Changing engine oil

[Capt Skup]

Our Sundeck came with the 350Mag engine equipped with the drain hose on the engine that you can snake out of the garboard plug to drain the oil. Truthfully I do not feel comfortable with the setup. I usually keep a boat for at least ten years, over that period of time the rubber hose will surely dry out and develop cracks. I can just see having a low oil pressure alarm, raise the engine cowling and have the bilge flooded with engine oil. I have always had great success using the blue tank with the vacuum pump to extra the warm engine oil from the pan. Run the engine till warm, remove the dipstick, insert the plastic tube, apply vacuum and all the oil is removed(I have measured it many times). Could not be simpler. Now I have the drain plug with the twisted lanyard on it attached to this rubber hose that is screwed to the engine oil pan. I just don't feel comfortable with the set up. Only way I see changing the set up is pulling the engine to install the drain plug(which I have from the owners packet). Thoughts? Am I worrying too much?

 

[spfortjohn]

I think you are worring too much. We have that on my dads 2002 Formula Fastec twin 6.2 mercs. Boat is 10 years old and it has not leaked at all. I love it just warm up the motor and put the hose in a bucket and the oil flows right out. I do the gear oil change and when I am done with that change the filter and stuff the lines back into the hole and fill with oil. Easy Easy. No mess either.

The only problem I had was the little keeper that attached the hose to the drain plug came off and I had to fish out the hose.

Do not worry in ten years you will have to pull your motor for another reason so change the hoses then.

 

[jason78]

I agree you are probably worrying too much. Actually, by using that hose you can get all the oil out of the pan rather than most from the dipstick tube.

 

[rondds]

WISH I had that on this boat!

 

[SeaRay]

I just added that hose drain kit option to my boat....I was able to put the hose fitting on without pulling the motor. It was tight but I got it done.

I don't think in 10 years you will be replacing that hose either. No more than any of the other hoses on the boat.

Like mentioned above, you can now get all the oil out - you weren't with the vacuum.

But, if you really want to go back to the vacuum you may be able to remove the hose and add a regular drain plug??

 

[Gould62]

My drain plug is connected with a cable of sorts...would that be the connector to the engine drain tube? I never even thought about that...thoughts?

 

[wastinaweigh]

You are worrying too much. Sometime in the next 10 years you will probably have to pull the engine for an unrelated problem - my guess would be the raw water hose coming through the transom of that BIII - and just remember to update the oil change hose at that time, since it will only be the cost of the part then.

 

[Chipshot]

Gould 62, yes that cable should be connected to the drain hose.

 

[midway]

My 2004 has that same set up, as said, warm engine, pull hose, remove plug from hose and drain oil, I also remove the oil fill cap, seems to make it drain quicker. Make sure the hose has not been installed curled up, not sure how mine got that way, but I could not get all of the oil out until I got in there and rolled it until it flipped down, all the oil drains out now. I have had to make a new cable set up for the plugs, mine broke, swivel came apart. Watch that for corrosion, and just replace sometime when you have the hose pulled out, otherwise use it and enjoy, it will last for years. I work in the truck industry, there are rubber hoses that carry oil under pressure that last for years, these hoses are made for that purpose. Don't worry about it, it is fine.

 

[skibum]

I love that setup. I usually drain all of the old oil, and then pour in fresh oil until I see clean oil coming out of the hose. New oil seems to stay clean for quite a while.