New oil policy on my boat
 

Back from the first 10-day leg of our extended summer cruise, (boat is
in Comox, BC and we're going back up in about 3 weeks).

Almost had the shortest cruise in history!

We were just a few miles from from the marina on Day 1, when the oil
pressure alarm started to sound. I shut down the engine immediately,
and took up the engine hatch. There was no oil showing on the dipstick!
That seemed extremely odd, as I had just serviced the engine several
days before departing and performed a complete oil and filter change.
There was close to "zero" time on the fresh oil. I assumed that a hose
to the oil cooler, or something similar, must have worked loose.

I had four gallons of oil and one oil filter in my spares inventory.
After using most of the oil to refill the engine, I asked my wife to
start the engine so I could remain in the engine room and observe the
oil line fittings as pressure was restored.

As soon as the engine was restarted, I noticed a geyser of oil spurting
out from under the more forward oil filter. I asked to have the engine
shut down again, and pulled off the filter to investigate. I must have
overtightened the filter when I installed it- (dumb-de-dumb-dumb), as
the rubber ring was broken and the oil was squirting out through the
gap. The rubber ring may have required a combination of heat and
pressure to fail, as it passed startup inspection after the oil change
with no problem.

Spun on the spare filter, put on the rubber gloves, and spent a messy
little while pumping the oil in the bilge into a big bucket with the
hand-operated, portable bilge pump. We were back underway again but
with *no oil reserve* and *no spare filter*. We were able to buy some
more oil at the next fuel dock we encountered, but due to the very late
hour we couldn't find suitable filters until the following day. It was
a nervous situation: if the second filter had been installed as poorly
as the first and caused us to lose oil pressure again, we would be
candidates for getting towed in.

New "used oil" policy for me. Rather than take all the used oil to the
recycling station, I will keep the latest batch of "dirty" oil
aboard in specially marked jugs. Coupled with the 4 gallons of reserve
oil I normally carry, this will leave me better prepared in case
something like this should ever happen again. Dumping "dirty" oil into
an engine isn't the world's greatest idea, but it sure beats attempting
to run on no oil whatsoever.
I now think it makes sense to be ready to change the or replenish the
oil *twice*, with my poorly installed oil filter teaching me a valuable
lesson. (It would also make sense to simply carry 8 gallons of fresh
oil......) I won't leave the dock again without *two* spare oil
filters, either.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Back from the first 10-day leg of our extended summer cruise, (boat is
in Comox, BC and we're going back up in about 3 weeks).

What type of boat, what size, what engine, and what size?

I had four gallons of oil and one oil filter in my spares inventory.

On the boat, or at home etc ? And why so much oil on hand ?


(It would also make sense to simply carry 8 gallons of fresh
oil......) I won't leave the dock again without *two* spare oil
filters, either.

You must have some very unique situation,
because most boaters I know don't carry
enough oil, and oil filters to change their oil
on their boats. This must be a really big boat ?

Mr Wizzard wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

Back from the first 10-day leg of our extended summer cruise, (boat is
in Comox, BC and we're going back up in about 3 weeks).


What type of boat, what size, what engine, and what size?


I had four gallons of oil and one oil filter in my spares inventory.


On the boat, or at home etc ? And why so much oil on hand ?



(It would also make sense to simply carry 8 gallons of fresh
oil......) I won't leave the dock again without *two* spare oil
filters, either.


You must have some very unique situation,
because most boaters I know don't carry
enough oil, and oil filters to change their oil
on their boats. This must be a really big boat ?


Big boat, small engine, well, small in horsepower.

I carry spare oil and filters, even on my outboard boat, although
changing a filter on the Yamaha is a pain in the butt.

Harry,
How much oil do you keep on the Lobster Boat?


"Harry Krause" wrote in message
k.net...
wrote:
Back from the first 10-day leg of our extended summer cruise, (boat is
in Comox, BC and we're going back up in about 3 weeks).

Almost had the shortest cruise in history!

We were just a few miles from from the marina on Day 1, when the oil
pressure alarm started to sound. I shut down the engine immediately,
and took up the engine hatch. There was no oil showing on the dipstick!
That seemed extremely odd, as I had just serviced the engine several
days before departing and performed a complete oil and filter change.
There was close to "zero" time on the fresh oil. I assumed that a hose
to the oil cooler, or something similar, must have worked loose.

I had four gallons of oil and one oil filter in my spares inventory.
After using most of the oil to refill the engine, I asked my wife to
start the engine so I could remain in the engine room and observe the
oil line fittings as pressure was restored.

As soon as the engine was restarted, I noticed a geyser of oil spurting
out from under the more forward oil filter. I asked to have the engine
shut down again, and pulled off the filter to investigate. I must have
overtightened the filter when I installed it- (dumb-de-dumb-dumb), as
the rubber ring was broken and the oil was squirting out through the
gap. The rubber ring may have required a combination of heat and
pressure to fail, as it passed startup inspection after the oil change
with no problem.

Spun on the spare filter, put on the rubber gloves, and spent a messy
little while pumping the oil in the bilge into a big bucket with the
hand-operated, portable bilge pump. We were back underway again but
with *no oil reserve* and *no spare filter*. We were able to buy some
more oil at the next fuel dock we encountered, but due to the very late
hour we couldn't find suitable filters until the following day. It was
a nervous situation: if the second filter had been installed as poorly
as the first and caused us to lose oil pressure again, we would be
candidates for getting towed in.

