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Oil Change on MR-1 (How to perform a Complete Drain)

CrankyGypsy

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(referencing a 2005 AR230HO)

what you need to do two engines:
- 10w40 (amount depends on how much you want to take out. the max you will need is 9 qts)
- 2 oil filters (i use Mobile 1 M1-110)
- 2 crush washers (no longer available from Yamaha - "M8 Plug Washer" ID: 8mm - OD: 15mm)
- vac pump (ex: Pela Extractor) or modified shop vac* and hoses
- engine flush adapter with water hose
- oil filter wrench
- funnel
- gallon milk jug
- 12mm socket with extension and wrench
- torque wrench (set to 13 ft-lbs) a smaller, in-lbs will get into the tighter port side
- paper towels

* took my shop vac, pulled the hose off, cut about 3 ft of old garden hose at the male end, put it into the vac adapter and used duct tape to seal it:

oil1.jpg

i recommend doing the starboard motor first since it leaves you more room to practice for the tighter port engine. attach the flush adpater, start the motor, turn the water on, and let it run for 6-8 mins. turn off the water and then turn off the engine.

OIL COOLER: the garden hose does a great job getting the large cooler area (about 2.5 qts). to get another quart, you'll need a smaller hose. i placed a straight coat hanger inside the hose to make aiming it easier then taped a gear oil tip to it. insert the hose down into the cooler and use a flashlight to guide it through the quarter-sized opening. then butt the gear oil tip to the end of the garden hose to get oil out of the pump area. once "emptied," i personally start the engine again for 8-10 seconds (i think you could also do this by cycling the motor with the lanyard pulled). this cycles more oil to where the smaller hose can get to it for removing 3.5 qts out of the top.

oil2.jpg

with the smaller hose, i was able to get to the screen. i managed to pick up a large piece of crud here in March 2017. my best guess it is red Loctite:

IMG_20170325_123715.jpg

OIL FILTER: take the milk jug and cut the bottom off of it. make it so it is about .75" to 1" deep. place this under the filter. remove the filter and catch the oil in the jug bottom. on the port side, i wedged a towel under the case to stabilize the jug bottom. i used the small vac hose to pull any oil left in the filter area:

oil7.jpg

DRAIN: you can now go a step further to get the rest out of it by using the drain bolt. the bolt is #3 in the following diagram and it requires a 12mm socket. it is on the stern-side, at the bottom of the motor and has a brass crush washer. it is fairly obvious relative to the other possibilities and very easy to find with a mirror:

oil0.jpg

wedge the jug bottom underneath the drain bolt and place the vac hose so it can prevent overflow. now turn the bolt out with the socket and extension. it is torqued to only 13 ft-lbs, so it comes out very easily. note the plastic, black coupler shroud in the next pic - i realigned the powertrain early 2015 and never put them back on. i like the improved access:

oil3.jpg
oil4.jpg
oil5.jpg

IMPORTANT: make sure the old crush washer comes off. i've had it stick to the engine quite a few times and had to use my fingernail to get it to let go. other times it has been stuck to the drain bolt.

mirror showing the drain (updated with more recent pic. also note the shroud is gone):

oil6new.jpg

there's not going to be much left unless you opted not to cycle the pump for 8-10 secs. but have the vac ready to prevent overflow. you'll want to vac the jug bottom out before you try to get it out of the engine bay. throughout this whole method, i maybe spilled a couple drops. the drain is going to flow and then drip for a while. once you're satisfied, clean the drain hole with a paper towel and install the drain bolt with a new crush washer. you will be able to use a torque wrench on the starboard side, but not the port (unless using a smaller in-lbs model). again, it's only 13 ft-lbs (note: the manual also has this listed as 14 ft-lbs, depending on the page), so need to crank on it if you don't have a torque wrench that fits.

REFILL: with the new filter installed, it's time to replace what you took out. i use an old Mobil 1 5-gallon jug with the quart markers to gauge what i removed. when in doubt, put in less. the engine will be fine being a little under full, but risks damage if overfilled. if you include the drain bolt step, you can get nearly all of it out. capacity is 4.5 qts, so my strategy is to replace about 4 qts and run it a few mins to warm it back up then see where i stand. i try for about 85% to the full mark - then i'll top it off on the next outing with the boat leveled in the water.

OIL LEVEL: obviously, you want to get the level somewhere between the lower and upper marks on the dipstick. the consensus on the forum seems to be to aim closer for the lower mark on the dipstick if the engine is cold -OR- aim for the upper mark if the engine is warmed to operating temperatures.
 
