Boat Engine Designers

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hostage

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There is a place in hell for these guys. First time I ever changed the oil and it will be the last. Diagnosing and replacing a solinoid was 10x easier than trying to change this. Why do the design everything so poorly for maintenance? <end rant>

-Hostage
 
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wca_tim

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1,708
Re: Boat Engine Designers

ependong on what you have... remember that i/o engines were generally designed for automobile use where there is access to the bottom and they are adapted to marine use. otherwise they'de be a whole bunch more expensive... I do share your pain many times when I do work on the boat though...
 
H

hostage

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Re: Boat Engine Designers

I ended up giving up on the changing the oil. It took me an hour to pump it out after heating the boat up for 20mins. Then I went to walliworrld twice and no oil wrench worked. So I am going to take it to the dealer and have them change it for $40 more than the oil I bought from them.
 
Bob_VT

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
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Re: Boat Engine Designers

You do know there are remote oil filter kits available to prevent the future angst.
 
Silvertip

Silvertip

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Re: Boat Engine Designers

Don't blame the engine manufacturers (Ford, GM, and years ago Chrysler and a host of diesel manufacturers). Blame the boat builders. They are responsible for cramming an engine and often a bunch of accessories into locations only a person with universal joints in their fingers can service. There are lots of aftermarket add-ons to make oil changes easier.
 
G

Georgesalmon

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Re: Boat Engine Designers

Don't blame the boat builders they are only trying to give their customers what they want. And their customers want really pretty boat designs that run well and are cheap. So the engine has to buried where it won't affect the looks and Mrs. boater has a pretty sun lounge to lay on. (lol)
 
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captk

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Re: Boat Engine Designers

When I was a service tech, for a service only dealer, we would have to do warranty repairs on the products we were affiliated with. I would tell the boat owner that he would be better off taking the boat to the selling dealer, It was never well received, so I did the service and gave the owner the bill for those extras we have to do to service these boats. As you can imagine they were not happy campers. My standard , "Mr. XXX, I did not design this boat, I did not build this boat, and mostly I did not buy this boat, So dont ***** at me because you bought a boat that is "pretty" yet cant be serviced. Go talk to the Dealer or the MFG." in the most pleasant voice. I also heard way too often "But this is a XXXX they build the best, You must not know what you are doing. That sent set me off. enuff of my rant but all you techs know where im comin from. But we still love the job. Bill
 
tpenfield

tpenfield

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Re: Boat Engine Designers

hostage said:
There is a place in hell for these guys. First time I ever changed the oil and it will be the last. Diagnosing and replacing a solinoid was 10x easier than trying to change this. Why do the design everything so poorly for maintenance? <end rant>

-Hostage
Click to expand...

I had similar thoughts after my first oil change on an I/O. . . It took me all day.

Keep the faith, . . . I re-engineered things over time and now can do an oil change in about an hour or so, including beer breaks. So, you too will probably get better with some repetition and improvement of process.
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: Boat Engine Designers

A proper oil extraction pump (not usually the cheapest thing you can find at HF), warming the engine oil up, and a non leaking connection between the pump and the dipstick tube usually gets the oil out of the engine in less than a minute. Reaching the filter can be a problem if the boat engineers didn't put a remote filter on the engine request forms.
 
Alwhite00

Alwhite00

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Apr 14, 2011
Messages
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Re: Boat Engine Designers

Man, Never took me more than 20 minutes to change the oil on my 86 Sea Ray 210MC with a 5.7 or my latest 97 250DA with a 5.7 - Not sure what your issues are but I just suck it out the dipstick tube & swap out the filter - Has a remote filter, I just assumed they all did.

LK
 
C

captk

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Messages
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Re: Boat Engine Designers

tpenfield said:

I had similar thoughts after my first oil change on an I/O. . . It took me all day.

Keep the faith, . . . I re-engineered things over time and now can do an oil change in about an hour or so, including beer breaks. So, you too will probably get better with some repetition and improvement of process.
Click to expand...

You have really special boat. Does it have remote oil filters? I used to service a 1978 23 Formula with twin 454's one engine had to be pulled to do any service at all. The exhaust manifolds were 1/2" apart.
I also worked on the local police boat, a swellcraft 28' Coastal?. the water tanks and sewage tanks were mounted touching the exhaust manifolds. no access to those pesky spark plugs. but do they need to be changed? When time came for a repower, I have the new engines on the shop floor and decide to break the plugs free so that when they get shoehorned back I can remove them later. Well Mercruise redesigned the manifolds and no socket could remove the plugs, I called Merc Tech service. and was told "hey you just have to make do" I made a tool to do the job and called Merc back, I told them I made a tool that worked, they said send us the specs. I said you figure it out.
 
