Hey folks, I just completed my annual engine service (2nd one for me) and would love to get some tips about how make it easier to add oil back into the engine.
Pumping out the oil has become really easy with the purchase of a manual vacuum oil pump that neatly fits in the oil pan access hose.
I REALLY struggled putting the fresh oil back in.
I can’t use the top access cap because the oil container will not fit between the engine and the floor of the cockpit
Adding it through the dip stick is very very slow and uncomfortable. The access is terrible, I am draped over the fuel tank trying to hold up 2 gallon of oil with one hand whilst keeping the funnel in position and steady.
There needs to be a better way! I would love to hear what you have devised to make this job easier.
You’ve got my sympathies. I had to edit out the Freudian slips where I wrote oil pain instead of oil pan everywhere in this post.
The closest cheap solution I’ve found was to clamp a very long hose to a funnel so that I could hold the funnel outside the engine compartment with the other end in the oil fill at the top of the motor. But I never found a good way to remove that fill hose without it dripping all over the place afterwards. You can put a lot of oil absorbing cloths, but somehow…
If you’re willing to throw money at the problem, I used to have a boat with a Reverso oil change pump that had a permanent attachment to the oil pan and a coiled hose. In one direction, it pumped oil out from the pan into a container through the hose. In the other direction, you put the hose in a fresh container and it pumped the new oil back in to the container. Unfortunately, they run literally about $1000 USD. If you’re handy, though, you could reverse engineer their approach for less.
If you’re handy, though, you could probably reverse engineer their approach for less with a small electric fuel transfer pump attached to the oil pump hose. You can either get one with a switch that lets it pump in either direction or you can wire it up so that you have a way to reverse the polarity of the the electrical leads.
I’m trying really hard not to put in a plug for going electric, but that IS a (really expensive) way to avoid diesel maintenance and oil changes. (Sorry about the “plug for electric” pun.)
Or you could buy an inexpensive hand pump and some hose to allow you to pump from the oil container into the fillet opening on top of the engine. You will want to figure out how hold everything stable so you can use both hands to pump. Mounting it to the side of the engine compartment might work. My Westerbeke 13 was tall enough it was difficult to fit a one litre/quart container oboe the engine without spilling. I had a funne I bought from Canadian Tire that had a shut off at the bottom and a lid on top. I would add oil to the funnel, put the lid on, slip the funnel in place and then open the shut off. The funnel was graduated so I knew exactly how much I was adding.
Plastic oil jugs have standardized screw tops. You can go to an auto parts store and buy an adapter that screws onto those threads and has a piece of standard clear vinyl tubing coming out from it. If that tubing isn’t long enough you can buy the same stuff by the foot at the Home Depot, Lowe’s, other local hardware store, pond supply store, etc. Then you can thread the tubing in to the filler cap from the most convenient direction and just tip up the jug.
By “thread the tubing in to the filler cap” I meant that you can route the tubing to the filler cap on the engine. No actual threads are involved at the end of the tubing. You just shove it into the filler hole.
Pull the diesel and go electric and be done with oil changes forever. Though the last time I changed the oil back in 2007 I always added oil while sitting in the main cabin after removing the engine hatch cover. I recall it was easier to add the oil from that position than being cramped over the fuel tank below the cockpit.
Hi Robin, what I do is tranfer the oil from the large plastic bottle to a smaller empty plastic bottle. The smaller bottle will fit in the space if you’re careful.
Ron
Ron & Diane Schryver
“Alpha Waves” 1987 NS30U #393
Georgian Bay Midland ON
The w27 holods 4 quarts of oil. I have an old window washer fuild bottle that is 4 quarts. I fill it with the oil from the larger container.
I have a funnel with a long hard plastic hose and I added a small clip that holds it in place on the side of the open lazzertte. I just bent a piece of thin steel in a U. I hang the funnel. Then pours the oil in and go for lunch. When I get back it has all pretty much drained into the engine. I have a shaved down plastic wine cork that fits in the hose. I pop the wine cork in clean up the drop or two and then stuff the funnel side with a paper towel. I am done.
Peter Farley
Knot in a Hurry u30 #328
Keyport NJ
You mentioned a 2 gal. Container.
I switched to 1 quart containers. I found a short wide funnel and am able to fit hold and pour the quart. At first I transfered oil from the large jug to a quart container but now just buy quarts.
If I ever start a what are things about my Nonsuch I don’t like thread, inboard engine access would top the list.
I use one of these little bad boys . I transfer the oil from the gallon jug to the standard qt bottle and fill it from there. Works for the transmission oil as well so I have 2
The easiest thing is to cut a hole and install a round 6” access panel in the cockpit sole. It was one of the first things I did back in 2003 when I got my boat. You need to modify the teak cockpit sole to do this. Well worth it.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
While the hole in the cockpit floor may work for an oil change, I’ve seen this on boats where it leaks over time, turning the engine into a lump of rust.
Don
I agree with Paul. Properly installed manufactured access holes, ports, etc. should not leak. Shortly after I got my NS 22, I removed the Lewmar pedestal and wheel, etc. and went back to a tiller (which I love, BTW). That left a honkin’ big round hole on the cockpit floor. I filled that with a locking rectangular Beckson white plastic hatch. As my engine was an O/B, with that new hatch, I had marvelous access to my battery. And, everything looked neat as a pin in the cockpit.
I did a reasonable job sealing the hatch (using 3M 4200 just in case I’d have to remove it). In 11 years, it never leaked. Not one drop.
Yeah, that’s the one I use. They’re easy to find. I got one at Walmart and, later, another one at an auto parts store. Here it is at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-10106B-FloTool-Filler-Refill/dp/B000EH4UXM
They fit the larger size jugs, too. You can extend that tubing to whatever length you need.
Thanks all for the suggestions. And are folks using the top fill cap with the various funnel + long hose solutions? And not the dip stick entrance yes?
Though the last time I changed the oil back in 2007 I always added oil while sitting in the main cabin after removing the engine hatch cover. I recall it was easier to add the oil from that position than being cramped over the fuel tank below the cockpit.
