GIVE YOUR ENGINE A NEW YEAR TREAT

Possibly two of the most important items of maintenance are regular changing of the engine oil and filter. I know that these are slightly unpleasant and sometimes messy tasks, (I just have to look at some of my once good clothes, covered in oil splats when I've taken the tube out of the dipstick hole and it's flicked everywhere) to prove it. It should be changed at least annually or at intervals laid down by the manufacturer.

Most engines are drained via a tube inserted into the dipstick hole, then sucked out using a pump. This is obviously done when the engine oil is hot to make extraction easier. I also generally wrap a cloth around the pump body (it can get quite hot to hold). If you can drain the oil via the sump bung under the engine, ensure that you can remove the full draining tray without having to tilt it before starting the job. The last boat I had, I drained the sump into a container, then found that I couldn't remove the container. It took an awful long time to clean out my bilges! It's also well worth changing the oil filter at the same time, especially the 'Spin on' type. If they are difficult to remove it may need a proper filter remover. They aren't expensive and are well worth it!

Another method is to 'stab' the canister with a screwdriver and use this to provide the necessary leverage for unscrewing. Once the old filter is off the new one may be fitted after smearing a drop of clean oil on the rubber sealing ring, then screw home as tightly as possible by hand pressure only! After filling the engine with new oil to the mark on the dipstick, it should be run up to the normal working temperature so that the filter can be checked for leaks, although it is very rare for a 'spin on' type of filter to leak as they are so simple to change. Turn off the engine and wait for 10 to 15 minutes, then recheck your oil level. When running your engine always run it under load, ie in gear. Happy oil changing and I'm sure that your engine will appreciate it. Just a note: If your engine won't start after you've turned it over a couple of times, relax, take a deep breath and turn off the cooling water sea-cock. Try again a little later, remembering of course to turn on the sea-cock! If you do persist the exhaust can get filled with sea water which eventually enters the cylinders, which can then result in a very costly engine strip down and rebuild, so be warned! (Always follow your own manufacturer's instructions)!

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