ALWAYS A MESS!!!

[twodzusfittings]

Every single time I change the oil and fuel filters on my engine, M-20, I end up with a mess. For this winter haul out, I got all my parts ready, plenty of rags and oil cleaner.

First the fuel filter.
It lays horizontal. Easy to come off but getting it past the accelerator cable bracket and the two hoses and downwards, keeping it level so as not to spill any fuel was/is impossible. I ended up tilting it on its side, spilling fuel onto the catch basin underneath the engine. Luckily I had laid down rags to soak up any small spills, but not intended to have that much spilt.

Then I pumped out as much oil as possible using the West Marine oil extractor. Removed the sump plug and let the residue drain into a shallow takeout container.

Second, the oil filter
It lays on its side. I used the favored plastic bag trick, because as soon as its loose, it starts to leak oil. Maybe my bag was too small. I had oil everywhere. After a few choice english, french, italian, german and greek curse words I learnt early in life, I gave up and just let the mess happen. There was no need fighting it. When all was sorted, i spent a good 30 minutes cleaning up the mess.
Does anyone have the answer please, pretty please????? (Only serious answers need reply!)

 

[JoeWhite]

How about making a hole in the filter and letting it drain into a container below before removing

 

[sail sfbay]

I alos use a West Marine oil extractor which avoids any mess. I feel your pain.............same on my sailboat!! Not sure these suggestions will help but these are what I additional do to minimize mess:

• have some degreaser available for clean-up
• place oil absorbent pad under the engine and oil and fuel filters
• wear disposable gloves
• place a disposable plastic jug OR small water bottle (cut as shown below) underneath the filter(s) to avoid oil spillage, if these is room
• remove filters as quickly as possible while capturing dripping fuel/oil into a large baggy.........a 3rd hand would be helpful during this step
• dispose the oil absorbent pad(s), disposable gloves and baggies with filters into a your disposalble plastic jug

 

[Johnb]

The last time I changed the oil in my Yanmar 3QM30 I got interrupted after I had pumped the oil out and before taking off the oil filter. When I got back to it more than 30 minutes later it came off with no mess.
I have not repeated this but certainly intend next time to leave it to sit for maybe 45 minutes. Also the oil was hot.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

(Only serious answers need reply!)

You're kind of asking for a lot from this site, aren't you !

You may be able to use something from here for changing the oil:

Changing the Oil Filter on a Yanmar 2GM20F

I've done it for years. Lately, it's gotten so bad that neighboring boats leave for the day when I change the oil. Sucking the oil out the sump with the Pela oil suction pump is neat and tidy as you please, but when the oil filter comes off, all hell breaks loose. Oil drains down the side...

forums.sailboatowners.com

Given the right setup on your boat, you may be able to install something like this for your fuel filter. See post #18:

LP pump on Yanmar 2GM20F

I suspect my Yanmar 2GM20F LP pump is not delivering to the secondary filter. Can I dismantle it from engine just by removing the 2 banjo fuel lines and 2 bolts that secure pump body to engine? I suppose I don't need to turn crank shaft to s particular position first? Ken Y

forums.sailboatowners.com

 

[twodzusfittings]

Mmmmmmm Yes I am asking a lot.

But hey, I asked for free advice, so I shouldn't be picky.

Joe White from California, where I'm sure you can't afford to waste a drop of fuel, has a good idea. A hole to drip and once its cracked open it will flow. Ha, one problem solved.

And for the oil issue, Sail SF Bay has an answer. I just need to customize a plastic bottle to sit under the filter and not be impacted by the motor mount and the oil pan.

Way to go guys. Thanks again........

 

[JoeWhite]

I would not reuse the drained fuel.

 

[Tally Ho]

The last time I changed the oil in my Yanmar 3QM30 I got interrupted after I had pumped the oil out and before taking off the oil filter. When I got back to it more than 30 minutes later it came off with no mess.
I have not repeated this but certainly intend next time to leave it to sit for maybe 45 minutes. Also the oil was hot.

There is not enough oil in the block to be filled up to the filter is there? Doesnt seem like it on my 2GM20…

My filter is horizontal, but if I shove a rag below it, and use a big ziplock bag pushed in all around it, I can get the filter off without a big mess (maybe a little one). The rag catches any drips And the filter (and the oil in it) are in the ziplock for disposal.

I had a harder time getting oil into my transmission…since I tried to change it for the first time since I bought the boat.

Greg

 

[shemandr]

For future fuel filter replacement couldn't you put an upline fuel filter, like a Razor (Spell check won't let me spell this correctly), in a location that makes it easy to check and replace?

