oil change after winter???

[a1akeywest]

Hello,,

How many people change their oil in the fall,,, store for the winter,,, then change it again in the spring?


if so why??

thanks a lot,,

Mike

 

[Biged007]

Re: oil change after winter???

I'll prob. gt spanked for this I put her to bed with the summers oil and change in the spring to get rid of any condensation.

 

[cr2k]

Re: oil change after winter???

Oil (all lubrication) is best done during winterization, or at end of season.
Why, you ask?

Come on ask.

Ok lets say you got a little bit of water in your drive. When this sits over the winter it will "fall out" of the water and you will have water in the bottom of your drive/engine which will rust the bearings, etc. Same for any grease that may be in the surfaces that get greased. Trunnions, wheel bearings, etc.

So if you do a complete lube service in the fall, she will ready to go in the spring, no additional changes needed. Spring is time for tune up and go!

 

[wca_tim]

Re: oil change after winter???

that, and acids buld up from combustion and engine wear... detergents lose effectiveness as temperature drops, so more carbon soot and other particulate settles out of the oil forming sludge at the worst time - when it get's to sit and set up...

same for drive and gears... no complaints about practices of others.. but I'll change mine near the very end of the year thanks...

Then again... I usually run diuring the winter some - the prospect of running fast and hard while the air is cool and dense is just too tempting!

 

[Evinrude Boater]

Re: oil change after winter???

A fellow boater told me he changes his in the spring since oil is only good for 90 days after it's opened and exposed to oxygen. That surprised me. So when I don't use the entire jug of oil I should just dump it????

 

[John_S]

Re: oil change after winter???

Fall and Spring? Nope.

Mine doesn't get enough hours to even begin to turn black with hydrocarbons. It's still a very golden color in the fall, so don't believe there is a risk with acids. I change mine in the spring. The drive is stored inside with the oil from the season use. I do drain off just enough to know it doesn't have water in it.

If you are concerned, change it in fall. Any condesation that is in there will boil/steam off after first use.

I've never heard of an expiration date on oil that has been opened and exposed to air. ??? That's a new one on me

 

[Silvertip]

Re: oil change after winter???

The very minute you start the engine after an oil change, oil contamination begins. The more idling or slow speed operation you do the quicker that contamination builds up. Change it along with other fluids in the fall and go boating in the spring. Oil in an enclosed container will not go bad in 90 days (or 90 months for that matter).

 

[Brewman61]

Re: oil change after winter???

A fellow boater told me he changes his in the spring since oil is only good for 90 days after it's opened and exposed to oxygen. That surprised me. So when I don't use the entire jug of oil I should just dump it????

I'd hesitate to believe that oil is only good for 90 days once you break the seal. If that was the case, I'd think there would be warnings of that type on the container.
My boat's motor oil runs one calendar year. Dirty oil out after the season is done, replaced by clean oil (and filter of course). Run that same oil all season, so it's well over 90 days old before it even see service duty in the spring.
I'm calling twaddle on this one.

 

[ziggy]

Re: oil change after winter???

my engine is old. i used it every weekend this summer (end march to mid oct. many two day trips) and my oil certainly turns black.
i change oil at end of season. just like the s/m states to do.
i figure it's best to store the engine w/o the past seasons contaminates that have developed in the oil over the season.
i don't change it in the spring, though i may change it half way through the season just to be sure i'm doing the best i can at giving the engine good lub during the season. i inadvertently did an oil change mid season this past season due to an engine pull + oil pan replacement.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: oil change after winter???

If you notice an issue with the old oil or notice a problem in your end of year inspection you have all winter to get it fixed. Changing your oil again in the spring is a waste.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: oil change after winter???

To repeat what I stated in an earlier post.. I store my used oil in a 5 gal pickle bucket until its full enough to take to the recycle place . I notice after oil sits in the bucket for 7-9 months before its dumped, there is always the dark dirty sediment at the bottom of the bucket that doesn't want to pour out. I would rather change my oil sooner then later so all the suspended contaminants dont have a chance to sink to bottom of my oil pan and set up as sludge. Among all the other reasons that have allready been listed

 

[642mx]

Re: oil change after winter???

I change mine in the fall and once in the middle of the season. Letting old oil sit in your block is just asking for sludge... oil suspends the crap, but if it sits long enough, the crap goes right to the bottom and tends to stick. As far as condensation goes, the engine will burn that off on the first trip of the year. I do the drive oil the same way.

 

[Bluestream]

Re: oil change after winter???

Hello,,

How many people change their oil in the fall,,, store for the winter,,, then change it again in the spring?


if so why??

thanks a lot,,

Mike

If you are not using in over the winter, there is no need to change it again. Any small amount of moisture in the oil will be burned off very quickly.

 

[sethjon]

Re: oil change after winter???

Hello,,

How many people change their oil in the fall,,, store for the winter,,, then change it again in the spring?


if so why??

thanks a lot,,

Mike

You could do that but its over kill. Change it in the spring and its fresh for the season.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: oil change after winter???

Hello,,

How many people change their oil in the fall,,, store for the winter,,, then change it again in the spring? if so why??

They change it in the fall (prior to "layup") because ALL the manufacturers recommend it for all the reasons noted above.

Some change it again in the spring for recreation. ..........and maybe they have a neighbor like me with a waste oil furnace in their shop who told them they must change it again, just to be sure!!!!!

 

[Jeepster04]

Re: oil change after winter???

We change the oil in our boats in the spring. Something about letting the oil sit in the engine all winter then using it all summer just doesn't agree with me. Change it in the spring and it has fresh oil for the summer. Not really too worried about sludge personally, never had a problem with it.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: oil change after winter???

We change the oil in our boats in the spring. Something about letting the oil sit in the engine all winter then using it all summer just doesn't agree with me. Change it in the spring and it has fresh oil for the summer. Not really too worried about sludge personally, never had a problem with it.

So you allow oil that has been used all summer to sit in the engine all winter?

Whether you have "never had a problem" or not, If those were new engines and you had any sort of oil related problem, like excessive oil burn etc, and the manufacturer discovered that you don't change the oil (like they recommend) they would probably deny a warranty claim.


Here's what Mercruiser recommends at http://www.mercurymarine.com/servic...qs/mercruiser/?category=maintenance#ChangeOil

Is it better to change my engine oil/gear lube at the beginning or end of the season?

It is better to change the oil and gear lube at the end of the season, prior to storage. Lubricants naturally accumulate moisture, combustion by-products, and other contaminants during use. It can be detrimental to store an engine or drive with large amounts of these contaminants present.

I have never understood why anyone thinks it's ok to leave an engine unused for months on end with used oil in it....

 

[Jeepster04]

Re: oil change after winter???

None of our boats have warranty so thats not an issue. Three of our engines are 20 years old, one is 4 years old(Jet Ski), another is 3 years old.. All are doing just fine using this method..

Its just a personal preference really, everyone gets so upset over oil though. We also don't use the recommended oil weight.

 

[John_S]

Re: oil change after winter???

Is it better to change my engine oil/gear lube at the beginning or end of the season?

It is better to change the oil and gear lube at the end of the season, prior to storage. Lubricants naturally accumulate moisture, combustion by-products, and other contaminants during use. It can be detrimental to store an engine or drive with large amounts of these contaminants present.

Agreed.

 

[fossill]

Re: oil change after winter???

Yup, best to do as the manufacturer says, but then again a boat engine will crater from a non-related oil issue long before it does from using incorrect grade or incorrect service intervals.