When to change the engine oil?

[rafiki_]

Rafiki is coming out of the water in a couple of weeks for the winter. I'm not sure whether to change the engine oil now, or when she goes back in. Engines are 1.7 Isuzu (Merc) diesels.

 

[sailorman]

Rafiki is coming out of the water in a couple of weeks for the winter. I'm not sure whether to change the engine oil now, or when she goes back in. Engines are 1.7 Isuzu (Merc) diesels.

if you need to do it its better done now so that clean oil is protecting the engine & not the contaminated old oil

 

[ian38_39]

Combustion produces acid, I think it is Sulphuric, that lies in the oil, you should change the oil before lay up to remove the corrosive oil.

Ian

 

[boy boater]

Definitely better to change oil prior to layup, leaving clean oil, free of corrosive products of combustion, in the engine over the Winter.

 

[Seadee]

Do it immediately after you get it out of the water. The engine will be hot after motoring to the crane bay and the oil easy to suck out. Do it then, change the filter and fill her back up. Aim for a couple of mm over the top level on the dipstick as it will drop when the filter fills up when you turn it over on re-launch. Never fails to work.

CD

 

[rafiki_]

Thanks all. I will do this before the lift, as I will not be present.

 

[sailorman]

Do it immediately after you get it out of the water. The engine will be hot after motoring to the crane bay and the oil easy to suck out. Do it then, change the filter and fill her back up. Aim for a couple of mm over the top level on the dipstick as it will drop when the filter fills up when you turn it over on re-launch. Never fails to work.

CD

i 1/2 fill the filter when i fit it

 

[alt]

Follow Seadee's advise....

Literly just before she has her last run change the oil, so that there's literly new oil in her for the winter. Don't be afraid to fill up to 3mm above the dipstick on thie one, it'll ensure there's fresh oil in her.

Then at start of new season, you can suck a little bit out with an oil extractor, give the engine a run and then change again.

Some might call this OTT, but for the sake of a couple of litres of engine oil, to me it's worth the 'waste' - These Merc 1.7's are tempermental engines (well, turbo's really), don't neglect them.

There's a Merc 1.7 Yahoo Group - for your own sake i'd recommend joining it!

 

[rafiki_]

Thanks for this. I regularly frighten myself with the Yahoo group. These are mainly American fishermen going everywhere at full throttle, exposing the engine to lots of water, but there are some good tips to be found.