To oil change or Not to oil change, that is my question

[Sliderfiii]

I drain all the water....re plug and run several gallons of antifreeze thru...then drain again and leave all plugs etc. out .

This year I only put on 5-6 hours ......the oil is still clear and will stay in , Usually I change it in the fall.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Sliderfiii

[gorilla]

I've never done this. not even sure how to do it... guess i will try this year. I just always drained the heater.

I drain it first and then fill/flush with RV antifreeze via the hose that connects to the top of the intake manifold. I use a funnel and gravity to fill it and then blow it out with compressed air (very gently and not any real pressure being put into the core). I could probably get away with just draining the water out of it, but "feel" better about leaving a little bit of RV antifreeze in the core than just straight water.

[WakingMeHappy]

If you plan on running your engine while it is winterized...........

Why would you run your engine "while" it's winterized?

[malibuparadise]

Why would you run your engine "while" it's winterized?

Mine is always run while it's wintertime.

Edited September 10, 2014 by malibuparadise

[Bill_AirJunky]

When is that big filter sale at Napa every year? All of my toys are needing oil changes.

[Woodski]

@Setter02: My philosophy is to drain/change the oil prior to a long layup to minimize the settling of the contaminants in the bottom of the oil pan. I also always drain the oil when the engine is at or close to running temp, not cold or after sitting for any extended time.

NOTE: Mobil has a rebate going on through October 31! The form is at: Mobil.us/rebate

[Bradley Thornton]

I change the oil once a year no matter the amount of hour. Not real picky about when. This is made out to be way to big of a deal. Now I will say I run synthetic oil and I am very picky about the actual oil and filter but not when I change.

[williemon]

I will change oil when I winterize. Get the new oil and filter installed, run it up to temp again, and while running with a full tank of gas and stabil in the fuel, I will fog the carb to choke it down. (carb engine) Then turn key off, disconnect battery, drain water, call it a day for the most part.

[Oberon]

I drain the oil to winterize in Oct/Nov...but I don't know the virtue in filling with the new oil just to let it sit in the pan for 5-6 months before the first run. I just put the new oil in right before the first outing in spring.

This is the worst thing you could do. Any oil is better than no oil. Oil protects the inside of the engine from corrosion. Not to mention the possibility of running the engine without oil.

In theory it is best to change the oil in the fall when you can get all the particulates out while they are still suspended in the oil. Over a period of months, particulates can settle to the bottom of the oil pan and create a "sludge" that won't easily be put back into suspension. If change your oil in the spring you probably just start the boat long enough to warm it up which may or may not put the "sludge" back into suspension. So you have new oil and old particulates. In practice, none of us run our boats enough to create any kind of sludge that would be harmful to an engine over a normal life span. Most on this forum have boats with EFI engines which burn much more efficiently than carborated engines. Leaner mixture means fewer hydrocarbons in the oil.

I've seen theories that old oil is more corrosive than new oil but I don't buy that it makes any difference over one winter. I've seen engines that have been sitting for decades with old oil in the pans start up and run with no signs of damage. Five or six months with oil that is only five or six months old doesn't seem like a big issue.

In short, as long as you change your oil regularly it doesn't matter when you do it.

[Levi900RR]

I change mine in the fall during winterization. That being said, I've run out of time in the fall before and changed it in the spring. Everyone survived through that winter.

[Nitrousbird]

This is the worst thing you could do. Any oil is better than no oil. Oil protects the inside of the engine from corrosion. Not to mention the possibility of running the engine without oil.

The only thing that oil is protecting is the inside of the oil pan. Whether you refill it after draining or not, the same oil film will be sitting on the moving parts of the motor.

[MLA]

The advantage of changing prior to the winter layup, is flushing out the old corrosive used oil from the soft metal engine parts like bearings.

[Oberon]

The only thing that oil is protecting is the inside of the oil pan. Whether you refill it after draining or not, the same oil film will be sitting on the moving parts of the motor.

That's a fair point. Continental recommends running their aircraft engines at 160 degrees for 30-40 minutes per week to avoid engine corrosion. I don't know how long the film stays but it apparently isn't indefinitely. Even if the oil in the pan is only protecting the pan that is better than not protecting the pan.

I'd guess nearly all of us let our engines sit idle for weeks or months at a time so the best we can do is mitigate the damage. As I mentioned above, timely oil changes are the best thing you can do no matter when they occur.

Continental article...

http://tcmlink.com/fiddefault.aspx?cgroup=MATTITUCK&cpagename=CORROSION

[Fman]

My. 02... I change oil for winterization, run it for 5 mins to circulate fresh oil, then winterize the boat. I do leave impeller for spring replacement, I don't want it crammed in there sitting for 6 months...

[bunji169]

New Boat, $85-$100k. Oil+Filter $20. I change Every 25 hours. Usually 4 times a year. I average around 100hours/yr. Oil is never dirty. Engine is always Happy.

[oldjeep]

New Boat, $85-$100k. Oil+Filter $20. I change Every 25 hours. Usually 4 times a year. I average around 100hours/yr. Oil is never dirty. Engine is always Happy.

Oil & filter for $20? Out of curiosity what are you using? Just 5.5 quarts of plain old Pennzoil 15W40 and a Pennzoil PZ52 runs me more like $40

[bunji169]

Since I replace it so often I just use the cheapo 15w40 from Wally World. Only $12-13 for the 4 quart jug. Then a good ol Junky Fram xtra Guard filter for $5.

It's never dirty. Regardless what the critics may say, if I change my oil frequently before it has a chance to completely break down, any brand oil is sufficient.

Surfin USA

[justgary]

I picked up some Rotella 15W-40 for about $16 per gallon last weekend, so I'm maybe $30 into an oil change including the Mobil-1 filter.