Oil Filter Change Interval

[Wulf]

I replace my filters at each oil change. Oil and filters are cheap. The mess can be dealt with if not avoided; just takes a bit of planning. I also cut open the filters, remove a representative sample of the media (say 10-12 pleats worth), squeeze the residual oil out in a vise and then inspect the media for particulate. Is it magnetic or not? Color? Does it look like dirt or is it soft like seal/gasket meterial etc? Does it look the same as the last time? Better? Worse? This all just takes a few minutes after you've done your first couple. Just use a proper filter cutter so that you don't slice yourself when opening up the cannister (spin-on) or metal wrap (cartridge style). This may all seem like it's overkill but to me it's just one part of basic condition monitoring. I don't worry about "dry starts", there will be plenty of residual oil on bearngs, gears, in galleries etc.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Because I read forums I now change theoil in my Yanmar every hour. On the hour and sometimes twice an hour if its hot. The sun, I mean, if the sun is hot. I never let the engine get hot.


Why dont you do what the BOOK says? Do you think the Yanmar guy who wrote it was a complete imbicile as to chuck in a few jokes so you would wreck your engine?




Mark

I don't know if the manual writer was joking, but my copy of the 4JH manual (4JH3-TE/TCE-HTE-DTE) says
oil and filter every 250 hours (or 1 year).
So there's at least some room to interpret.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Because I read forums I now change theoil in my Yanmar every hour. On the hour and sometimes twice an hour if its hot. The sun, I mean, if the sun is hot. I never let the engine get hot.


Why dont you do what the BOOK says? Do you think the Yanmar guy who wrote it was a complete imbicile as to chuck in a few jokes so you would wreck your engine?




Mark

[barnakiel]

Every second oil change by the book.

I think changing it at every oil change will not kill your engine either.

b.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

One nice thing about a remote oil filter is you can mount it vertically. This not only keeps mess to a min. when removing, but also allows you to pre-fill the filter, pretty much eliminating the dry start when you change oil and filter.

I think you need the remote mount filter, but always change filters.
Go to this site and look up filters, they are not all the same. A few years ago, OK a lot of years ago I read a report by Consumer Reports on oil filters, I was shocked at how much difference there is.
Used Oil Analysis - Bob is the Oil Guy - Bob is the Oil Guy

That sounds very logical. You can't pre-fill the standard oil filter, because it goes in horizontal So this is good advice which I will try to implement.

And thanks for the filter review link

[sy_gilana]

Dockhead

I also hate "dry starts" after changing filters. I hold back the stop lever on my gen and my engine and crank them in spurts, until the oil pressure gauge shows some pressure, then I let her start.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Paul L

I don't know if the manual writer was joking, but my copy of the 4JH manual (4JH3-TE/TCE-HTE-DTE) says
oil and filter every 250 hours (or 1 year).
So there's at least some room to interpret.

Mine too.

I think MarkJ was making a little joke at my expense, since I was strongly exhorting people, in another thread, to use the oil which the mfg recommends. He thinks I am being inconsistent and perhaps hypocritical by changing my oil more often than the manual says to do it.

Well, there's a big difference between these two cases. With the grade of oil, higher is not necessarily better -- as I have been trying to demonstrate. A "higher" grade has different and or more additives in it, and more additives than what is needed doesn't benefit you. And may harm the engine. At the very least, it's more "stuff" inside your oil which is not needed for its intended purpose, but which is not lubricating anything.

Other than possibly increasing the number of dry starts, more frequent oil changes can't hurt anything. On the contrary, they are extremely beneficial, as you get soot out every time you change the oil, and renew the acid-fighting, corrosion-fighting, and lubricating properties of the oil, without changing the composition of the oil to something the mfg didn't design the engine for.

Our engines run under less load and with more start and stopping, and fewer hours a year, than what the mfg was designing for. So I think it's reasonable to conclude that more frequent oil changes, than once in 250 hours, is actually required, and not just optional.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

..........
Other than possibly increasing the number of dry starts, more frequent oil changes can't hurt anything. On the contrary, they are extremely beneficial, as you get soot out every time you change the oil, and renew the acid-fighting, corrosion-fighting, and lubricating properties of the oil, without changing the composition of the oil to something the mfg didn't design the engine for...........

This really the crux of the matter and spinning over the engine with no load until the oil pressure is up would eliminate the only downside - dry starts!