 

[RoyS]

Agree with Shermandr about an upline fuel filter. I have a Racor 2 micron fuel filter in an accessible spot. I will probably never change my downstream Yanmar filter. Besides that, given the small amount of fuel that passes through my Racor, I have not replaced that since 2015. During that time only 300 gallons of fuel has been consumed and the Racor is rated for up to 15 gallons per hour with replacement recommended at 500 hours. That parameter translates to 7,500 gallons or in my case, 150 years. I am careful where I purchase fuel and I have a spare filter on board. I look at the clear bowl daily. Annual replacement of fuel filters is way overkill IMHO and you may accidentally introduce a contaminant or damage something in the process. To be sure, Racor also recommends that the fuel filter be replaced every second oil change, but I fail to see that connection.

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

Agree with Shermandr about an upline fuel filter. I have a Racor 2 micron fuel filter in an accessible spot. I will probably never change my downstream Yanmar filter. Besides that, given the small amount of fuel that passes through my Racor, I have not replaced that since 2015. During that time only 300 gallons of fuel has been consumed and the Racor is rated for up to 15 gallons per hour with replacement recommended at 500 hours. That parameter translates to 7,500 gallons or in my case, 150 years. I am careful where I purchase fuel and I have a spare filter on board. I look at the clear bowl daily. Annual replacement of fuel filters is way overkill IMHO and you may accidentally introduce a contaminant or damage something in the process. To be sure, Racor also recommends that the fuel filter be replaced every second oil change, but I fail to see that connection.

Roy, I also have an upline 2 micron fuel filter but I go through more fuel than you do so I do change it every few years...just in case. I'm not sure but I do question your maths: How do you arrive at 150 years ? Because you must also consider the fact that a lot more fuel goes through the filter than is used by the engine. It is returned to the fuel tank and processed time and time again until burned. At 2 gallons per hour average, you would have 150 hours run time on the 300 gallons. In those 6 years since 2015 you of course averaged 50 gallons per year, i.e. 25 hours engine time. Your idea of keeping the same fuel filter is not wrong, but unless you have a way to monitor the filter condition (i.e. dirt or algae contamination level), just watching the bowl will not tell you the state of the filter hence when you're at risk of engine quitting because of fuel starvation. And of course it always happens at the worst possible time. I just changed mine before hault-out, after 204 hours since last replacement. Your boat. your call. Good luck.

 

[FastOlson]

I have adopted some old advice about wrapping a heavy wall 'zip lock' baggy around the horizontal oil filter after initially loosening it with a small strap wrench. The oil does not leak out much from the initial quarter turn, and with the baggy on it I can turn it off by hand and rotate it down while inside the baggy. A bit of oil leaks down onto a waiting paper towel.
You might want to try this.

 

[sail sfbay]

FastOlson........that's the way I do it!!

 

[MIGuy]

I have used a gallon plastic jug cut out with a razor knife so I could slowly work it under the oil filter on my Perkins M30 engine. The cut out bottle had enough space left in the lower part of the jug to hold the oil that leaked out of the filter after spinning it off. This worked well the first time I did it (with very minimal spilling), but still left a mess the next time. It is just so difficult to work around everything to try to fit the cutout jug under the filter (and you can't see underneath).

I also have used a ziploc bag around the filter. The trick there too is to loosen the filter without it leaking, then get the bag as far under the filter and the mount on the engine block as possible,. and hold the bag there as long as you can as you remove the filter. Again, I've had mixed success.

I have not tried poking a drain hole in the filter. I think you would want to first poke a hole on the upper horizontal edge of the filter canister near the mount position (for an air intake hole), then poke a drain hole near the outer bottom edge (and be ready to catch the seepage. After most of the oil drained, then I would place a ziploc bag around the filter and spin it off.

 

[JoeWhite]

After the fluid has dripped into a plastic container below, it is impossible to remove this flexible container without spilling. To prevent spilling, use a basting srynge and remove as much of the fluid as possible, then wipe remaining fluid with paper towel, then remove the container. I extend the needle of the srynge using 1/4" clear hose.
Sometimes I use aluminum foil to shape and direct the fluid into the container. This methode works on cars aswell.

 

[SoSound]

I’ve had reasonably good results with the patience approach to removing the filter after pumping oil from the sump. The horizontally mounted filter should drain gradually, and I don’t usually need to do too much clean up below the filter on the engine block (no mounting bracket here, directly mounted to the side of the motor). Where I have problems is getting the various hoses and pump components out of the engine compartment and back into their storage containers, without dripping used engine oil all over the finished surfaces inside the boat!

