OIL CHANGE TIME

Glassguy54

OH, HAPPY DAY!!!! I always knew my transom plug had a little cable attached to it (keeps it from getting dropped/forgotten) and there were some discussions that this was attached to a tube from the oil pan. After some groveling around on the concrete and getting some good light on the situation and fishing around with a steel rod and coaxing the darn thing a bit, I was indeed able to pull the oil drain tube out through the hole. YEA!! No more sucking oil up the dipstick tube, and not getting it all. I am SO Happy!!!

Cableguy Greg

I changed mine yesterday via that tube. It takes some time, but it works great. I hauled the boat out, then put the tube in a gallon jug, then pressure washed the boat. By the time I was done cleaning the bottom of the boat, the oil had trained. It works out well!!!

randy56

Good for you, It helps if you warm up that oil. Run the engine 20 minutes. 

Michael T

..... and you are also running that engine to normal operating temperature to capture water vapor, acids, asst. contaminants in the engine as well as making the oil easier to flow for removal.

randy56

Agreed MT it only take a little while to get the water temp up to normal operating temp. but it takes much longer to heat up the oil, actually 20 minutes is not enough time. 30 is more like it. Done it this way for many years, you can put your hand on the valve covers when they finely get good and warm. That's when I shut it down and change the oil. 

jme097

Anyone provide a picture where this tube is at? It would be very helpful!

randy56

@jme097 If the tube is not hooked up to your drain plug, then it's laying in the bottom of your bulge. It is a black tube about 1/2 od. 

Cableguy Greg

@jme097, my tube was never used prior to me owning the boat. Rinker mounted it to the inside transom wall on the starboard side of the motor behind the batteries with a small clip. If it is there, it will have a drain plug connected to it. You can't miss it... If it isn't there, like @randy56 stated, it will be in the bilge. Either way it can be a PIA to fish thru the drain hole. I used a piece of #12 stranded copper wire to fish thru and attach to the hose.

Michael T

@randy56 good points! Most marinas run it for 5 minutes if you're lucky.

Way back in 1990s we ran the engines (carbed) to normal operating temperatures then poured fogging oil right gown the carb until the engine stalled. No more of that now with the EPA and clean marina designations.

With EFIs/MPIs I gave my engines a good ten minutes to reach operating temperature - this is at winterization as the water is a lot cooler - but I usually ran them for another 5 minutes to be sure. The oil filter and oil were too hot to handle and the valve covers were hot too.

Now with the cats the engines heat up pretty fast, but I still ran them for 10-15 minutes just to be sure.

Better safe than sorry.

In the summer with warmer water I ran them 15 minutes for sure then let them sit to drain down.

Liberty44140

X2 on the abovd comment on the drain tube being hooked to the transom. Mine also looks to have never been used and is currently secured to the inside of the transom.