New "used oil" policy for me. Rather than take all the used oil to the
recycling station, I will keep the latest batch of "dirty" oil
aboard in specially marked jugs. Coupled with the 4 gallons of reserve
oil I normally carry, this will leave me better prepared in case
something like this should ever happen again. Dumping "dirty" oil into
an engine isn't the world's greatest idea, but it sure beats attempting
to run on no oil whatsoever.
I now think it makes sense to be ready to change the or replenish the
oil *twice*, with my poorly installed oil filter teaching me a valuable
lesson. (It would also make sense to simply carry 8 gallons of fresh
oil......) I won't leave the dock again without *two* spare oil
filters, either.


Rather than save the messy old oil, why not just store enough in separate
jugs for two complete oil changes? Five gallon plastic "jerry cans" are
not every very large. Even on Yo-Ho, which has limited storage, I have
room for five quarts of engine oil and a filter, and a few other spares.

Dr.Kevorkian wrote:
Harry,
How much oil do you keep on the Lobster Boat?




Enough to deep fat fry a horse's ass like you, Smithers.
New ID for you...goes right into the dumpster.

Bye-bye.

Harry,
Are you using vegetable oil or lard in your Lobster Boat?


"Harry Krause" wrote in message
nk.net...
Dr.Kevorkian wrote:
Harry,
How much oil do you keep on the Lobster Boat?



Enough to deep fat fry a horse's ass like you, Smithers.
New ID for you...goes right into the dumpster.

Bye-bye.

Mr Wizzard wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Back from the first 10-day leg of our extended summer cruise, (boat is
in Comox, BC and we're going back up in about 3 weeks).

What type of boat, what size, what engine, and what size?


36-foot Tug. 135HP Perkins/Sabre 6354NA.




I had four gallons of oil and one oil filter in my spares inventory.

On the boat, or at home etc ? And why so much oil on hand ?

On the boat. We get a couple of hundred miles or so from homeport on
our longer cruises, and it isn't unusual for a scheduled oil change
interval to occur while we're out. The engine takes just over 3 gallons
per oil change. Plus, you never can tell when something like my
screwed-up filter installation might create a problem that will require
adding or even changing the oil.



(It would also make sense to simply carry 8 gallons of fresh
oil......) I won't leave the dock again without *two* spare oil
filters, either.

You must have some very unique situation,
because most boaters I know don't carry
enough oil, and oil filters to change their oil
on their boats. This must be a really big boat ?

A lot of boaters spend most of their time no more than a few miles from
the boat ramp, and often with a lot of other people around who would
tow them back in a pinch. By modern standards, 36-feet is a medium size
to slightly smallish boat for the type of boating we enjoy.

Harry Krause wrote:
wrote:
Back from the first 10-day leg of our extended summer cruise, (boat is
in Comox, BC and we're going back up in about 3 weeks).

Almost had the shortest cruise in history!

We were just a few miles from from the marina on Day 1, when the oil
pressure alarm started to sound. I shut down the engine immediately,
and took up the engine hatch. There was no oil showing on the dipstick!
That seemed extremely odd, as I had just serviced the engine several
days before departing and performed a complete oil and filter change.
There was close to "zero" time on the fresh oil. I assumed that a hose
to the oil cooler, or something similar, must have worked loose.

I had four gallons of oil and one oil filter in my spares inventory.
After using most of the oil to refill the engine, I asked my wife to
start the engine so I could remain in the engine room and observe the
oil line fittings as pressure was restored.

As soon as the engine was restarted, I noticed a geyser of oil spurting
out from under the more forward oil filter. I asked to have the engine
shut down again, and pulled off the filter to investigate. I must have
overtightened the filter when I installed it- (dumb-de-dumb-dumb), as
the rubber ring was broken and the oil was squirting out through the
gap. The rubber ring may have required a combination of heat and
pressure to fail, as it passed startup inspection after the oil change
with no problem.

Spun on the spare filter, put on the rubber gloves, and spent a messy
little while pumping the oil in the bilge into a big bucket with the
hand-operated, portable bilge pump. We were back underway again but
with *no oil reserve* and *no spare filter*. We were able to buy some
more oil at the next fuel dock we encountered, but due to the very late
hour we couldn't find suitable filters until the following day. It was
a nervous situation: if the second filter had been installed as poorly
as the first and caused us to lose oil pressure again, we would be
candidates for getting towed in.

New "used oil" policy for me. Rather than take all the used oil to the
recycling station, I will keep the latest batch of "dirty" oil
aboard in specially marked jugs. Coupled with the 4 gallons of reserve
oil I normally carry, this will leave me better prepared in case
something like this should ever happen again. Dumping "dirty" oil into
an engine isn't the world's greatest idea, but it sure beats attempting
to run on no oil whatsoever.
I now think it makes sense to be ready to change the or replenish the
oil *twice*, with my poorly installed oil filter teaching me a valuable
lesson. (It would also make sense to simply carry 8 gallons of fresh
oil......) I won't leave the dock again without *two* spare oil
filters, either.


Rather than save the messy old oil, why not just store enough in
separate jugs for two complete oil changes? Five gallon plastic "jerry
cans" are not every very large. Even on Yo-Ho, which has limited
storage, I have room for five quarts of engine oil and a filter, and a
few other spares.


Keeping the old oil as an emergency reserve makes some sense because it
gets pumped into empty oil jugs and would be easy to stow. Or, I could
just up my oil reserve to 8 gallons and continue recycling the used oil
every time I change it- but I will carry more oil in the future as a
result of this close call.