 

[jssailem]

I am fortunate to have an oil filter in a vertical position. It is relatively easy to access. I loosen the bolt and wrap a plastic bag around the filter. I then loosen the filter till I drops into the bag. I wear gloves. They go into the bag when removed. The bag goes into the dumpster. The oil is removed from the sump pan by extraction vacuum pump. The oil is recycled. With a little care no drops in the boat only in the bag.

The Racor Fuel filter is self contained. Close the fuel lines and the prime is not lost. The filter is lifted and the fuel left in the filter is allowed to drain. Any diesel (that which does not drain into the top of the Racor) goes into a plastic bag with the dirty filter and into the dumpster. Install New filter, top the Racor off with a little diesel . Close it up, open the valves and start the engine. Primary Fuel filter takes about 7 minutes. Oil filter takes 45.

 

[RoyS]

How do you arrive at 150 years ? Because you must also consider the fact that a lot more fuel goes through the filter than is used by the engine. It is returned to the fuel tank and processed time and time again until burned. At 2 gallons per hour average, you would have 150 hours run time on the 300 gallons.

Claude, You asked how I arrived at 150 years: Racor is rated at up to 15 Gallons per hour and 500 hours before replacement. That means that the Racor should be able to filter 15 x 500 = 7,500 gallons. I use about 50 gallons per year. 7,500 / 50 = 150 years. You mentioned 2 gallons per hour. On my 15 HP diesel it is 2 hours per gallon. I average about 100 engine hours a year or fifty gallons consumed. You mentioned that the fuel passing through the filter is more than the engine consumes. That is true but I do not think that matters to the filter as it has the capacity to filter the fuel quantity consumed and passing it through multiple times should not add additional contaminants to the filter element. I only respond here for amusement and not to argue. I just wanted to emphasize that annual fuel filter replacement is way overkill. Your automobile probably has a tiny original fuel filter that is not very accessible and is never expected to be replaced. I might replace my 2006 filter next Spring because now it is on my mind. Regarding algae, I confess I am ignorant in that area.

 

[Mark Maulden]

If you have a racor 500, put a vacuum gauge on the top. That will tell you when the filter is getting plugged..

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

Claude, You asked how I arrived at 150 years: Racor is rated at up to 15 Gallons per hour and 500 hours before replacement. That means that the Racor should be able to filter 15 x 500 = 7,500 gallons. I use about 50 gallons per year. 7,500 / 50 = 150 years. You mentioned 2 gallons per hour. On my 15 HP diesel it is 2 hours per gallon. I average about 100 engine hours a year or fifty gallons consumed. You mentioned that the fuel passing through the filter is more than the engine consumes. That is true but I do not think that matters to the filter as it has the capacity to filter the fuel quantity consumed and passing it through multiple times should not add additional contaminants to the filter element. I only respond here for amusement and not to argue. I just wanted to emphasize that annual fuel filter replacement is way overkill. Your automobile probably has a tiny original fuel filter that is not very accessible and is never expected to be replaced. I might replace my 2006 filter next Spring because now it is on my mind. Regarding algae, I confess I am ignorant in that area.

Roy, thanks for pointing my mistake. Wrote the wrong thing ! On my 3GM30F it's also about 2 hours per gallon. And I am not starting an argument. Quite the contrary I agree with you that changing the Racor annually is way overkill. My thinking in figuring the total fuel passing through the Racor is that it filters every ounce of fuel every time it goes through, not only the fuel that is consumed. Your filter can get plugged up with microscopic algae being fractured in the fuel and as mentioned it will plug up your filter at the worst possible moment. Last time it happened to me was in the fog down the Lower St-Lawrence River, in the middle of the shipping lanes. I called the Coast Guard to let them know that I would be drifting for a while so they put a watch on me to alert ships in the vicinity. I replaced the filter, bled the engine and got going again but it was a very unnerving and unpleasant 40 minutes. Which is why I'd rather err on the side of precaution now when I'm in areas like that and replace the filter more often than necessary. I call it insurance ! And I have a vacuum gauge. Must admit that the gauge did not alert me in time so now when I reach over 200 hours of run time I change the Racor. If I was running in areas less risky or doing day sails only, I would run many more hundreds of hours on that Racor ! Call me chicken if you want but I'd rather not take that chance of having the engine quit because of something as easy to prevent as fuel starvation when I can avoid it by doing something as cheap and simple as putting in a new filter. Regards