Oil Quantity question

[Redboat]

1989 7.4 litre 330 HP
I just had the boat winterized by a new marine mechanic and he put 7 quarts of oil in as per the Merc manual . Now the dipstik reads over full . Should the boat be at the level it sits in the water or valve covers level or air cleaner level when you check it ? He did run the engine after changing oil and filter , so the filter and oil lines are full . My old mechanic passed away this summer , so I can't ask him quantity he put in . It has always read correctly before sitting on the trailer with the air cleaner close to level .
Redboat

 

[Redboat]

After reading more of the Merc. manual , it states the boat should be at rest in the water when checking oil level . I put the tongue of the trailer on a step ladder to check it and it's still overfull at 7 quarts . Big block in a Senator sits deep in the water .

 

[vinny p.]

Here is where your problem most likely lies.... The Merc manual quotes how much oil the engine holds when fully drained. If your mechanic sucked the old oil out through the dip stick, there will always be a good amount of oil left in the pan. If the stick says its overfull, it is.

 

[Redboat]

Thanks vinny p , you hit the nail on the head !
I'll have him suck out the extra next spring before I start it up .
Redboat

 

[smallblockford]

i winterize a ton of boats every year and it is very easy to not get all the oil out of the moter. I usually find a 7.4 with the oil filter mounted externally not on the engine block to hold about 7.5 quarts when completly empty.

when you go to suck the oil out it is good to run the boat first and get the oil nice and hot that away it will suck out easier.

 

[dreamer]

I had the same problem last week. I had the boat winterized last week the machanic called me and asked how much oil because he had put 6 quarts in and it read over fill.

 

[EightSecV6]

you should probably start it first to fill the new oil filter up and then it may be at the correct level, possibly.

 

[dreamer]

What exactly happens to an engine with too much oil??

 

[EightSecV6]

What exactly happens to an engine with too much oil??

the crank will "whip" it and create foam which could cause the oil pump to cavitate resulting in bearing failure.

 

[Big Red]

None of this will really matters because you all need to change your oil in the spring again anyway before you use your boats. The engine sitting all winter long will get a bunch of condensation from heating and cooling down from the air outside in the winter time. This creates the engine to sweet and all that moisture gets into the oil. And if none of your mechanics can get the oil level right I would find somebody else to work on my boat.

 

[happy]

no one mentioned how small the new filters are?? the std filter is only 1/2 qt capacaty instead of 1 qt.. "race filters" hold a bit less capacity too..