Yanmar 3JH5E - I've changed the oil, but forgot to change the oil filter ! (now what ?)

[aidancoughlan]

I don't know what I was thinking , but I warmed the engine, removed the oil and replaced it but forgot to change the filter in the middle ! ?

I've left it settle over night (ie. not yet run it with the new oil in it), and I'm wondering if I can just remove the filter now and change it before running the engine .
I've googled and found some (automotive) posts suggesting that the oil will have settled below the level of the filter anyway in other engines, and I should just go ahead and change the filter now.

Does anyone know if this would be the case on these Yanmar series engines, or is it likely enough that the oil in most marine diesel engines settles below the filter when at rest ?

• Should I just go ahead and hope that I won't lose too much oil in the manouver ?
• Or maybe it would be OK to extract the oil with the pump I used into a fresh can and re-instate it after changing the filter ?

 

[VicS]

Yes of course you can go ahead and change the filter
It's on the side of the crankcase well above the level of the oil in the sump .

See the diagram in the operators manual ( item 6 is the oil filter)

There will be a little oil still trapped in the filter so be prepared to catch it and mop up afterwards
I trust you have instructions for fitting and correctly tightening the new filter.

 

[aidancoughlan]

Thanks @VicS
Yes, I've changed it several times before on this engine... I was just doing a couple of things and just slipped my mind ! I wasn't sure how much oil I would lose, but it sounds like it won't be excessive. Ill try it & catch as much excess as I can in a plastic bag.

 

[Neeves]

As Vic S says, change it, catch the oil, add back new oil to replace any that you lost (if its actually noticeable), run engine, mop up. Finally check oil level again

Not difficult.

Jonathan

 

[aidancoughlan]

Thanks folks , will try that.

 

[vyv_cox]

It reminds me what a lousy design feature horizontal oil filters are. I hope the designer needs to change half a dozen every day.

 

[doug748]

I doubt that leaving it till next year would do any harm at all.

It's a good way to do it. With the engine oil cold you will find it very clean. As above, hot oil in an horizontal filter gets everywhere, I always leave the filter till last.

.

 

[aidancoughlan]

I doubt that leaving it till next year would do any harm at all.

I agree, but I think I will do it anyway just in case

.

. hot oil in an horizontal filter gets everywhere, I always leave the filter till last.

Hmm, this might turn out to be the best way to do it after all !

. I hope the designer needs to change half a dozen every day.

Haha. He can stay later after work with the yanmar engineer that specified the alternator arm & belt on this engine (it takes a gorilla with three arms to replace it). He's probably the same designer, maybe it was him that forgot to add both a manual fuel pump and a bleed screw for bleeding the fuel, and put the incorrect instructions in the printed manual for what pipe to crack to bleed it !. Still, it runs Ok. Can't complain too much.