Tail_Gunner

Tail_Gunner

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Re: Boat Engine Designers

That sentiment has been echoed since the begining of boat's or car's...It is just the way it is..Any time i have to work on the engine i remove my entire back seat assy..takes me a extra 5 minutes but saves me a lot of aggrevation. Overall they do a good job...however there are still a few TO THE MOON ALICE MOMENT's..The bilge pump was one of those moment's

jackie-gleason.jpg
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: Boat Engine Designers

I also worked on the local police boat, a swellcraft 28' Coastal?. the water tanks and sewage tanks were mounted touching the exhaust manifolds. no access to those pesky spark plugs.
Click to expand...


It's jobs like that that I think of when someone asks how long does it take to change a starter. Never say what engine, what boat, how much room, just how long does it take. Then someone comes back and says if it takes longer than 30 minutes, find another dealer. :facepalm:

Amazing how people can answer questions when they have no clue what they are dealing with.

I've also had customers come in the shop with their boat and want me to do something, after looking at the boat give them an estimate (Never a quote on old salt water boats) and they get mad and tell me that people on the internet say it should only take X amount of time. I just tell them to have the internet people do the job then, because I can't.
 
Alwhite00

Alwhite00

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Messages
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Re: Boat Engine Designers

captk said:
You have really special boat. Does it have remote oil filters? I used to service a 1978 23 Formula with twin 454's one engine had to be pulled to do any service at all. The exhaust manifolds were 1/2" apart.
I also worked on the local police boat, a swellcraft 28' Coastal?. the water tanks and sewage tanks were mounted touching the exhaust manifolds. no access to those pesky spark plugs. but do they need to be changed? When time came for a repower, I have the new engines on the shop floor and decide to break the plugs free so that when they get shoehorned back I can remove them later. Well Mercruise redesigned the manifolds and no socket could remove the plugs, I called Merc Tech service. and was told "hey you just have to make do" I made a tool to do the job and called Merc back, I told them I made a tool that worked, they said send us the specs. I said you figure it out.
Click to expand...

I just modified a spark plug socket as shown in the pic and it worked great, Not sure what "tech" you spoke with but if they don't know how to find this info thet is pretty sad. A regular spark plug socket will NOT work. - It's not rocket science.

LK

Sparkplug20Socket.jpg
 
C

captk

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Messages
252
Re: Boat Engine Designers

OKAY I will fess up. I cut a sparkplug socket in half, the welded a length of 1/4" pipe between the 2 parts, this allows the plug to travel inside the pipe and give clearance around the manifolds. sounds way too easy for the "engineers" at Merc. but if they made the tool it would be a required special tool and sell for $100. Bill.
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: Boat Engine Designers

Alwhite00 said:
I just modified a spark plug socket as shown in the pic and it worked great, Not sure what "tech" you spoke with but if they don't know how to find this info thet is pretty sad. A regular spark plug socket will NOT work. - It's not rocket science.

LK

Sparkplug20Socket.jpg
Click to expand...

Man, I drew that picture in MS Paint a lot of years ago when I was over in the BOC forum. Guess it works on the new manifolds as well as the old ones.
 
Alwhite00

Alwhite00

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Re: Boat Engine Designers

Don S said:
Man, I drew that picture in MS Paint a lot of years ago when I was over in the BOC forum. Guess it works on the new manifolds as well as the old ones.
Click to expand...

Well Don, That socket works great and I have used it on both of my boats - Definately the way to go.

thanks

LK
 
S

Speakrdude

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Feb 25, 2004
Messages
942
Re: Boat Engine Designers

I thought that drawing looked familiar. That was for those Volvo's we were working on.
 
C

captk

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
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Messages
252
Re: Boat Engine Designers

Alwhite00 said:
I just modified a spark plug socket as shown in the pic and it worked great, Not sure what "tech" you spoke with but if they don't know how to find this info thet is pretty sad. A regular spark plug socket will NOT work. - It's not rocket science.

LK

Sparkplug20Socket.jpg
Click to expand...
Alwhite00 said:
I just modified a spark plug socket as shown in the pic and it worked great, Not sure what "tech" you spoke with but if they don't know how to find this info thet is pretty sad. A regular spark plug socket will NOT work. - It's not rocket science.

LK
I think I was the first person to call them out on this issue. were talking more than a few years ago. The issue i had was the total lack of concern from merc. I still use that socket as my go to as it clears all manifolds and is just long enough to not need an extension. I like it better than the "grind one down" Bill
Click to expand...
 
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