Oil Drain Plug

B

B.matt

Member
Jul 15, 2009
125
NJ
Boat Info
2000 260 da
Engines
7.4l mpi
I have a 89 270 AJ with twin 5.7l. Any ideas how to reach the oil drain plugs? Also does anyone know the size of the transom plug? (previous owner decided to keep it )

Thanks
 
It just seems like it would be better to drain it and get all the gunk out of the bottom.
 
B.matt said:
It just seems like it would be better to drain it and get all the gunk out of the bottom.
Click to expand...


Have fun with that then. :grin:

There is a reason why most dipstick tubes have threaded attachments at the top. It is for sucking out your oil. With the way motors are mounted in boats, it is all but impossible to reach the oil drain plug on your pan, and on top of that, to get a drain pan under it. Boats are meant to suck the oil through the dipstick tube. The only other real alternative is a factory installation of a drain tube that is already attached to your drain plug. You pull that outside your transon plug and drain it into a pan.

Buy a $19.95 oil sucker and be done with it. If you attempt to pull the drain plug, your in for a real miserable experience, and a very large mess. If you are worried about crap in your pan, then you may already have other issues with your motor.

Just my .02......
 
What Redhook said...

I drained it through the bottom once several years ago on my first I/O because I didn't know better. It is a greasy nasty disaster unless you can get a drain pan underneath the engine AND get it out without spilling.
 
I pump mine out through the dipstick, then stuff a throw away aluminum baking pan under (they bend) the engine and pull the oil drain plug to get the last little bit out, usually about a cup or so. Then I pump the oil out of the baking pan, wipe it out with blue paper towels (my wife doesn't like when I steel hers, she's already missing some baking pans), and then I remove the pan from under the engine. I don't get too much of a mess.
 
Does the cup or so of oil from the oil drain plug look worse than the oil sucked out the dipstick?

Curious if it worth getting out that last 5% of oil (assuming 5qts of oil) from the bottom of pan.
 
This is my first year with the boat so I thought draining through the plugs would be a good idea, Just to see if there is anything in there that could be a problem. Just reaching the plugs appears to be a major hassle.

Thanks for the replies
 
I had to pull my engine on my 190 to get the hose attached to the drain plug... I was leaking.... I use a had punp the creates a vacuum and pull the oil through the dip stick on my larger boat... As long as the oil is warm, it is easy to do...
 
tcason said:
Does the cup or so of oil from the oil drain plug look worse than the oil sucked out the dipstick?

Curious if it worth getting out that last 5% of oil (assuming 5qts of oil) from the bottom of pan.
Click to expand...
No, the pan is there anyway to catch what comes out with the filter, and I'm just anal:huh:
 
Get yourself a pump to suck the oil out of the dipstick tube.
Warm the engine up to operating temperature before you suck the oil out. You'd be surprised how much you get out this way. Not perfect, but the only way to go.
 
After doing it both ways ............ IMO if you can get to the drain plug to drain it that way once ..... go ahead and put on the remote drain line to make it even easier the next time.
 
I'm right there with you - get the oil out from the lowest point where it is originally designed to come from.

I easily change the oil in our 270 DA from the drain plugs using a narrow rectangular pan.

If acces is a problem they do have drain plugs available with hoses attached for "pumping" from the drain plug. We used them on our race boat and our 22 pachanga. The ends of hoses were capped and fixed near the top of the motors when not in use. On the 22 pachanga I could push the hose out the transom drain to empty into a bucket when on the trailer.
 
Look at the inside of a Mercruiser oil pan sometime. Their engineers are not all stupid......they run the dipstick tube to the bottom of the pan so if you draw the old oil out of the dipstick (its a 3/4" hose fitting for a reason) you will get about as much oil out as you do by removing the drain plug.

The garboard drain takes a bronze plug with regular 1/2" NPT threads.
 
Too funny - I don't know about the rest of you but I have seen many mercruiser oil pans. Good and bad, even had them fail with broken baffles that were chewed up in the engine. We built our own engines and raced them for over 3 years, National and World Championships, with NO problems. Is oil changing from the drain plug and taking advantage of gravity a contributor - who knows. Just posting my thoughts to help others make their own oil changing choices.

I am an engineer by the way and NOT a stupid one either - THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!
 
The oil tube is another reason you don't stick a car engine in a boat without modifactions. Boat dip sticks are made to be used as oil extraction devises. Suck the oil out and be done with it. If you do regular maintanence then no need to worry about sludge build up. Thats what the filters for. Use good oil and a great filter and the engine will last many seasons.

If you try the next size bigger plug (3/4 NPT) and it's to big then the drain threads in the garboard may be bad. Unless your confortable with playing with holes in the transom have a technician replace it.
 
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