I know you stated in the OP that you can't do this with blowing the breakers but this seems very unusual to me. Have you investigated why this is so?

Doesn't your engine have decompression levers that can be operated by hand?

Surely there must be some way of spinning up your engine to get oil pressure without it starting.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

...............

I am wondering whether it makes sense to not change the filter every time I change the oil? This reduces the frequency of dry starts, achieves 90% of the purpose of the early oil change, and simplifies and cheapens the intermediate oil changes. And I am in any case not violating the mfg recommendations about the frequency of filter change.

What do y'all think about this idea?

I think either way is fine engine wise (6 of one & half a dozen of the other) but one way saves the price of an expensive Yanmar filter. Of course using an after-market brand filter would negate the price issue but I don't think you would be happy using the after-market filter.

While an issue for another thread, Yanmar probably doesn't make their own filters, just has them made by some big filter manufacturer...

FWIW, I stick to using Yamar filters also - "cause that just the way I am

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

........

Our engines run under less load and with more start and stopping, and fewer hours a year, than what the mfg was designing for......

More thread drift
Why do you hold this view?

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Maine Sail

Step #1 Know the thread & pitch of your factory filter

Step #2 Know the gasket OD & ID of your factory filters o-ring

Step #3 Go on-line and find a remote oil filter take off adapter that meets your requirements. There are many manufactures of them and for Yanmar's many that fit Honda and Toyota's also fit Yanmar.. You can get them in Billet or Cast...
Image courtesy JEGS


Step #4 Get some oil rated hose, usually ATF hose from a transmission shop works best but hydraulic hose can work too. Mine is made by Gates.

Step #5 Choose a remote filter bracket and remote filter. Be sure it meets or exceeds your factory filters capabilities (this is not difficult with the small Japanese filters). I am using a "Ford" filter that is extremely common and crosses to just about every filter brand out there.



My remote bracket uses any of these...
Fram PH8A
FRAM Tough Guard TG8A
WIX 51515
NAPA GOLD (WIX) 1515
Baldwin B2
Ford FL-1A
Mitsubishi MO5281090

etc. etc. etc.. The google time and research will take you longer than the install....

Oh and I pre-fill my filter before screwing it on....

Done....

Mainesail -- this is extremely helpful and well-timed, so thanks. I've been watching the cost for oem filters for my (discontinued) Westerbeke 82B rise every year it seems, to the point where I'm paying over $35/each from a so-called marine discount vendor. My filter is also situated at about the worst place imaginable, making every change a difficult, messy, and sometimes even bloody affair. So I've long been yearning for a remote filter set-up, and Westerbeke actually sells one for the 82B. Only trouble is that it is over $800 and also increasing every year! It looks no different than what you describe, and I can only surmise that, at that price, Westerbeke must be trying to deter people from actually buying them!

Unfortunately, I have thus far struck out trying to cross-reference the filter or the remote filter part with Napa, Wix, or Fram, but will continue trying. I recently did come up with a Mazda oem part number for the filter, but it must be an industrial engine not sold in the US. I will continue to google this, but if I strike out I will attempt to follow the instructions you laid out.

Thanks again for the guidance & pics.

Dan

[Arthur Garfield]

Yes ! The filter pre-fill is something all should be doing.Well,except if is horizontal block mount.


All the Best

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I think MarkJ was making a little joke at my expense, .

I am not making a joke at your expense!

I am just saying the book is best practice. Best.

The ridicule I am posting is that if you look at every oil change thread, and theres lots of them, tell people to change oil more frequently than the book suggests.

So those that do are operating against best practice.


Mark

[markpierce]

I change the engine oil and filter once a year, including the fuel filters. Average engine hours are 125 but wouldn't change schedule even if hours were three times that. Consider the (JD4045) engine pampered and expect it to outlast me.

[GeoPowers]

Not sure about the whole "dry starts" issue. How long do you wait to start the motor after filling with oil? Are you waiting until the next time you get underway? For me, it is about 2 minutes from end of oil fill to engine start, so that I can check for leaks and check oil level after warm-up. With the fill oil (for me 5.5 quarts IIRC) being dumped in from the top of the engine right before starting the motor, I personally have no concerns with "dry starts".

If it was really important it seems like it would be mentioned in the operating or service manuals...

Frank


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