Last edited:

CrankyGypsy

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oil brands: i doubt anyone makes a "bad" oil nowadays. i think it ends up coming down to personal taste. i used to use Castrol when i was younger. then i started using Mobil 1, switched to Royal Purple, and then started using Mobil 1 again a few years back. some will argue that Mobil 1 quality isn't what it used to be ...well, it has kept all of my engines very happy. change your oil regularly and they will all do an excellent job. i am using Mobil 1 High Mileage. why? just because ...plus it reconditions seals and is formulated for hotter weather.

synthetic, semi-synthetic, or conventional: developing a very slow oil leak on the bottom of an MR-1 engine is not uncommon and possibly originates from the pan gasket. one theory is that a previous owner may have used conventional oil, which wets and swells the gasket over time. the later use of synthetic by the new owner eventually dries out the gasket, possibly causing any swells to crack. i believe the theory to be false ...or at least it is false nowadays due to the eventual additives in synthetic oils to prevent this issue. you may be able to slow the dripping by switching back to conventional, but you can't stop the leak...

https://jetboaters.net/threads/slow-oil-leak-from-mr-1.7769/

filter brands: there are some i stay away from (FRAM). the main difference in the Yamaha, that no other appears to have, is that it utilizes a fleece element - this is no longer the case as they have changed manufacturers. i personally use Purolator, Mobil 1, or Bosch in my vehicles.

10w30 or 10w40: Yamaha discontinued distributing Yamahalube 10w30 for few years and advised to use 10w40 in it's place, so either one is fine.

drain plug: some will dispute the necessity of draining all of the oil. to that i say, good for you - your life must be much easier than my neurotic one! haha. i'm very anal about this sort of thing. these are R-1 motors - i used to own a sportbike shop and every single R-1 has a plug for a complete drain, so this feels right to me. i also happened to have a busted coolant line spray my starboard air filter, allowing salt water into the crankcase. some Sea Foam and a complete drain made me feel much better about this catastrophe. and i have no idea what the prior owner was running, so now i know i am 100% synthetic in both engines. peace of mind goes a long way. and just because the manual says to do it one way, doesn't make it law ...the manual is a guide, not a rule book. if it weren't for people doing things the manufacturer recommends not doing (or forum nannies lecturing us about), there wouldn't be nearly as much knowledge available. we all learn from mistakes and triumphs, so be daring ...and take pics then tell us about it.
 
Last edited:

woodard1983

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why does everyone seem to think that they need to go through the extra work to get "all" of the oil out? Yamaha designed these engines this way, they have thousands of hours on them in ski's and some boats are even starting to get that high w/no issues...I just don't get why people think they should take the extra time and effort to do this when the engineers designed the motors with only partial oil changes in mind??

btw, that is a great write up and how to for those that are looking to do this, great job!!!!
 

Bruce

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Great write up, thank you!
 

ar240owner

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Awesome !!! I will now be doing this !!!! I would love to get it all out , and now I can !!!!
 

Scottintexas

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woodard1983

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@woodard1983, read my second post and you'll understand why I choose to.

sorry, that wasn't really directed at you...was more of a general question for others...sort of looking for someone to give me a solid reason that I should change my thinking and start doing a full change if that makes sense?

w/your coolant line issue I more than understand and would have done the same!!!
 

MutherTucker

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i have an 04 ar230, i just bought the boat in june and haven't changed my own oil yet. wondering if this set up is the same on mine.
 

MutherTucker

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yep, I have MR1's. awesome. great post. i will attempt a version of this in the spring.
 

jcyamaharider

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Going to try that this spring!! Peace of mind goes a long way....they may not need it but it doesn't hurt either while you are doing it anyways.
 

itsdgm

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Great wright up @CrankyGypsy. I'm glad that I continue to learn something new every day on this site. I wonder if that drain plug could be the source of my mysterious oil drip? I'll have to tighten that down a bit next spring.
 

Volffas

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Great write up!

Is it better to change the oil in the spring or do it this time of year before winter storage?
 

