Is the top of the oil dipstick tube removable?
It appears there is an o-ring seal inside the seam at the top, and the two collars gives you the impression that it can be removed.
According to the IPB on the Torreson site yes.
A picture's worth a thousand words.
I wonder if removing that top cap would make changing the oil via dipstick extraction any easier?
I've always had a hard time getting the plastic tube down into the lowest part of the pan and submerged in the oil. This year I'll be trying the Moeller oil extractor for the first time. I've seen some great online reviews, but no instructions came with the pump.
To those who have used this unit, How many pumps of the handle does it take to build a workable vacuum?
Bob,
I haven't personally used this pump but the West Marine Catalog says 15-18 strokes.
Have you thought about pumping from the bottom drain hose?
Mike
I have thought about the bottom drain, but the way the engine is inclined it seems that there is always some oil left in the back of the pan. I know it's not much, 3/4 or 1/2 a quart at most, but I always felt like I was contaminating clean fresh oil with the residual stuff. I never felt like I did the job "right" by leaving it in there.
I doubt that you would get any more our pumping it from the dipstick tube. You can only guess what end of the oil pan the hose is going to wind up at when you go down the dipstick tube.
If you want to try an experiment, after you pump out the oil through the dipstick tube, See if you get any additional oil out of the bottom hose, or vice versa.
It could be a moot point and just depend which way is easiest for YOU.
I use a fairly flexible tube down the dipstick shaft. I have been able to "spin" the tube in the shaft so that the end flops around in the pan. Eventually, after many spins, I get it to the back of the pan and suck out the last of the oil. But it's hit or miss and takes a lot of patience.
This recent topic, reply #3, http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5223.0.html links to another topic that discusses oil changes. There is simply no way to get it all out (unless you're a saint like Bob is), so we're usually "changing" 3/4 or 7/8 of what's there, and the filter. Been good enough for many, many years now.
Guys, Susan and D. Gill : If you ever have to remove the engine; it's a simple task to relocate the oil removal system on the engine to the rear of the oil pan and put a plug in the old hole. Then you can get out almost all of the oil - as the engine is tilted down in the rear when mounted back in the boat.
Bob,
I use the Moeller regularly and it works well. First, I believe you'll use the smaller of the supplied hoses so that you can work it down and then across a few inches of the dip stick shaft. Yes it takes 18 pumps and then let vacuum do its thing. I will ensure the hose stays well in place.
The key is to really warm up the engine so the oil is warm/hot. It will take 15 minutes or more to extract the oil. You can see it stop through the Moeller container. There are instructions.
I get virtually 4 full quarts out.
Hawk