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Oil Change - Help ?


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Ok, so I have just over 20hrs on my new VLX and I want to change the oil.. I'm a few hrs from my closest dealer, so I'm going to do this myself.. I know I seen some info on this in here before and I hate to beat a dead horse, but I just hoped someone could give me some pointers and a layout of what exactly I need to do here. ?

I appreciate it !

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Ok, so I have just over 20hrs on my new VLX and I want to change the oil.. I'm a few hrs from my closest dealer, so I'm going to do this myself.. I know I seen some info on this in here before and I hate to beat a dead horse, but I just hoped someone could give me some pointers and a layout of what exactly I need to do here. ?

I appreciate it !

Being as your boat is a newer one, You probably have a drain hose attatched to the top of the engine. You just feed that hose thru the bottom of the boat, thru one of the drain plug holes and open the end of it into a container. Then the oil filter is on the side of the engine, it is a screw on and also drips into a container until it is empty. Reinstall a new filter, reinstall the plugs back into the hose and attach the hose back onto the engine bracket for the next time. All that is left is to add the oil into the engine. Mine holds 6 qts, so you will have to check your owners manual or even better, use the dipstickl to get the right amount of oil into the crankcase. You are now ready to go. If you do not have a drain hose, then most likely you will have to suck the old oil out the dipstick tube. In either case, try and warm up the engine to operating temp before changing the oil.

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You will need to run the boat up to operating temp in the water or with a fake-a-lake system so the oil heats up and will drain. If you don't this can take a day or longer to drain!! I always get a couple extra quarts to sacrifice as I'm draining the old oil. I'm not sure how but i think that you can get more old oil to drain out by jacking the boat into a certain position also.

Drain all old oil, turn engine a couple times (dont start it!!), add some oil, turn engine, and do this over and over a couple times until you get clean oil coming out the drain.

Stay away from fram oil filters, use a napa gold, run a search for the part number.

Edited by nemire12
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Make sure your drain hose does not loop up and over something before it exits through the hull. It needs to run straight down hill from the oil pan drain to the bucket. If you warm the motor up that will suspend metal particles and cause the oil to flow faster. My HH takes about 10 minutes to drain. Some people use a suction device to suck the oil out faster. The Napa gold oil filter number is 1069 for the hammer head. Not sure if yours is the same.

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You will need to run the boat up to operating temp in the water or with a fake-a-lake system so the oil heats up and will drain. If you don't this can take a day or longer to drain!! I always get a couple extra quarts to sacrifice as I'm draining the old oil. I'm not sure how but i think that you can get more old oil to drain out by jacking the boat into a certain position also.

Drain all old oil, turn engine a couple times (dont start it!!), add some oil, turn engine, and do this over and over a couple times until you get clean oil coming out the drain.

Stay away from fram oil filters, use a napa gold, run a search for the part number.

The best time to do it is after getting home from the lake. The oil temp is much more consistent than running on a fake-a-lake for a short time. But...

Invest in one of these Oil Boys (http://www.akmining.com/cart/45479.htm) OMG - it is SOOOO easy. I shove this in the dipstick line and get as much oil as I can out. Then, I shove it in the oil drain line and get the rest.

The hardest part, i s the oil filter. I put down a ridiculous amount of rags below the filter, then, use put a zip lock around the filter when I unscrew it. The oil will be hot, so be ready. Other's have suggested putting down an old half-gallon milk carton w/ the top cut off to catch the dripping oil too. Just know, that you WILL SPILL oil when you remove the filter. I wish Malibu would use remote oil filters... Geez, that's really nice on the Supras.

Then, do everything in reverse. Put a bit of oil in the new filter, wet the seal w/ some oil, screw it on, then fill it up. If you know how to do it in a car, its the same thing in a boat w/ just more cramped space.

Good luck!

And what you save on the cost of the dealer change you can fill your tank with!

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Make sure your drain hose does not loop up and over something before it exits through the hull. It needs to run straight down hill from the oil pan drain to the bucket. If you warm the motor up that will suspend metal particles and cause the oil to flow faster. My HH takes about 10 minutes to drain. Some people use a suction device to suck the oil out faster. The Napa gold oil filter number is 1069 for the hammer head. Not sure if yours is the same.

Yeah, that's right, Napa 1069 is the filter on my Monsoon.

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A tip for the hammer head people (and maybe others) The Napa oil filter is a bit longer than the filter that came from Indmar. There is also a fitting that screws on ahead of the oil filter that adds length to the assembly. (my 2004 HH did not have this) My boat has a through hull fitting directly under the filter. This makes it impossible to use a band type oil filter wrench with the Napa filter. No way to get a band wrench between the filter and the fitting. Napa sells a filter wrench that looks like a big pair of channel lock pliers. I can't say it is worth the 45 bucks they ask for it, but I can say it is the only way I can get the filter off. Advantage Auto has the same tool (much lower quality) for 6 bucks.

The filter on this motor is hidden behind all of the lines for the oil cooler. I found I can get LOTS more room to work if I pull the oil cooler water hose and lay that whole mess aside.

droptine.........don't forget about the plastic bag over the old filter trick. It works really well.

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Just remember your owners manual clearly states that any work done by a non Inmar authorized person will void your warantee. It states that the owner will void the warantee by changing the oil. I think it is item #2 in the manual.

Edited by cyoda44
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Just remember your owners manual clearly states that any work done by a non Inmar authorized person will void your warantee. It states that the owner will void the warantee by changing the oil. I think it is item #2 in the manual.

You need to do preventive maintenance and you don't need a Certified Indmar mechanic for that. They try that type of scare tactic with autos also. I know there are some laws that cover this.

I can see someone having to change an impeller on the water, oops just voided your warranty or changing your fan belt a prop or a tire on the trailer or the battery or... I think theres a point where the owner can do simple tasks with out voiding the warranty.

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Just remember your owners manual clearly states that any work done by a non Inmar authorized person will void your warantee. It states that the owner will void the warantee by changing the oil. I think it is item #2 in the manual.

You need to do preventive maintenance and you don't need a Certified Indmar mechanic for that. They try that type of scare tactic with autos also. I know there are some laws that cover this.

I can see someone having to change an impeller on the water, oops just voided your warranty or changing your fan belt a prop or a tire on the trailer or the battery or... I think theres a point where the owner can do simple tasks with out voiding the warranty.

I'm 100% with you on it should not void your warantee.... just not willing to take a chance with 65K invested. are you?

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That's funny because an authorized Indmar tech (not my Malibu dealer) overfilled my boat by two quarts...........two times in a row. He also used the wrong oil. First, he told me the velocity of all oil is the same, so it really does not matter. I said "the word is viscosity and I do not agree". Then he went on to tell me they only stock one kind of oil and that is what they use in every boat they service. I said "so, what you are saying is that not only did you screw up on my boat, but you screw up other boats all day long?" He asked me to leave and never come back. Lame.gif

Btw, the level was actually more than two quarts over. It went down a bit after I fired up the engine and re checked the level. (oil filter volume) That tells me that no one started the engine to check for leaks after the oil change was done.

To be fair, the Indmar guy right down the road from the first guy (not my Malibu dealer) is an awesome tech, but he is not as careful about spilled oil and shoes in the boat as I am. I find that changing the oil is just too important for me to leave it to the trained professionals. Whistling.gif

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Ya no kidding, I dont think the dealers are going to void a warranty b/c of an oil change.. I appreciate all the comments.. It shouldn't be too bad, I did buy a cheap transfer pump last time I was in the city, just in case..

So what does everyone use for oil ?

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