Oil Change Pump -- Metering?

[Dockhead]

The sea gods were against me yesterday when I changed main engine oil. I seem to have a crack in the bottom of my oil extractor and got dirty oil all over my passage cabin sole. When I took the extractor tube apart, somehow there was oil still in it despite my having sucked air through it, and it spewed all over the engine room. Then to top it all off, my oil fill can spout split just as I was putting in the last liter, and dumped half a liter of fresh oil all over the engine. BLEH!!! What a ******* mess!!

There's got to be a better way. My Dad had a built-in reversible oil change pump on his boat -- it was plumbed into the oil pan. 5 minute oil changes without the slightest mess or trouble.

I'm not sure I could go that far with my Yanmar 4JH -- not sure whether there's a good place in the oil pan to insert that, but surely at least there is some kind of reversible oil change pump which I could put down the dipstick hole to get a similar effect?

If it also METERED the oil coming in or out, that would greatly simplify the process.

Any tips???

[Scott Berg]

There should be a plug in the oil pan already to install the fitting; then just pump out the oil, add the new oil to a bucket, and pump it in. Reverso makes the most common models

[a64pilot]

Just know that is another failure point that could cause loss of all engine oil.
I'd want braided steel lines if I did that, not clamps on a rubber hose.
I installed an oil filter remote adapter so I could run a bigger filter and mount it vertically so I could pre-fill the filter and remove it without making a mess, and no issue of oil draining out of the filter when I didn't run the engine for a couple of weeks.
Darn O ring blew out on me, and like a dummy I figured that was a one in a million failure so I replaced it, cleaned up and set off again only to have it let go again.

I still don't have the bilge completely clean from that fiasco, since then I am leery of introducing a failure point in my oil system, especially if I had a plain bearing turbo, they are toast in just a few seconds of no oil pressure.

[Jd1]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

BLEH!!! What a ******* mess!!

I feel for you! I usually loose only a little oil from unscrewing the filter (bypasses the catch basin I place underneath) and it drives me nuts. I can imagine having a big f*%^#*ing mess like what you experienced! That is a nightmare scenario!
For fill metering, I keep a pre-measured jug of oil in the boat and refill it at home from a 20 litre drum. It has a clear strip where you can see the amount that is in the jug.

[CarstenWL]

from a64pilot:

oil filter remote adapter

GREAT tip! (in fact had not heard of this b4) - on my list for my Nanni with 90deg mounted filter NOW!

Thanks

Carsten

[barnakiel]

Plain big plastic pumps have the tank with a measure outside. You pump it you look you know how much you got.

b.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by CarstenWL

from a64pilot:



GREAT tip! (in fact had not heard of this b4) - on my list for my Nanni with 90deg mounted filter NOW!

Thanks

Carsten

Just be sure to get a good one, and use hydraulic hose with proper fittings and not heater hose with band clamps.
I gave up, good idea, I have done it with cars, but that O-ring blowing made me think that maybe it's not such a good idea after all.

[a64pilot]

Here is an example, I need to do this to my new to me Mazdaspeed cause it's filter is a nightmare to get to, put it on the firewall would be so much easier, there are universal kits of course.
https://www.flyinmiata.com/fm-na-nb-...ation-kit.html

[captmikem]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

J
Darn O ring blew out on me, and like a dummy I figured that was a one in a million failure so I replaced it, cleaned up and set off again only to have it let go again.

Not to insult your intelligence, but double check the in and out lines on the remote filter housing, I put a remote filter on my plane and had an o-ring leak, I double checked it and I had reversed the in/out lines. an oil filter should have little pressure in it.

Michael

[a64pilot]

Second time it blew, I think I donated it to Poseidon, it was the O-ring on the adapter itself, it didn't get harmed, it just was pushed out to the side, of course spraying oil all over the place.
I gave up and just use a 1 gl zip loc bag to catch oil when I do oil changes and just live with it.

[Cliff Meima]

I have been using the mityvac for 3 years, nothing to break, sucks the oil out, no motor , nothing to break, sturdy tank. Recommended.
Save on MityVac 7400 at ToolTopia.com

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Cliff Meima

I have been using the mityvac for 3 years, nothing to break, sucks the oil out, no motor , nothing to break, sturdy tank. Recommended.
Save on MityVac 7400 at ToolTopia.com

That is the one I have and use, works great. Satys in a storage closet at the Marina
But, there is always a but, right? But we will leave soon full time, and that thing is HUGE, I also have the little shurflo drill powered pump, but it takes forever.
A dedicated, installed oil change pump is starting to look better as it will take up no storage room

[wrwakefield]

I sympathize, DH.

I have had many a manual vacuum can malfunction in times past...

First, if you haven't used it before, Oil Eater is great for cleanup after such mishaps. [May you never need it again...]

Our current boat is the first I have had with a reversible oil change pump [oil and diesel fuel rated, but not gasoline...] It is plumbed to a home-made 3 valve manifold. The main engine and generator are both permanently plumbed to a valve on that manifold using heavy walled A1 Fuel hose.

As good as that fuel hose is, I plan to install a valve on the oil pan that the hose is connected to as a failsafe on both permanently plumbed engines. I believe that with the right practiced boat yoga moves I can reach that future valve on the main engine; the generator is readily accessible.

I'm talking about oil change valves like I have on my truck. Here is another manufacturer.

The 3rd valve on the oil change manifold has a long enough length of the same hose to reach the bilge and elsewhere. There are also a couple of long, straight copper tubes that fit into that 3rd hose and the dip-stick tubes of both engines, etc..

This is the most useful hose, and can be used on other small engines for oil changes, clean-up, suck water off the bottom of fuel tanks, etc.

To facilitate an oil/fuel spill emergency while in the engine room, there is an override switch for the primary bilge pump to prevent it from pumping oil/fuel overboard if something went wrong while working in the engine room... This allows me to quickly disable the primary bilge pump from within the engine room and use the 3rd hose to vacuum the bulk of the oil/fuel out of the bilge and elsewhere.

There is a shorter hose and valve on the other side of the oil change pump used for two purposes: directing the used oil into your container of choice, and for pumping new oil into the engine from your container of choice.

This system has no metering other than me reading the oil level through the clear vertical strip on the side of the 1 gallon plastic oil jugs I use.

The functionality covers every scenario [so far...] and since the manifold is home-made, it was very cost effective.

In case this fosters food for thought.

Best wishes with your project.

Cheers! Bill

[Dockhead]

OK, so this is what I am now thinking.

The "Reverso" system costs about $1000 in the UK. And doesn't really consist of anything other than a reversible oil transfer pump (such as you can get from Jabsco or Johnson for 100 quid ($130) or so. And some fittings. Incidentally, I think this is what my Dad had on his boat.

So maybe I will just buy a Johnson pump, an oil change valve (I found the place where it can be installed in my Yanmar oil pan), and some hose. I'll leave a length of hose free for discharge/supply, with some way to hold it out of the way, and some way to cap it so it doesn't drip.

Surely someone here has done something similar?

[a64pilot]

A lot of larger trucks have Diesel transfer pumps, that would work also, being a transfer pump, it is reversible.
May even have used one or two on aircraft to pump Jet-A


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