Draining oil from my Volvo Penta BB225a?

[ChasB]

I've got two of these on my vintage Carver 3007. The port one I've managed to get the oil out of using the dipstsick tube. (Pig of a job!)

I've tried everything I can think of with the starboard engine, but there's some kind of kink in there that's stopping me. I want don't to force it. So...

I assume I can drain from below? Gawdknows how I get down there though. A bit of Googling and I find an exploded diagram of the of the lubrication system where items 36 (plug) and 37 (gasket) appear to be the means to drain this engine.

Any thoughts / advice on this?

I have to go out now, so won't be back to this till tomorrow.

Many thanks!

 

[ChasB]

Maybe my question is not clear.

Am I correct in believing that removing 36 / 37 is the appropriate way to drain the engine of oil?

Cheers!

 

[Mr Googler]

No reason why not. If you undo a bolt with oil the other side…oil will drain out ??

You could stick you suction tube into that hole to last bit out if needed

 

[ChromeDome]

Yes, that bolt is the drain plug. As you can imagine the oil will escape pretty quickly and create a beautiful mess in the bilge if not collected in some sort of container from which your suction pump can take it.

My engines (non Volvo) are factory fitted with a hose connector in the drain plug hole, then routed to the engine top. Makes it very easy to change oil, especially if the oil is a bit warm (lighter flowing).

If looking at the parts for a sister engine you'll see (part 18c here) that Volvo used to have a drain tube available.
A search on the interweb for oil drain kit will find many solutions as you indeed are not are the only one finding it to be a pig of a job . With the plug in hand you can find the thread size & pitch, necessary when ordering next solution.

Inspired by that I've fitted Fumoto Engine Oil Drain Valves for draining coolant, making it easy to stick at hose to it and collect the antifreeze (later used for winterizing the sea-water side of the cooling circuit by pouring it into the sea water strainers, at idle).
Drain valve

 

[ChasB]

Many thanks. That makes me a lot more confident.

That drain valve looks good. Should be there as standard. The current arrangement is ridiculous. Odd when much else of this boat is so well thought through.

The Clymer manual I have offers another solution which begins "1. Remove the engine."


BTW I've got 5l of rather old unused oil as well. If it turns out not to be prohibitively physically awkward, do you think it's worth flushing the engine out with this first before putting in the completely fresh stuff? The oil that's currently in there is black as night

 

[ChromeDome]

I can give you my view, others may think differently.

I don't flush as I find regular oil changes every or every other year is well above the engines' need (leisure marine engines get so little use that the oil's specified service life will not even come close). Pull the stick now and then and see how long it takes for the engine to even make the oil look used (dark/black). If unopened or otherwise procteced from contamination, your old oil probably is fine. I'd use it for my lawn mover, though.

The oil specified for your engine:

..use engine oils for gasoline engines, or a good quality oil (API Service CE/SG or better) of the same viscosity that meets General Motors
Specification GM-6094-M

has long been obsolete, but as oils are backwards compatible the 'or better' in practise allows you to select among several. The follower, SH, is obsolete as well and recent standards are up to SM. The CE rating is for diesel engine classification.
Personally I'd look for something mineral around 15W-40 with, all else equal, 'Marine' properties (might just be an additive pack adjustment). Always change the filter with the oil as these parts are so much cheaper than engine repairs!

Servicing two engines you may find that volume/shipping discounts makes it worth to stock for a few rounds of oil changes. Filters survive well in freezer bags

 

[ChasB]

Mamny thanks!