Changing oil - does it have to be warm?
 

Is it necessary to run the engine to get the oil warm before draining it?
By the time I get to change my oil, the boat will have been sitting for over
a month. It seems to me that all of the oil will be in the sump and should
drain right out. If I run the engine to get the oil warm, the oil will have
to drain back down to the sump again before it can be drained.

On Sat, 1 Oct 2005 22:56:43 -0400, "William Andersen"
wrote:

Is it necessary to run the engine to get the oil warm before draining it?
By the time I get to change my oil, the boat will have been sitting for over
a month. It seems to me that all of the oil will be in the sump and should
drain right out. If I run the engine to get the oil warm, the oil will have
to drain back down to the sump again before it can be drained.


I drain mine warm. That way most of the sediment is mixed in with the oil and
flows out of the pan. Also, the oil drains better and doesn't leave as much of
the old stuff in the pan to mix with the new.

This experience comes from changing oil and filters on my Moto Guzzi, where I
must remove the pan to change the filter.
--
John H

"All decisions are the result of binary thinking."

All the oil is going to drain back down to the pan right away. If it didn't
the pump would run out of oil pretty quickly. It is easier to pump out when
hot but it really doesn't matter.

"William Andersen" wrote in message
...
Is it necessary to run the engine to get the oil warm before draining it?
By the time I get to change my oil, the boat will have been sitting for
over
a month. It seems to me that all of the oil will be in the sump and should
drain right out. If I run the engine to get the oil warm, the oil will
have
to drain back down to the sump again before it can be drained.

I have done both ways over the years but I always liked putting a drain pan
under the oil pan and let it drain overnight.


"William Andersen" wrote in message
...
Is it necessary to run the engine to get the oil warm before draining it?
By the time I get to change my oil, the boat will have been sitting for
over
a month. It seems to me that all of the oil will be in the sump and should
drain right out. If I run the engine to get the oil warm, the oil will
have
to drain back down to the sump again before it can be drained.

I always drain the oil hot for a number of reasons. I need to stabilize the
fuel and fog the engine as part of my "winterizing" procedure. I fill up
the gas tank, put in the fuel stabilizer and run the engine till it hits 175
degrees. I know the fuel stabilizer has run through the system including
the fuel jets, the thermostat is open so it is easier to completely drain
the water from the engine, and just before I shut the engine down, I fog the
engine so the cylinders are protected.
As soon as the engine chokes out, I drain the oil using the tube down the
dip stick and use an oil pump attached to a portable drill. I pump the oil
into old 5 gal oil containers so I can drop them off at Jiffy Lube, to be
recycled. If the oil was not hot, it would be like trying to suck honey
through a straw.

As soon as I have drained the oil, I open all "cocks" on the engine and
remove the water hoses to drain all water from the block. I also remove the
"Spark Arrestor/Air Filter" from the engine and clean it with gas or Carb
Cleaner. Every "even" year I pull the water pump and remove the impeller.
I do not replace the impeller till the next spring, but I place it a bag
(along with a new fuel filter) next to the water pump to be installed next
spring.

After I have finished all of the above, the engine has cooled off enough
that I can easily remove the oil filter. I always fill the oil filter with
oil prior to replacing.

At this point, I clean up all water (and any oil I might have spilled) from
the bilge, remove the batteries so they can be kept on a trickle charger at
home. The cold and low battery charge are very tough on batteries and can
seriously reduce the life of your batteries. In the Spring, I bring the
batteries to the local Firestone dealer to have him do a free load check on
the batteries. If the batteries don't pass his test, I buy new ones. I
normally get 3 years from the batteries.

This may not be the best way to do it, but it has worked for me for the last
20 plus years.

"JamesgangNC" wrote in message
ink.net...
All the oil is going to drain back down to the pan right away. If it
didn't the pump would run out of oil pretty quickly. It is easier to pump
out when hot but it really doesn't matter.

