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Honda oil change

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/14/2007 : 16:50:48

I have no manual and am very ignorant about outboards. How do I change the oil on my engine? Are there multiple reservoirs? (lower unit, upper unit?)

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/14/2007 : 17:06:10

You have a crankcase and a lower gearcase to change... the latter being the same as most outboards. Not having changed the crankcase oil on my Hondas, I'd suggest you look at the manual--download your very own at: http://www.honda-marine.com/owners/OwnerManuals.aspx

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/14/2007 : 17:42:44

Thanks, you did a much better job there than I did, for some reason I only found a link to a third party manual for sale. Thanks again.

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Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 03/14/2007 : 17:51:30

Frank,
The engine drain outlet is a small screw on the opposite side of the engine from the lower drive drain screws. You can see it about the middle of your picture. Just unscrew it and the oil will drain. Unfortunately most of it will run down your lower case as the hole is perpendicular to the ground. Taking out the dipstick will allow the oil to run more smoothly. If you don't want to pull the engine to do it you could suck the oil out from the dipstick/filler hole with a manual pump.

The lower unit is drained the same way but there are two screws, an upper and a lower. Pull them both and let them drain. To refill it you push the fluid in through the lower hole till it comes out the top hole. You can buy a pump to do this or buy a tube of lower end gear lube and squeeze it in. Put the screw back in the top and quickly screw the lower screw in. It gets messy so be advised.

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Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Response Posted - 03/14/2007 : 18:13:07

Thanks, this is just the info I need as well!

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/14/2007 : 20:24:18

To capture the lower unit gear oil, I pull a plastic bag up over the skeg and tape it to the lower unit. I'm thinking the crankcase oil might be controlled by a piece of duct tape, the top of which is fastened under the drain and bottom of which is curled to form a funnel. Rube Goldberg, but it might help.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3468 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2007 : 05:45:36

I have a 2006 Honda 9.9 bought last February. I performed maintenance on it this past fall.
The easiest way to change the oil is to actually suck it up with one of those vacuum pumps they sell in West Marine. I did while my motor was still on my boat in my finger slip. It is a non-mess action. You just shove the vacuum pump tube down the dipstick/oil fill port.

The lower end unit is a bit more tricky. When my boat was hauled out for painting, that is when I did the lower end unit still without ever taking the motor off the boat. First of all, the best way is to make sure you have the Honda adapter fitting to screw into the lower drain hole so you can pump or squeeze the oil out of the oil bottle/tube into the lower hole and keep doing that until the oil starts to drip out the top hole. The Honda oil adapter may have to be oredered from your local mechanic if he does not have one in stock - so get that first.

I did not have that adapter when I did my lower end unit. I could not get it in time, it was still on order. I tried a number of so called adapters that should work but they did not fit. Since I had to do this during the paint period and my days were numbered, i went ahead with some difficulties. First, my engine was brand new and one of the screws was on solid. I could not undo it with a scrwdriver by hand. the paint guys also could not unscrw it. Then we got psyched on getting that screw out so they got their air line out and used a compressed air screwdriver. At 90psi, it would not budge...so they then upped the pressure do it's max which was around 125-130 psi. After 3 or 4 times, ther finally got it to budge. i took it from there.

Without the proper adapter to screw on the bottom, I tried applying a lot of pressure to the fitting I did have against the lower hole as I tied to pump the oil into the port. It was working but as the oil rose inside the resrvoir, the static head on the oil then caused the oil to seep out no matter how much pressure I applied. Wish I had that adapter ! So...I quickly screwed on the lower screw and then using small tube, i filled the reservoir up thru the upper screw hole and then replaced the screw. that is not the best way to do it but i had no choice. the disdvantage of doing it that way, is that it does not minimize any air bubbles from the lower part of the unit. My thought was that since I pumped a lot of oil in thru the lower screw opening, I had minimal air in there anyway. then topped it off.

