Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

[boltonranger]

---470 3.7 '88 Stingray 176ss---

My manual says check your oil with the boat on the water.
I'd like to reliably check in in the garage on the trailer.
What is the right way to do this?
I can get the engine level by putting a level on the valve cover;
and adjusting the trailer jack.

But should the engine be level? or a certain number of degrees tilted to the stern?
Anyone know??

-br

 

[ziggy]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

generally, i/o's float statically bow high. look at it when it's at the dock. simulate it at home. i for sure store mine bow high at the very least. weather it's the same as on the water? i don't know. probably close. but not exact. after ya check your oil level many times. store it many times and check the oil. you'll get the feel of what is right on when on the trailer compared to static in the water. in my case. if i'm on F on the stick on the trailer. i'm slightly high when static on the water. i take this in consideration when i'm adding oil while on the trailer..
also, i find that generally, my only good oil level reading is the first one of the day, static at the dock. anything after that (a run) there may be oil still in the oil galleys. unless it sits for quite a good long while... like over night. that morning reading i would trust..

that's what i've found anyways.. for my rig..

 

[Biged007]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

I level the water line on the free board like the boat I have new to me so that's what i did, double checked it on the water and it was dead on

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

Why not check oil level where you will ALWAYS get the most accurate reading. That would be on the water at the dock. You should have oil with you anyway so why not make it part of the pre-start check list. It also gives you an opportunity to do one last "visual" of the engine bay before you leave the dock.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

My manual says check your oil with the boat on the water.
I'd like to reliably check in in the garage on the trailer.

Ayuh,.... It really don't matter a 'ell of alot....
If the oil level is Anywhere between the Full, 'n Add marks,...

It's Fine...Whether on the trailer, or at the dock....

 

[gozierdt]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

Bond-o +1

Doesn't matter all that much

 

[6meter]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

Man oh man, why are people over thinking things so much. Pull the stick, clean it, stick it, read it. Your boat will be at more different angles when running and nobody worries, why worry about the boat being on a trailer 2* different than sitting on the water? Sheesh!

 

[Alpheus]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

You can ONLY check your oil if the following conditions are met.

1) It must be on an odd number calendar day.

2) Boat must be on the water with the sun at its highest point.

3) Boat must be facing true magnetic north.

4) If you have any passengers they must stand at the front of the boat facing away from the engine. (shortest in the front)

5) Pull the dipstick from the engine very slowly while saying the pledge of allegiance to the flag.

6) Wipe the oil from the stick with a brand new 100% white virgin cotton tee shirt.

7) If the oil is exactly .033" (use calipers) below the full line you may proceed with having a good day on the water.

If your engine requires oil, send me a self addressed stamped envelope and I will send you the complete 151 page book illustrating the correct way (including chants and drum beats) to add oil to your engines crank case...

Good luck to you sir...

 

[boltonranger]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

Man oh man, why are people over thinking things so much. Pull the stick, clean it, stick it, read it. Your boat will be at more different angles when running and nobody worries, why worry about the boat being on a trailer 2* different than sitting on the water? Sheesh!

Well I'll tell you why.
My driveway has an incline and when it sets hooked to my rig in front of the garage; there's no oil on the stick.
So I would put it back in the bay but that day the bay was full and I wanted to run it on the muffs - that's why.

BY the way Kudos to BigEd.
I checked my freeboard watermark and once I got it level - - yeah it's full.
Thanks Big Ed.
-br

 

[ziggy]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

Why not check oil level where you will ALWAYS get the most accurate reading. That would be on the water at the dock. You should have oil with you anyway so why not make it part of the pre-start check list. It also gives you an opportunity to do one last "visual" of the engine bay before you leave the dock.

+ it gives ya the chance to do the sniff test for fuel vapors. which is a real good test to do, imho...

Man oh man, why are people over thinking things so much. Pull the stick, clean it, stick it, read it. Your boat will be at more different angles when running and nobody worries, why worry about the boat being on a trailer 2* different than sitting on the water? Sheesh!

hum, well, i had a pwc. first year yamaha 4 stroke. checking the oil level was a major drag. it was a dry sump set up. i could have below L on the stick cold, and above F when warm. checking the oil level was a precise method. in the water, from stone cold, 5000rpm for 5 min. under load. check the level. anything else was a false reading... obviously were talking boats. but the question at hand is not out of line imho..

 

[skargo]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

You can ONLY check your oil if the following conditions are met.

1) It must be on an odd number calendar day.

2) Boat must be on the water with the sun at its highest point.

3) Boat must be facing true magnetic north.

4) If you have any passengers they must stand at the front of the boat facing away from the engine. (shortest in the front)

5) Pull the dipstick from the engine very slowly while saying the pledge of allegiance to the flag.

6) Wipe the oil from the stick with a brand new 100% white virgin cotton tee shirt.

7) If the oil is exactly .033" (use calipers) below the full line you may proceed with having a good day on the water.

If your engine requires oil, send me a self addressed stamped envelope and I will send you the complete 151 page book illustrating the correct way (including chants and drum beats) to add oil to your engines crank case...

Good luck to you sir...

Post of the day!

 

[dvandsm64]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

bolton...

our driveway is on a hill too. i pull rig onto our street and check the oil.

bond-o thanks for a good answer.

 

[boltonranger]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

bolton...

our driveway is on a hill too. i pull rig onto our street and check the oil.

bond-o thanks for a good answer.

I hear you dvandsm64;
but alas my drive and street are a hill.
Thanks for the reply though.

-br

 

[sethjon]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

Ayuh,.... It really don't matter a 'ell of alot....
If the oil level is Anywhere between the Full, 'n Add marks,...

It's Fine...Whether on the trailer, or at the dock....

Amen bond-o. This is the only normal answer I read. When my boat is on the trailer its as level as possible.

 

[boltonranger]

Amen bond-o. This is the only normal answer I read. When my boat is on the trailer its as level as possible.

Amen bond-o. This is the only normal answer I read. When my boat is on the trailer its as level as possible.

Alright since I started the can of worms thread I'll re-iterate
You're not taking into account your trailer jack position OR how the boat sits in the water.

If you're already on a small incline and you crank your trailer jack up
and down you'll change the boats angle;
Change it enough and you read different on the dipstick.
So you want to mimic the position on the water by getting tongue height of the trailer correct.
BigEd had the solution. Level the waterline stain on the boats freeboard.
So simple. So helpful. So "not-snarky".
Thanks AGAIN BigEd - you too Zig.

Who'd of guessed this would have generated so many varied replies.
-br

 

[Evinrude Boater]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

Does anyone check their oil when they get back from a day on the water? I mean, check the color of the oil? That's probably far more important on a daily basis. The Merc manuals recommend checking weekly. Do you want to run it for a week with water in the oil?

 

[Alpheus]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

I do. Im pretty anal about it. Im always on the lookout for the deadly milkshake. Ill check it once or twice a day when Im out for a long day on the water. It only takes a second...

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: Checking oil with boat on trailer - how to do it?

I do. Im pretty anal about it. Im always on the lookout for the deadly milkshake. Ill check it once or twice a day when Im out for a long day on the water. It only takes a second...

....must be 'sumthin' in the water around here (Hampton Roads-Tidewater, Va.)!!!!

Likewise, I'm forever sniffin' and checkin' the oil...even when I'm just exercising the engine on the trailer!!!!