"William Andersen" wrote in message
...
Is it necessary to run the engine to get the oil warm before draining it?
By the time I get to change my oil, the boat will have been sitting for
over
a month. It seems to me that all of the oil will be in the sump and
should
drain right out. If I run the engine to get the oil warm, the oil will
have
to drain back down to the sump again before it can be drained.

William Andersen wrote:
Is it necessary to run the engine to get the oil warm before draining it?
By the time I get to change my oil, the boat will have been sitting for over
a month. It seems to me that all of the oil will be in the sump and should
drain right out. If I run the engine to get the oil warm, the oil will have
to drain back down to the sump again before it can be drained.

Sounds like you have good access to your drain plug, so just unscrew
the plug and let it "slowly" flow forth.

Boaters who need to pump the oil from the engine, (i.e. up the dipstick
tube) really benefit by having the oil hot.

I've got a 3 liter MerCruiser to which I've added a hose to the drain plug,
which can be pulled through the bilge drain hole; the plug can then be
removed from the hose and the oil drained into a container.
I guess I'll just drain it cold, even if some remains in the sump. If I run
the engine, oil will be left throughout the engine.
I appreciate the answers and opinions, including winterizing. I'm lucky to
live in San Diego, 'though, and normally use my boat at least twice a week.
I'm just temporarily traveling for a couple of months.

wrote in message
oups.com...

William Andersen wrote:
Is it necessary to run the engine to get the oil warm before draining
it?
By the time I get to change my oil, the boat will have been sitting for
over
a month. It seems to me that all of the oil will be in the sump and
should
drain right out. If I run the engine to get the oil warm, the oil will
have
to drain back down to the sump again before it can be drained.

Sounds like you have good access to your drain plug, so just unscrew
the plug and let it "slowly" flow forth.

Boaters who need to pump the oil from the engine, (i.e. up the dipstick
tube) really benefit by having the oil hot.

I'm not sure I understand why you think it takes oil a long time to get back
to the pan. If it did the oil pump would run out of oil pretty quickly.

"William Andersen" wrote in message
...
I've got a 3 liter MerCruiser to which I've added a hose to the drain
plug,
which can be pulled through the bilge drain hole; the plug can then be
removed from the hose and the oil drained into a container.
I guess I'll just drain it cold, even if some remains in the sump. If I
run
the engine, oil will be left throughout the engine.
I appreciate the answers and opinions, including winterizing. I'm lucky to
live in San Diego, 'though, and normally use my boat at least twice a
week.
I'm just temporarily traveling for a couple of months.

wrote in message
oups.com...

William Andersen wrote:
Is it necessary to run the engine to get the oil warm before draining
it?
By the time I get to change my oil, the boat will have been sitting for
over
a month. It seems to me that all of the oil will be in the sump and
should
drain right out. If I run the engine to get the oil warm, the oil will
have
to drain back down to the sump again before it can be drained.

Sounds like you have good access to your drain plug, so just unscrew
the plug and let it "slowly" flow forth.

Boaters who need to pump the oil from the engine, (i.e. up the dipstick
tube) really benefit by having the oil hot.

As soon as I have drained the oil, I open all "cocks" on the engine and
remove the water hoses to drain all water from the block

Do you not fill the block with antifreeze afterwards? Even in a warmer
climate the anticorrosive properties would be advantageous.

I like your idea of running the engine after adding the fuel stabilizer
to get it circulating throughout the fuel system. Gotta remember that
one.

Kingfish,
I did not add antifreeze, nor do most people in my climate, but it would be
recommended for the rust prevention.


wrote in message
oups.com...
As soon as I have drained the oil, I open all "cocks" on the engine and
remove the water hoses to drain all water from the block

Do you not fill the block with antifreeze afterwards? Even in a warmer
climate the anticorrosive properties would be advantageous.

I like your idea of running the engine after adding the fuel stabilizer
to get it circulating throughout the fuel system. Gotta remember that
one.