Newmaniak

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(referencing a 2005 AR230HO)

what you need to do two engines:
- 10w40 (amount depends on how much you want to take out. the max you will need is 9 qts)
- 2 oil filters (i use Mobile 1 M1-110, but the Yamaha filter seems to be preferred)
- 2 crush washers (no longer available from Yamaha - "M8 Plug Washer" ID: 8mm - OD: 15mm)
- vac pump (ex: Pela Extractor) or modified shop vac* and hoses
- engine flush adapter with water hose
- oil filter wrench
- funnel
- gallon milk jug
- 12mm socket with extension and wrench
- torque wrench (set to 13 ft-lbs)
- paper towels

* took my shop vac, pulled the hose off, cut about 3 ft of old garden hose at the male end, put it into the vac adapter and used duct tape to seal it:
View attachment 13306

i recommend doing the starboard motor first since it leaves you more room to practice for the tighter port engine. attach the flush adpater, start the motor, turn the water on, and let it run for 6-8 mins. turn off the water and then turn off the engine.

the garden hose does a great job getting the large cooler area (about 2.5 qts). to get another quart, you'll need a smaller hose. i placed a straight coat hanger inside the hose to make aiming it easier then taped a gear oil tip to it. insert the hose down into the cooler and use a flashlight to guide it through the quarter-sized opening. then butt the gear oil tip to the end of the garden hose to get oil out of the pump area. once "emptied," i personally start the engine again for 8-10 seconds (i think you could also do this by cycling the motor with the lanyard pulled). this cycles more oil to where the smaller hose can get to it for removing 3.5 qts.
View attachment 13307

take the milk jug and cut the bottom off of it. make it so it is about .75" to 1" deep. place this under the filter. remove the filter and catch the oil in the jug bottom. on the port side, i wedged a towel under the case to stabilize the jug bottom. i used the small vac hose to pull any oil left in the filter area:
View attachment 13312

you can now go a step further to get the rest out of it by using the drain bolt. the bolt is #3 in the following diagram and it requires a 12mm socket. it has a brass crush washer. it is fairly obvious and very easy to find with a mirror:
View attachment 13305

wedge the jug bottom underneath the drain bolt and place the vac hose so it can prevent overflow. now turn the bolt out with the socket and extension. it is torqued to only 13 ft-lbs, so it comes out very easily. thanks to the Yamaha engineers for designing such an excellent body support with the sturdy airbox design that we can lean on:
View attachment 13308 View attachment 13309 View attachment 13310
mirror showing the last few drops:
View attachment 13311

there's not going to be much left unless you opted not to cycle the pump for 8-10 secs. but have the vac ready to prevent overflow. you'll want to vac the jug bottom out before you try to get it out of the engine bay. throughout this whole method, i maybe spilled a couple drops. the drain is going to drip for a while (you can speed this up by placing a paper towel over the fill hole and pressurizing the cooler and pump CPR-style with your mouth). once you're satisfied, clean the drain hole with a paper towel and install the drain bolt with a new crush washer. you will be able to use a torque wrench on the starboard side, but not the port. again, it's only 13 ft-lbs (note: the manual also has this listed as 14 ft-lbs, depending on the page) ...no need to crank on it. the white gel coat will make it easy to tell if you have a leak later.

with the new filter installed, it's time to replace what you took out. i use an old Mobil 1 5 gallon jug with the quart markers to gauge what i removed. when in doubt, put in less. the engine will be fine being a little under full, but risks damage if overfilled. if you include the drain bolt step, you can get nearly all of it out. capacity is 4.5 qts, so my strategy is to replace about 4 qts and run it a few mins to warm it back up then see where i stand. i try for about 85% to the full mark - then i'll top it off on the next outing with the boat leveled in the water.

Oil Level: obviously, you want to get the level somewhere between the lower and upper marks on the dipstick. the consensus on the forum seems to be to aim closer for the lower mark on the dipstick if the engine is cold -OR- aim for the upper mark if the engine is warmed to operating temperatures.
Where exactly is the oil drain plug is it in the front or
in the side
 

Bruce

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Where exactly is the oil drain plug is it in the front or
in the side
I believe it is low and on the back. I have never accessed it. Most of us simply change the oil we can get to by sucking it out.
 

Scottintexas

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and that's for an MR-1 engine, I'm not sure the 1.8l has that bolt, you should look at a schematic to confirm,
 

seadude

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I'd bet the 1.8l motors have a proper drain plug, adding a remote oil change kit would be a slick setup - should be a standard feature on inboard boats!
 

swatski

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I'd bet the 1.8l motors have a proper drain plug, adding a remote oil change kit would be a slick setup - should be a standard feature on inboard boats!
Here you go
 

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