I also changed the oil filter and fuel filter when I replaced the oil in the upper unit. Only thing I have left is the spark plugs which i will do probably within the month.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2007 : 08:18:09

On the lower unit, given that there's virtually no way to replace the lower drain screw after filling without losing some oil and making a mess (with our without Honda's adaptor), I like Larry's idea of draining, replacing the screw, and then filling from the top with a small tube. That would require some sort of funnel to attach the tube to, or a way to attach it to the oil container (usually a plastic tube). The tube only needs to be small enough not to fit tightly in the hole, so air can escape. I wouldn't worry about air bubbles--you end up with some air in the lower unit no matter what, since you can't fill it above the upper hole. The oil isn't so thick that air won't rise through it.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/15/2007 08:20:24

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2007 : 10:53:58

If you are in a position where you cannot remove the engine, changing the engine oil should take precedence over the lower end. Lower end oil is only there for lubrication and is not subject to the extreme abuse engine oil is. Probably more important is checking for water in your lower end. Since oil floats on water, if you remove the lower screw and no water comes out you can probably skip the lower end change if it is an undue burden unless there is a specific reason you feel the need. Of course you need to let the oil settle for a day or so for the oil to rise. I change mine yearly but it always looks as good when it comes out as when it was put in.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2007 : 12:11:23

My lower came out as a silver gray with charcoal stripes, once mixed in the coffee can I used to catch it the color was pretty dark.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3468 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2007 : 13:45:17

Actually, if doing the lower unit with the right adapter, the oil should not seep out like gangbusters when removing the adapter. The way to minimize the seepage is what I forgot to mention above. If pumping with the adapter, as long as the adapter is in the lower scrw hole, then no oil leaks out. the trick to minimize leakage when removing the adapter is to first replace and slightly tighten the screw in the upper port of the lower end unit. Then...you quickly unscrew the adapter from the lower port and replace and tighten the screw into that port. minimal oil should escape because with the screw in the upper port, the oil inorder to leak out the bottom has to work against the vacuum created with all the oil that is now in the unit. Once the lower port screw is tightened, then you unscrew the upper port screw and once again top off the oil with a little tube into that port. then retighten the screw in the upper port and it is a done job.

Without the adapter...well then you do the best you can do thru the lower port before filling the rest of the way thru the upper port but without that adapter then the oil will seep out while putting it in and even worse when trying to get the screw back in. But I did it that way because i was concerned about the air pockets in the very bottom of the lower unit. Once the oil is in the bottom part, then the rest could be put in the upper port because I believe it is just a vertical reservoir with no real areas where air bubbles will remain or get caught.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2007 : 16:50:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OLarryR
 ...minimal oil should escape because with the screw in the upper port, the oil inorder to leak out the bottom has to work against the vacuum created with all the oil that is now in the unit.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
'Fraid my experience doesn't fit that theory.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3468 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2007 : 20:05:02

Dave,

If you tried it and it did leak out gangbusters, well then I would go by your advice since experience trumps what I had understood but have not yet had the pleasure to try on my new motor.

I now have that Honda adapter and so...............I probably will not check this out for myself until I do maintenance again in the Fall. In theory, it should not leak out that much similar to the experience one has with a straw containing water that does not drip out if one holds their finger over the top part of the straw. But....the lower unit is not a straw and the reality good be a nice oil puddle as you experienced. Now you have me thinking about this a bit more.

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stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2007 : 22:10:05

I bought a manual sucker pump from Westmarine and have used it to change the oil in my Honda. I've also used that little pump to suck up some small amounts of water from my bilge. Its one of the best boat tools I have.

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dblitz
Navigator

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240 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2007 : 12:46:59

Auto supply stores have a screw-on fitting that lets you turn flow on/off as well as having about a 12" clear tube that I always use when I change the oil on my inboard. It screws right on to the oil container so you can invert the oil and twist flow on/off after you stick the clear tube in the engine. No mess no bother.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2007 : 13:15:03

[quote]Originally posted by OLarryR
 ...In theory, it should not leak out that much similar to the experience one has with a straw containing water that does not drip out if one holds their finger over the top part of the straw./quote]
I think the main difference is that the straw has no air at the top, below your finger. Since air can expand and compress rather easily, the little bit above the upper screw allows some oil to seep out as you rush to get the lower screw treaded in. Another difference is the straw trick might not work unless the staw is vertical so the opening at the bottom is at least close to horizontal. Not so with the Honda...

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