DIY Oil Change on our Boat
Changing oil on your boat is easier than you think. When Scott & I bought our 2000 Bayliner Ciera 3055, Kokomo in May we had both a survey (that checks the structure of the boat and functionality) and a mechanical inspection (just for the engines). Since our boat had not been used in two years, the oil was old and needed to be changed.
Upon moving into Elliott Bay Marina, we found out that Monkey Fist YachtCare will come out and service your boat while you are at work! They get the keys from the harbor master, do the service and invoice us. It wasn’t outrageously expensive, but it was around $500. Our mechanical inspector, Matt from Puget Sound Mobile Marine, told us to change the oil at the end of the summer to really clean everything out. Well, that would be another $500! Now this is getting a bit expensive.
Scott talked to many other boaters and we found out that most do the oil change themselves. All we needed was an oil extractor, oil and new filters. I bought a 6.5 Liter Oil Changer Vacuum Fluid Extractor Pump
What kind of oil do you use?
That is a loaded question, so be careful when you ask it! I recently did a blog post about going to Auto Zone to pick up the oil and got grease on me. (Then I did a plug for OxiClean Max Force Laundry Stain Remover
The overall opinion was that automotive and marine oils are basically the same, but to stick with what the manual says for peace of mind.
We bought the two filters at West Marine, which ran about $26 each. The boat already had a Hopkins FloTool Spill Saver Measu-Funnel
How easy was it to change your own oil?
It was actually pretty easy. The biggest challenge was how long it took to pump out the old oil and put in the new oil. The extractor works as a vacuum and since it’s manual, it goes slow. You also want to be VERY careful about the tube that goes from the pump to the engine, as it can fly out and oil goes everywhere. That happened twice to us. Before you begin to remove the oil, you want to run one engine for about 5-10 minutes to allow the oil to warm up and get viscous. Then be careful and allow the engine to cool a few minutes as it will be hot to the touch.
Our Bayliner Ciera 3055 has two twin Mercury Mercruiser 5.7L engines and each takes 4.5L of oil. When Scott removed the oil from the port side engine, only about 3.5L came out, which indicates we were burning some oil. It took about 40 minutes for the pump to remove all of the oil. Then it took another 15 minutes* to add the oil, as you have to add one quart at a time and the tubing is very skinny, not allowing for a lot of flow.
*(Note, after originally posting this blog, a few other boaters asked why it took so long to fill it. We did fill it thru the dip stick hole, as Scott didn’t see another cap. Looking at other photos and videos of similar engines, we can’t really find the cap on this engine in this photo. When we go back to change the filters this weekend, we’ll take a look.)
Again, run the other engine for about 5-10 minutes. When we removed the oil on the starboard engine, it pumped out 4L of oil. That is better than the other one, but that one is also burning some oil. With that said, we’ll be sure to have extra oil on hand. Considering the engines are seventeen years old, that’s actually pretty good. Scott was not able to swap out the oil filters because he did need Oil Filter Pliers
Cleaning up
Changing the oil on your boat is messy. Be sure to have plenty of Shop Towels
Wondering what to do with all that oil now? Take it to your local auto shop. As long as it is clean and free of water and sediment, they will recycle it for free.
Stay tuned for more info on keeping the boat dry and warm for the winter and other tips! Cheers, Scott and Ally