 10 times faster.

[Aquajack]

Matt
Merc did not reccomend SYNTHETIC oil because they did not make it.
Now that they make it, YOU GUESSED IT. . . They NOW RECCOMEND IT.
Go to the merc website, look up your motor and you will see that they not only reccomend it, but say it is great for older engines now. IMAGINE THAT.
Also, NOT ALL Synthetics are the same. There are better qualities in EVERYTHING including synthetic enine oil.
I use AMSOIL, but that's just me.
AJ

[FIC]

Synthetic oil is the best if you use your boat on a regurlar basis , but if it is going to sit for weeks at a time without being run then a synthetic blend is your best choice. In testing synthetic oil due to its make up tends to drain back to the pan leaveing parts with no protective coating causeing mainly premature camshaft wear.