LESSONS LEARNED

Aug 11, 2011
857
O'day 30 313 Georgetown MD
While I let the third helping of Pecan Pie settle, I thought I might just put something out there that I recently found by chance.
Once again, I changed my oil on the M20, this time as part of the winterization process. I used the oil extractor like I always do. Thought I got it all, however the amount extracted looked low. I inserted the tube again and got a little more out. Then it dawned on me that perhaps there was a sump plug. Blindly reaching under the engine, I found a plug. Taking a 19mm wrench to it, along with a breaker bar, it came loose. I placed a plastic to go container under the drain and removed the plug. I was really surprised at how much more oil dropped out. And all that nasty sludge. I let it drip for a long time. Then closed it up, filled with fresh oil and ran the engine again to circulate. When I checked the dip stick, it was still pretty black. Maybe there is a lot more dirt in the engine that still needs to be removed.
Tell me something guys, when you change your oil, is it clean for a while?
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,726
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
The oil in my Yanmar 2GM20 never looks “clean” for long.
I have always been told that diesel engine oil is always black...so I don’t worry about it.

I do not (as far as I know) have a drain plug, so I use an extractor and move the hose around to see if I can get as much as possible out of the pan. I am sure I leave some nasty stuff in there, but I get out what I can.

Greg
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
When I checked the dip stick, it was still pretty black.
You said you changed the oil. Did you also change the filter?
I suspect you did. So why is the oil suddenly black again. Because the carbon black in the engine is everywhere in the engine. A little can look like a lot. You would need to change oil and filter a couple of times in succession to get the oil to look clean.
 
Jan 4, 2006
6,444
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
Always run the engine for about 10 min. after the November oil change just to ensure everybody's bathed in clean oil for the winter. The oil looks pretty clean until next March when after a few hours of running, it's blacker than sin all over again.
 
  • Ha
Likes: jssailem

RoyS

.
Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
Dip stick is usually in the middle of the crankcase. If you pump out from there you are lucky if you get half of the old oil out. Try to slip the pump hose down through the valve cover toward the rear of engine. On my 2QM15 I can go down through the push rod opening from the oil fill port and down to the very bottom of the crankcase at the rear of the engine. I get all of the old oil out that way. Simple.