Oil change on my Cat 3126's 450 DA

DjDaoust

Member
Nov 4, 2015
213
La Crosse, WI
Boat Info
1998 450 Sundancer - 3 Boys & A Blonde
Engines
Cat 3126's
I was just quoted $1,400 from the local Caterpillar dealer for oil changes on the 2 motors and genset. Seems awful steep to me. What's it going to cost for me to do it myself? Oil, filters, etc.
 
14 gallon of oil = $182
2 Cat oil filters = $36
1 Westerbeke oil filter = $12 or (Wix Equivalent $6)
5 Racors = $35
2 Cat fuel filters= $40

Total ………..$305.
 
I just had mine done. Everything you mention plus fuel filters and al three impellers. Just shy of $1,600. I know it is not hard. It's a comfort issue for me.
 
Thanks for everybody's input. I've changed oil many times in automobiles, but never a boat. Anything I should know to tackle it myself? I do have the auto oil pump.
 
My CAT guy says use the oil pump to pump out but never back in. I've changed the oil on all my boats up to this one...but for some reason diesel is making me gun-shy.
 
No difference between gas or diesel. Old out, new in. with oil change pump its a piece of cake. Get 2 5gals pails for old oil in first engine. I am not sure why people shy away from putting new oil in with pump, but they do. I have always pumped new back in. We hold about 48 qts per engine, so it would take forever to pour new in.
 
Here is a trick for those of you who are shy about pumping oil back in: Pump the old oil out, wait 15 minutes, pour 1 quart of new oil in the engine, wait 5 minutes, then pump all the contents out into your catch bucket. Now, pump the new oil in with the Reverso.

The biggest risk on changing oil in diesel engines is the carbon/soot in the oil makes a huge mess if you spill any. Put your thinking cap on and be careful. My engines leak nothing, but I keep diapers on hand for oil changes.
 
I went out and bought 6 gallon gas cans years ago that are strictly for my oil changes on the boat. Run your engines and get the oil warm or you will pop the circuit breaker on the oil pump. I also try to heat up the new oil for same reason. 5 gallon buckets are a whole lot easier then the 1 gallon jugs. I spread old sheets down there during this process. I have a plastic kitchen style garbage can down with 2 liners, I have plastic bags that I put over the filter before it is all the way unscrewed, pull your Racor filters up and let them sit there on the top of the unit dripping back into itself, then I have small pail that I use to transfer them in as they will still have a drip or two... there are lots of little things that will help you as go through the process. Two different oil filter wrenches for sure.
 
I just did both of my 3116's and my westerbeke on Sunday. I ran them under load for around 20 minutes and then came back to the slip. I hooked a hose up to the oil change pump and put the hose in a 5 gallon bucket. A few minutes later the bucket was full and the engine was empty. I changed the filters and filled the engine with 5 gallons of oil via the fill spout.

Total time for both engines and the genny was less than 30 minutes. No mess other than the clean oil I managed to spill when I stopped paying attention to the funnel.

Here are my costs. Everything was purchased via Amazon and came to my door two days later -

2 oil filters for 3116's - $14.76
1 oil filter for genny - $4.49
12 gallons of Shell Rotella SAE 30 - $165.24 ($13.77 per gallon. individually packaged gallons)
2 Blackstone Labs tests $56.00

Total cost - $240.49
 
Just changed all the engine mounted fuel filters & oil filters in our 3126's including both sets of Racors along with the generator in under 3 hours.

The best trick I was taught was to use a trash bag wrapped under and around each oil filter and fuel filters. Take a screw driver or prick punch and pop a hole in the side of the ofilter to let it drain down about and inch & a half into the trash bag. Remove filter with trash bag and set down inside 5 gallon bucket and repeat on the other filters. It should be noted that I have 500 watt Wolverine belly mounted oil pan heaters on the Kitty Kats so I don't need to warm the engines up as the oil has drain down into the pan and ready to pump out.

Pull your new filters out of the boxes, fold all the ends back into the boxes and then put your filters oil & fuel back in the boxes with the openings facing up. Fill oil filters and fuel filters back up to the top of the filters and reinstall them where they belong.

Fill your our oil crank cases back to correct level on the dip stick being careful not to overfil them. Just cause the book says it will take _ number of gallons/quarts of oil doesn't mean you should put that much in, follow the dip stick markings!

The use of 5 gallon buckets for the waste oil is a whole lot easier than trying to pump into gallon containers and you run the risk of a dam big mess.

The procedure above might use a few trash bags but sure does make it a clean easy process and once you try it youll be glad you did. Trash bags or cheap and my time is better spent cleaning something else up than oil or diesel fuel.

Good luck and keep the bildge oil free!
 
I just did both of my 3116's and my westerbeke on Sunday. I ran them under load for around 20 minutes and then came back to the slip. I hooked a hose up to the oil change pump and put the hose in a 5 gallon bucket. A few minutes later the bucket was full and the engine was empty. I changed the filters and filled the engine with 5 gallons of oil via the fill spout.

Total time for both engines and the genny was less than 30 minutes. No mess other than the clean oil I managed to spill when I stopped paying attention to the funnel.

Here are my costs. Everything was purchased via Amazon and came to my door two days later -

2 oil filters for 3116's - $14.76
1 oil filter for genny - $4.49
12 gallons of Shell Rotella SAE 30 - $165.24 ($13.77 per gallon. individually packaged gallons)
2 Blackstone Labs tests $56.00

Total cost - $240.49

I only used Cat Special application oil 30 in my 3116 s. You may want to look into that.

Best,
Dave
 
I only used Cat Special application oil 30 in my 3116 s. You may want to look into that.

Best,
Dave


Ive been running the SAE T 30 oil in my engines for some time. I believe Frank even had a thread that supported the rotella.
 
Rotella T SAE-30 for me as well.
 
I was told by a CAT tech NOT to fill the oil filters when reinstalling.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If you fill the filters you are putting unfiltered oil thru the engine and void any warranty that would be there.
 
K9Medic-how did you order the Rotella on Amazon? 5 gallon buckets? Was it prime eligible?
 

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