2010 Tohatsu 9.8 Stored on Wrong Side - PLEASE HELP

Stroth

Cadet
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
25
My vacation started today. Half way up my trailer blew a leaf spring. Luckily I was close to my mother's house.

3 hours later I brought home a new trailer. During the rush to get my trailer off the road I put the motor down on the wrong side. I made many mistakes today --- ones I will not do again.

I have it upright on my boat now.

I checked the oil level and it is low / none. Barely registers on the dipstick. I took out the plugs. They were bone dry. No oil at all. With the plugs out I gave it five good pulls, no oil came out at all.

Clearly, I need to add some more oil. What else should I try to do? There is some oil under the cowl seal and down the motor, but it doesn't seem like a lot. I think this motor takes 3/4 of a quart or so, It doesn't seem like that much, so clearly I am worried that the oil went somewhere!

I am hoping someone else has done this and can offer some much needed help!

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

Matt
 

pvanv

Admiral
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Messages
6,509
Open the carb drain. 8mm wrench. Sometimes the oil leaks out the valves and down the intake and fills the carb.
 

TOHATSU GURU

Admiral
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
6,164
And,

Pull the spark plugs and pull the safety lanyard off. The pull the starter 20 times to blow out any oil. Then clean your plugs and put them back in and re attach the lanyard.
 

Stroth

Cadet
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
25
Thank you so much for the replies!

I did all of the above. I did not remove the kill switch when I pulled the starter with the spark plugs out. It seems like most of the oil ended up in the carb.

The motor ran well all week. I do have a remaining question though.... When I discovered my error the dipstick was coming up as totally dry. I thought that I would need to add at least 1/2 a quart or more of oil. I checked after adding a little more than a 1/4 of a quart and it came up as a bit over the last line on the dipstick. Is it over full?

I can't thank you enough for the quick responses. This board saved my week and allowed me to get some good quality fishing time in!
 

Alumarine

Captain
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
3,694
I would drain it so it was at the right level or a smidge below, not higher.
You can use a turkey baster maybe.

After lying on the wrong side it can take quite awhile for the the remaining oil to find it's way back to the crankcase once you mounted it vertical again.
 

pvanv

Admiral
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Messages
6,509
Agreed with marc. Never have the oil even a drop over full. 1/2 on the stick is OK during break-in; 3/4 is fine afterward. All 4-stroke OB's will make oil, so best to have some safety margin.
 
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