HOW TO CHANGE THE OIL IN AN INBOARD MARINE ENGINE
Things you’ll need from your garage, Inboard Online or your local store:
1 Ratchet and open end wrenches
2 Wheel chocks
3 Oil filter wrench
4 Oil catch/recycle container
5 Funnel
6 Zip-lock bag (gallon size)
7 New oil filter
8 New oil
9 Clean rag
STEP 1
Gather the items listed above to change your oil. If you plan to change your own oil regularly, you may want to consider investing in a socket and wrench set and an oil extraction pump.
STEP 2
Park your boat on a level surface. Apply the parking brake on the tow vehicle or chock the trailer wheels. Make sure that you have a water supply connected so your engine will be cooled properly when you start it to warm up the oil. Run your boat’s engine for approximately 10 minutes before you drain the oil. Warm oil drains faster than cold oil and running the engine helps suspend all of the impurities in the oil so they all drain out.
STEP 3
Most Inboard engines have an easy drain oil hose connected to the bottom of the oil pan or some other means of pumping the oil out of the pan. Check your engine owner's manual to find out what kind of oil removal system your engine has. The engine we are using has an easy oil drain hose. Disconnect the hose from the retainer clip and run it through the drain plug hole in the bottom of the boat so you can access it outside the boat. Place the oil drain pan under the hose and loosen the plug with a wrench while holding the hose with another wrench. Make sure that the drain pan is large enough to hold the quantity of oil your engine holds. Let the oil drain till it stops dripping. It will take while so be patient. Removing the oil filler cap from the engine may help speed the process.
STEP 4
Once the oil has drained, put the oil plug back in the drain hose and tighten by hand. This will ensure that the plug is not cross‐threaded. Once the plug is hand-tight, finish tightening with your wrenches. Pull the drain hose back into the boat and secure it with the retainer clip.
STEP 5
Locate the oil filter on the engine. You'll probably need an oil filter wrench to loosen the old oil filter. We like the type of filter wrench that fits over the flats on the bottom of the filter. This type wrench ensures a straight pull on the filter so it comes off easier. Loosen the filter with the wrench till it is just loose enough to turn by hand. Take the wrench off the filter and put the zip lock bag over the filter. Carefully keep loosening the filter till it falls into the bag. Zip the bag closed and take the filter out of the boat and you won't make any mess! Once the filter is removed, use a rag to clean the mounting surface in preparation for the new filter. Make sure that the sealing o-ring from the old filter is not stuck to the mounting surface. If your engine does not have a remote mounted oil filter like ours has, consult your dealer and see if there is a remote oil filter kit to fit your engine. It helps make the job easier.
STEP 6
Fill the new oil filter approximately 2/3 full with clean oil and liberally coat the rubber seal of the new filter with fresh oil. Screw the new filter into place by hand till it makes contact with the mounting surface then turn the filter an additional one half to three quarters of a turn by hand. It's not necessary to tighten the oil filter with the wrench.
STEP 7
Place the funnel in the oil fill opening on the top of the engine and pour in the rest of the oil leftover from filling the filter plus all but one quart of the oil that you purchased for the refill. Reinstall the filler cap. Apply cooling water to the engine and start it and let it run for a minute or so. While it is running, check for leaks at the filter and fix if needed. Shut the engine off and wait a few minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil pan. Pull the dipstick, wipe it and reinstall it. Pull it back out and check the oil level. Add oil through the oil fill till the level reaches the full mark on the dipstick being careful not to overfill.
STEP 8
Dispose the used oil properly by taking it to a recycling center. Don't pour it down the sewer!
Important Tips:
Read your owner's manual to find out the weight of oil, approximate quantity and type of oil filter your engine needs.
Record the date and hours after you change the oil so you will know when your engine is due for another oil change. It is a good idea to log this information in your owner's manual ... and save the receipts for the oil and filter. It is the only proof you have that you have changed the oil regularly which may be beneficial when you are ready to trade your boat for a new one. The manufacturer of the engine in our boat recommends changing the oil every 50 hours or once a year whichever comes first.
Handle hot motor oil with extreme caution.
Only dispose of used motor oil and filters at authorized locations. Many times the store where you bought the oil and filter will accept the used oil and filter for recycling.
Check your oil level regularly. We recommend checking it before each days use and more often if your boat is heavily loaded for wake boarding or surfing.
That's it. We have completed this simple but very important task that is critical to the life of your engine. Now let's go and have some fun!!!