SDFever

Mine for some reason, turns the oil jet black only after 1 or more hours of use (not even wot). Started out using Merc 25/40 and then switched to Royal Purple 20/50. Tried changing it twice in a row only after about 8 hours each time and still gets very dark very quick.

It's seemingly way to dark to me but the motor runs perfect. Is it not a big deal?

Also, sent a sample to be analyzed. Came back with generic, vague report from Blackstone Labs in Indiana. Said it was fine with no abnormalities but they could not explain the dark color. Has to be carbon - no?

???????

MikeyFIN

Blowby causes blackness if it comes on that fast, are you sure you got all old oil from the engine out when you make the changes?

I´d measure your engines blowby, a compression test won´t suffice.

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

How are you changing your oil?
Which filter are you using? (I recommend the Napa Wix Racing 51060R; best filter out there.)

Advisable method is warm you engine up to suspend all dirt particles in the oil, (so not resting on engine parts); and to thin the oil for faster draining.

Then, pop a hole in the top of the oil filter with a screwdriver, which will allow all of the oil in the filter to drain back to the pan.

Then, use the oil drain tube, and let it drain overnight. Make sure you boat is tilted nose up on the trailer, or wherever you have it sitting. The oil drain tube is at the back center of the pan, so make sure you have the boat level side to side, and nose pointed up; to alleviate any (dark/old) oil sitting in the pan.

Sucking oil out the dipstick tube is NOT the preferred oil change method for ANY motor.

35 fountain

Sydwayz - popping a hole in the filter is definatlely the wrong way - all you have to do is loosen it just beyond where the rubber gasket makes contact so air can get into the filter as the oil drains down - no mess at all and no ripping metal. Yes the engine should be warmed up to suspend the dirt particles and to thin the oil. Where did you get the idea that sucking it out of the dipstick was not the perfererd method? Boaters have been doing it for decades and I am still using my Jabsco electric pump even though I have the drain tubes. The motors take 9 quarts with a filter and that is what I put in and it takes me right back to the full mark so I must be pulling 9 quarts out through the dip stick. I dont think that the oil turning dark after 8 hours is an issue. Does it look black on the dipstick or is it black on the paper towel when you wipe the dipstick? Is it burning any oil? What is the oil temperature it is running at 3500, 3800 and WOT?

SDFever

Poking a hole or lossening the filter is acceptable by me. I can't use the dipstick method. Motor is too close to bulkhead. Instead, level the boat, tilt up not much because the drain hose is located almost center of pan so too high and you're leaving a lot of old oil in... Simply pull the drain hose through the bilge drain hole and use a fluid extractor. Works very well and no need to drain overnight. REGARDLESS of how you drain the oil, you will NEVER get it all. I get out everything I put in so I got that down.

There was a question about filter-- first, used Merc filter, then Napa Gold 1060 (slightly larger), and might try the heavy duty Donaldson just to see. Westcoast suggested a K@N. Maybe that one too but no filter will affect dark coloring that much. This is probably just a characteristic of this engine but I sure appreciate everyones input.

SDFever

Sydwayz,

Just curious why you say that sucking it out of dipstick is not good for any motor??? Marinized engines (most of them) have the dipstick tube that goes all the way to bottom center of the pan only leaving maybe an inch away from dead bottom of pan... If you've ever looked at most oil pans on our trucks, even when put on a rack and draining by removing the drain plug, you still don't get all oil out. With due respect, isn't this all pretty much the same thing minus a few drops that could not possibly matter much??

Fountainclimber

Sydwayz is correct. Sucking oil out of the dipstick leaves almost a quart of dirty oil in the pan. It is worth the $20 to get drain hoses. (Which is when you'll find out how much oil is left in the pan).

monstaaa

dip stick is not efficient enough at removing all the oil. drain hose is. i myself use the hole in filter method. however i usually run the engine or boat. after its good and warm, shut it down. come back an hour later and suck out the old oil.
we service about 20 496's a week, maybe a little less, and this has been proven to be most effective at removing as much old oil as possible.

just a question, does the oil smell like fuel? i have had a couple of engines come in with black oil.

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

If you use the Napa/Wix Racing Filter as I do; with the anti-drain back valve, loosening the filter does not work. You have to puncture it at the top dead center. Also, I have found that if you loosen the filter enough to get air in, you are going to get oil out, and I don't like the mess.

The filter trick was taught to me by one of the best marine mechanics I have ever met; as such I believe him. (Pwrbt33 here on OSO.) I have a specific screwdriver optimized for the task. It is the perfect length to go all the way through the filter, yet not past the filter. I have it sharpened to a blunt point at the end. Works great.

Think of how big the bottom surface area of your oil pan is. Then think of how much volume of oil that is; just 1" tall. That's is EASILY a quart.

Your 496 should have come with the pan drain tube installed from the factory. Its the ONLY way to go. So much so, that I installed it on my old 500EFI. I sucked all of the oil out via the dipstick tube, and then pulled the drain plug to install the tube. I still had at LEAST a quart drain out into my bilge. Talk about a black ugly mess!!

BTW, my PSD Ford has the oil drain plug on the very bottom center of the pan, and the pan tapers down from the 4 corners; as such I am sure that I get all of the oil out; less just a smidgen left from the ridges of the threads of the hole.

SDFever

Well then,

There you have it. I stand corrected. After spending a considerable amount of time inspecting the locations of both, the dipstick tube and the drain hose, they "seemed" to be the same height from the bottom of the oil pan from what I could see.

thanks a lot guys!
jason