Hi all
On my recent trip across the Gulf of Mexico FL to TX when motoring we seemed to use a bunch of oil in the W40 how much oil should I be using for a given amount of hours?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Ed
SV "Moonlight Mile" #110
Ed,
I change the Oil in Sea Dragon every 100 hours. When I change the oi,l our W40 will be about a 1/4 of a quart low on oil.... This may not be what you wanted to hear, but....
The below link will show the process I have come up with for changing the Oil in our Westerbeke 40... This may or may not be helpful.
http://www.sailingseadragon.com/winterize.htm (http://www.sailingseadragon.com/winterize.htm)
Garner
When I purchased Maruska the tach/hour meter was disconnected. From many tell tale details, I know that the engine was rebuilt at least once or extensively reworked, so I have no clue how many hours are on the motor. When I dropped it back in, I installed synthetic 10w30 oil.
On the first few legs on the trip home from Maryland, the engine was a sow on oil. I suspect much of this was the synthetic aspect. It ate approx. 1 qt every 4 hours of operation. I quickly ran out of synthetic oil and switched over to standard diesel grade oil. Unfortunately, the pig fest only slowed and replacement oil was in hot demand. When we reached the Erie cannel, I switched over to 10w40 and the problem was solved after the first or second replacement quart. I really couldn't tell the engine was smoking at all until we entered the lock system. When we would throttle up in the lock (an enclosed box), it would at first puff a blue cloud. This went away after the first day on 10w40. Over the next 6 days and approx. 350 miles of 10 hours per day operation, the engine did not burn a Dixie cup of oil. For the rest of the 07 season, oil consumption was nil.
I suspect that the engine is worn enough that 10w40 bridges the gap so to speak. I will shortly change the oil again and I will stick with 10w40, works for me! I hope this helps...
Good Sailing... Dale Tanski
I have a WB 40 in my 1981 cutter model.
Can you determine if you have any oil leaks? I have been trying to track down various drips over the years and have most of them down to a minimum now. I don't burn much oil. Maybe 1/2 quart between oil change? Hard to tell. I use straight SAE 30.
Richard,
I have one very annoying leak at the oil pan plug. When I had the motor out I popped that plug and drained the oil out. I should have known better because it was all gooped up with gasket sealer. When I dropped the motor back in and filled the oil up with in 15 min. I had a drip. I removed the plug and went with a softer plug gasket with little improvement. I then gooped the gasket up and it is much better. It is a bugger to get at. I am planning to install a section of hose with a valve at the end that leads to the bilge to make oil changes nice and easier.
Except for that leak I do not have even a weep from anywhere else.
Dale
That is interesting because I had the same problem. I removed the oil drain plug the first time I changed the oil after I got the boat in 1997, then realized that I could extract the oil through the dipstick tube. In fact, I was told that the tube is designed so that it reaches all the way to the bottom of the oil sump, so that you only need to put a hose over the outer end of the tube. I normally use an oil changer that has a thin tube that extends down into the dipstick tube.
Anyway, I noticed that the oil drain plug was dripping slowly a few years ago, and tried to re-seat it. It is very hard to get to, as you say. I used a mirror and tried to get all of the old gasket goop off the surfaces on the oil pan. I tried using some blue gasket sealant, but that did not help. I think the last thing I did was to get a brand new plug, with a new washer, and it seems OK now.
I guess draining the oil from there would be preferable, but I am reluctant to try to replace the plug with another fitting. I would worry that the new part would not fit down there, or that I would not be able to get it to seal.
I've had a go at the drain plug as well.
I've never felt good about draining the oil out the dip stick.
I was able to get a deal on a QuikDrain Oil removal system a year or so ago.
I like you, had a hell of a time getting to it (The plug that is.)
Serendipitisly I also had a leak in the drain plug in the transmission. That plug would not budge so I removed the tranny. Not really that big a deal. Four bolts that attach it to the engine and four to the universal joint on the shaft. Then a healthy tap with a mallet. Voila! Oh, I forgot the two bolts on the shift!
It took me three tries to seal the Tranny plug, so I became an expert at removing and installing the Paragon tranny. My boom vang became a very handy "Come along" during the installation phase.
With the tranny out, I had better access to the engine drain plug, but still needed a mirror to see it. The plug supplied by QuickDrain could not be used because the 90 fitting was to big to turn a full 360 degrees without making contact with the slope of the hull. I ended up jury rigging a 1/4 inch nipple and a street 45 elbow that just made it possible to miss the hull.
Thinking about it after the fact I wonder if it would have make sense to loosen the motor mount bolts and then slightly tilt the front of the engine with a small jack or jack screws. Visability and access would improve substantially. By not loosening the bottom engine mount bolts, it would not require aligning the engine and shaft.
The pump by the way is a joy.
Henri Hali
SV Windrider
Henri,
Great information! I think I will be doing the drain plug drain system. I also do not like the dip stick route as I feel the worst of the crud is got to be on the bottom of the pan, and I am sure that suction on the dip stick will not get that stuff out. If you have not mounted your oil filter remotely, that's another must do. It eliminates the mess when you unscrew the filter and mine is right out front where you can easily get at it.
Good Sailing... Dale Tanski
Pictures Guys Please
Hey it would be nice to see what you all are talking about "a picture speaks a thousand words"
Ed
Ed:
You're right. Pictures do tell the whole story.
I'm afraid it's a little late for me to do that, since I've reinstalled the tranny.
If you think it would be of help, I'd be happy to talk to you one on one and walk through the process with you.
let me know,
Henri Hali
SV Windrider