Oil Drain O'Day 34 '84

[Jim Giffin]

Changing the oil in this boat is a chore. Universal diesel engine. The dipstick tube is so small in diameter my normal stiff plastic tube will not go down inside it. It would require such a small diameter tube sucking even warm oil out would be difficult. That leaves 2 ways to do it. Take the plug out of the oil pan and drain it into the fiberglass pan under the engine. What a mess! The other is to remove the dipstick tube which requires removing the alternator first and then inserting the plastic tube after the dipstick tube is off. Pain in the neck. My O'Day 28 with a smaller Universal diesel has a neat tube with aeroquip line permanently installed.I am thinking about a plug for the pan with a fitting on it so I can connect an aeroquip line or similar to it. Don't know the size without pulling the plug out first. Must say though I don't like the idea of stuff connected to the plug that could induce vibration loosening the plug or at the very least creating a chance for loss of oil. Any thoughts?

 

[Don Evans]

Use Existing Dipstick Tube

Buy a "Top-Sider" (or similar vacuum fluid extractor) vacuum oil pump. Warm the engine for an hour. Pump it about 50 strokes to create the vacuum, connect the tube over the dipstick end and release the pinchcock. Go have a beer. Twenty minutes later come back and repeat if necessary (the beer of course... 8^).Don

 

[Peter Brennan]

Live with it

Mine is an O'day 37 with the same problem on a Universal engine. The oil change tube will not go down the dip stick tube and the smaller tube I bought simply does not do the job. I have an electric pump oil change bucket same as the yard uses. Best I can do is jam the stiff tube into the entrance to the dip stick tube and pump. Engine holds 11 quarts. Best I can get out is seven quarts, which is the best the yard could do also when I was paying them $125 to winterize my engine. Seven new quarts and a new filter and all should be well.This last time, however, we got a complete change. I cross-threaded the filter. I did not know you could pump eleven quarts of oil into the bilge in fifteen seconds. Anybody know of a good oil cleanup method?

 

[Dave Mauney]

Drain Hose

I have a O'Day 35 with a Universal M25XP. The oil drain plug has a hose attachment location on it. The hose is about 3 ft long so that the end can be secrued above the engine when not in use. The hose is a pressure hose with integral female screw fitting on each end. The special plug replaces the the normal drain plug. The hose is screwed on to that and the other end is pluged with a male screw in plug when not in use. I put a male fitting on the end of a TOP SIDER line connect it to the free end, 50 strokes and let it go. I can have the TOP SIDER on the sole forward of the engine with pads underneath. It has work great for a long time.Good WindsDave