Oil/filter Change question....Hot or Cold

[jetboater4life]

I changed my oil yesterday. It was my second time doing it in 3 seasons of ownership. While my oil/engines were warming up I used the YDS software to get my hours readout. While sucking oil out of one engine I began the warmup/readout on the other engine. I used the incontinence pad under the oil filter and also used a gallon zip lock bag to remove the filters. Everything went smoothly and I had very little oil to clean up afterwards.

The day before, I was discussing this procedure with a friend, and he said that the dealer's around here don't warm up the engine before sucking out the oil. The reason they don't do that is because the oil filter is self draining based on the angle of orientation with the engine. They prefer to avoid the big mess when taking off the filter, and don't mind the extra time it takes to pull the oil out. This seems like a better way to do it, even though I managed to avoid an oil mess this time. However one slip up, and it would have been a coating of oil in my bilge like last year.

Now to my question.
What are your thoughts on this oil filter coming off with cold oil vs warm? Does it really prevent the mess?

Next time I do this I will do a cold oil change on the first engine to see how it goes.

I also fogged my engine and at the same time had @MarkB use a funnel and gravity to feed a gallon of antifreeze through the system. The time it took to feed the gallon of antifreeze through seemed just about the right time it took to fog all four cylinders. I pinched off my water intake hoses to make sure all the antifreeze didn't run out the inlet strainer in the pump housing.

 

[Noko]

Here's a thought, Do a mix. Run the motors and let them sit about 30 min. Oil should still be warm and maybe the filter will have had a chance to drain. I did my own oil and though there was a little spillage, I caught most with a baby diaper. I think one other thought of running them would be to get all the sludge or crap that might be sitting in the bottom of the motor sucked out. And, the dealers aren't going to be as picky as most boat owners as to doing what is best.

 

[Matt Phillips]

I've always done my oil changes with warm oil as it's easier to suck out of the engines. The filters do make a bit of a mess, but the puppy piddle pads help catch most of it. Giving the engines 30 minutes to sit would be an interesting option to try...

 

[Big Shasta]

Pretty sure all filters have an anti-drainback valve that doesn't allow the oil to drain out of the filters. Imagine the start up wear if the system had to refill the filters on every startup

 

[txav8r]

I'm a warm oil guy. I run the engine at high idle until the oil filter is just a tad too warm to keep my hand around, and get it changed. I don't get one drop of oil in the boat when I change it. I use an adult incontinence pad as well, hospital grade, and lay that completely under the engine. I spill so little oil that I use the same one for the second engine. I do use a modified ziplock container to catch the oil that drains from the filter, and use the vacuum pump to suck the oil from it rather than pouring. I unscrew the filter and let it dump right into the container and drain there while I put the new filter on and start replacing the oil.

My comments on warm vs cold is really this...an engine that has been run has suspended anything I want to trap and given a chance to either drain it or for the filter to catch it. And it not only drains faster, but it also drains more...cold oil clings more than warm oil, as minimal as that may be.

 

[itsdgm]

I try to warm the engine up a bit. I'm pretty sure you get more oil out when the engine is warmed up.

 

[Julian]

Warm is much easier and faster.

 

[Paulie]

This may sound crazy, but I take mine out on the lake, run it for about 10 - 15 min and then drop anchor and do my oil change. So, I am all about the warm engine oil change for sure. Lol.

 

[BlacklimitedS]

How does the modified ziplock container work? Now that I also own a PWC I am thinking about doing all three. It is really expensive to winterize three engines.

 

[txav8r]

I just get one of those ziplock containers, not the biggest one but not just a cup of soup soup either. It is about 5" square and about 5" tall. It may fit under your filter and engine edge but some models will need to cut down a side so it fits. Since the main goal is to replace only what is drained. I want to be able to accurately measure what I remove. It isn't as critical on the 1.8L as it is the MR-1 motors, but it is still a good habit and stops a few possible issues.

 

[Big Shasta]

I just get one of those ziplock containers, not the biggest one but not just a cup of soup soup either. It is about 5" square and about 5" tall. It may fit under your filter and engine edge but some models will need to cut down a side so it fits. Since the main goal is to replace only what is drained. I want to be able to accurately measure what I remove. It isn't as critical on the 1.8L as it is the MR-1 motors, but it is still a good habit and stops a few possible issues.

Good idea, I always used the pads and estimated for the filter. How much is it? it doesn't seem like much.

 

[txav8r]

It's not much ken. Just the anal retentive striking again! I estimate what runs out of the hole to be about 1/2 to 1 cup and not much more than a couple table spoons out of the filter itself. Of course, like the engine, the amount seeks to vary. I guess most of that came out of the center filter.

 

[Big Shasta]

It's not much ken. Just the anal retentive striking again! I estimate what runs out of the hole to be about 1/2 to 1 cup and not much more than a couple table spoons out of the filter itself. Of course, like the engine, the amount seeks to vary. I guess most of that came out of the center filter.

I'm the same way, the less guessing game, the better. You pilot types seem to really appreciate actual factual data! LOL.

These are the guys I work with...in 1970's MH53 helos with all analog cockpits.

 

[txav8r]

You gotta love steam gauges!