Filling Duo-Prop legs with oil - any tips?

[alt]

When filling my DP-G legs with oil, I pour oil into a jug (as I get the oil in 20l containers) and from the jug pour it into a ketchup bottle. Imagine the re-fillable ketchup bottles that you'd see in a take-away, with the long white narrow nozzle.

This does the trick nicely as the nozzle gets right into the fill hole. But, as the ketchup bottle is only about 250ml, it takes a long time to fill 2 out-drives.

Does anyone have any wonder tricks to make this process quicker / less messy? Or is my idea a fabulous one?

 

[tico]

yup... pic
take a big funnel and connect a length of 1/2" hose to the bottom.
push the end of the hose into the filler hole and pour oil into the funnel. Need to make a brackety thing to hold the funnel up on the bathing platform while the oil fills.
dead easy. Dont know about DP-G but my DP-E legs take exactly 2.7L.

 

[KevB]

I just get a large funnel, stick it in the hole, fill it with oil and let gravity do it's stuff.

 

[Pendana]

Like Tico, I use a short length of tubing about 450mm long and about and about 12mm diameter.
It has a V notch cut in the end that goes into the filler hole. I wrap a thick layer ofmasking tape about 6mm from that end so as to form a seal against the face of the filler hole.
The other end has funnel pushed in.
Using the 1 litre bottles that are graduated on the side and fill to the 900ml mark.
Three of them takes about 10 to 15 minutes to fill the drive.
Looking forward to doing this in Mahon in May

 

[Sishoe]

I thought that you filled through the drain point whist checking the dipstick at the top for correct level, this is to ensure no air pockets are trapped within the drive.
Equipment was a funnel, hose and a small fitting (1/4" to 10mm hose tail) or something similar to screw into the drain point). The funnel was held at a height just above the dipstick.
Although I seem to remember, by using this method it took slightly more than the quoted amount to show correct level on the dipstick.

 

[mlines]

Don't you use one of those little £10 sterndrive hand pumps and fill from the bottom to stop air pockets?

 

[alt]

I thought that you filled through the drain point whist checking the dipstick at the top for correct level, this is to ensure no air pockets are trapped within the drive.
Equipment was a funnel, hose and a small fitting (1/4" to 10mm hose tail) or something similar to screw into the drain point). The funnel was held at a height just above the dipstick.
Although I seem to remember, by using this method it took slightly more than the quoted amount to show correct level on the dipstick.

Don't you use one of those little £10 sterndrive hand pumps and fill from the bottom to stop air pockets?

Not with Volvo drives. You fill from the fill plug near the top. There is a dip stick higher than this to let air out. Obviously do this with legs trimmed down.

you fill non Volvo legs / outboards from the bottom

 

[zt260]

I use a pump primer bulb off an outboard stick some pipe over both ends put one in the oil bottle the other end in the dipstick hole take the caphead out next to the gear shifter shaft so the air can escape when filling and then pump away

Ash

 

[GrahamHR]

Errr, not always so, on the SX/ DPS they are filled from the drain plug ( as on outboards). The plug on the gear casing is there to show when they are full enough. The dipstick hole only vents air.

 

[solitaire11]

I've always filled mine from the bottom, I guess it's down to personal preference.

 

[tribblehunter]

Garden pressure sprayer (Hozelock 3 or 5 ltrs are best).

lance end modified to fit either drain hole or level plug hole.

Just fill, pump up and have a cuppa whilst it does its thing.

 

[alt]

Thanks for the ideas guys. I have come to the conclusion that my own method works best for me Less than 10 mins per drive (filling)

Oh, and amateur lesson.... Fill with amount ang go for a cup of tea (or bottle of water, in my case)... THEN go back and check the level. It doesn't level instantly!!

 

[tico]

Just a tip... when you have filled the drive, give the shaft a few turns by hand to allow any trapped air bubbles to release BEFORE checking the level.
There isn't much difference between the marks on the dipstick.

 

[neale]

I've always filled mine from the bottom, I guess it's down to personal preference.

I would have thought following Volvo's procedure would be best. For the 290 style leg you fill through the fill hole as per post 2. The sx, which I understand is basically a rebranded OMC cobra drive, you fill from the drain hole.