Preview: Marine Diesel Engines, Part 8 – Changing the Oil

13 Responses So Far to “Marine Diesel Engines, Part 8 – Changing the Oil”

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  Craig Canine says:

  LOVE this series, but have questions about this one. Mainly: Would Mr. Bardo really recommend changing the oil filter AFTER putting new oil into the engine? I’ve always thought one should do this after removing the old oil and before putting in the new. If you pulled the filter when the engine is full of oil, wouldn’t a bunch of oil leak out (beyond what is in the filter)?

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    Jon Bardo says:

    Craig,
    The oil in the sump is at a lower level than it is in the filter. With modern engines,as well as some older engines the proper events when changing oil should be as follows.
    Remove the oil filter utilizing an oil soaker pad or a plastic bag under the filter to catch any spillage, if you have a cartridge type filter, loosen the cover only(this will allow any oil trapped in the housing to drain into the sump while you are draining or pumping out the sump.
    Pump out or drain the sump, remove the cartridge element, clean the cover, change the o-rings and install the new element or smear some oil on the gasket and spin on the new element,when the gasket touches the adaptor tighten 3/4 of a turn. Fill the engine sump with the correct oil, using a clean funnel,to the full mark on the stick, run the engine, check the oil pressure and check the filter for any leaks. Shut the engine down, wait 20 minutes, check the oil level and and top up as needed. Due not overfill! Happy Motoring. JCB

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    Jon Bardo says:

    Craig,
    The filter style on the Yanmar depicted in the video can be changed at any time during the oil change event. The filter is located after the oil pump, very little oil, if any would drain back into the sump. However, since the video I have found automotive engines with cartridge filters that do drain back to the sump. At some point this style of oil filters may find its way into the marine field if not already! No fresh oil will find its way to an oil filter(new or old) until the engine has been run. I hope that your question has been answered properly, if not , I will try again!! JCB

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  Ben Zehnder says:

  Thanks Jon for a great series. We just bought our first diesel powered boat with a Yanmar 4LH engine. I can’t wait for the snow to clear so that I can begin putting a tool and spares kit together. Ben Zehnder.

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  Patrick Kuntz says:

  Thanks. Love this site and all the videos. This video seems more geared toward viewers who already know how to do all this stuff as opposed to those who want to learn. For me, it would be more instructive to see him actually connect the pump, actually change the filter, etc, instead of just talk about it.

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    Jon Bardo says:

    Patrick, thankYou for your comment, I will ask Steve Stone if he will be able to shoot an oil change do-over in the future. JCB

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    Captain Nemo says:

    As someone who hasn’t done a lot of work with engines, I’m in the same boat (as it were) with Patrick. I’m learning a whole lot about diesels and their upkeep, but it WOULD be helpful to see an explanation or diagram (or even better – an animation) of what takes place within a certain system as its being discussed. For me, keeping all the different parts in a particular system straight as I look at the engine is a little intimidating. It would be neat if, for instance, the entire fuel system could be painted a different color than the rest of the engine so one could see just where each of the various components fit. I haven’t finished watching the entire series yet so maybe it’s there, but I think a video titled — “Your diesel engine stopped running – now what?” with some basic field diagnostics tips would be very helpful. And a series on gasoline engines would be great as well.

    Keep up the great work
    Greg

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  John Hornung says:

  Use hose clamps to secure the hose to the dipstick tube and all other joints in your system, newspaper under the work area and wear old clothes. With some luck all should be well!

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  Gary Johnson says:

  It’s nice to see these tutorials on the diesel engine, but my major difficulty is in locating simple maintenance replacement parts, such as the raw water impeller and anode, for my Yanmar 1GM10. Mack Borings site does not seem to offer individual parts.

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    Jon Bardo says:

    Gary, Call on one of the many independent Yanmar Dealers and you should be in good shape.Many Yacht yards handle Yanmars. JCB

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  Andy Reynolds says:

  Another very helpful video for the neophyte. I wish we could have seen the act of attaching the pump, and pumping out the oil, and a bit of info on the pumps. To me, that’s the part that seems challenging and different from oil changes for a car or truck.
  Thanks!

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    Jon Bardo says:

    Andy, See the various oil pumps in the Hamilton Marine catalog. The suction tube is either fitted over the dip stick tube or is inserted into the tube and pushed all the way to the bottom of the tube, which on a properly built marine engine is fitted to the bottom of the oil pan. Then turn on the pump(12volt electric pump or old fashioned hand pump) have a Coke and watch the oil being pumped out. You could come to The WoodenBoat School where you can observe and do this procedure yourself!! ThankYou for your comments. JCB

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      Jon Bardo says:

      Please note that the funnel used to add oil to the engine was CLEAN on the inside!! JCB