1995 Yamaha Twin 2 Stroke 200 SW series oil filter question

[JB]

1995 SailFish w Twin 2 Stroke Yamaha 200 Salt Water Series...
Had for 250 hours over 3 seasons now .... winterized at local yard.... had leaking pwr tilt which yard recommended local yamaha guy as he is more familar... did it.. all is fine... decided to have him check water pumps and change impellers as I hear that should be done every couple of years and one side was spitting less than the other so I thought it a good time... While booking it, the yamaha guy strongly suggested I change the oil tank filters, drain & clean oil tanks... this is something he said should be done yearly... he had a 282 grady with live well removed and showed me where the filters are which are identically tough to get at on my 272..
my question is... does anybody else change these filters and clean the oil tanks and if so ... how often should it be done... mind you I have had no oil issues besides a little smoke off the starbord unit upon start up..
Thanks in advance,

 

[seasick]

I have never replaced those filters. I do check that my secondary tank is getting filled. If they get blocked, you will eventually get a low oil alarm from the secondary oil tank sensor. As long as you have oil on board, you can fill that tank and get home with no problems. So, is it worth doing that maintenace? I don't think so.
As to changing impellers on a regular basis: There are strong opinions on both sides. I think it is a waste of money, especially with twin motors. Depending on where you boat and what you suck up, I find that impellers can last a long time. Again, when they fail, you will usually get warnings. In addition, even new impellers can suffer catastrophic failure under the right ( or wrong) conditions.
I wait for the other side to respond...

 

[Grog]

I'd to the filters every other year at a minimum. If you have an exterior oil fill I'd change them every year to see if there was water in the oil. On a new (to you) boat purchase I'd drain, clean and refill the tank(s).

For impellers, every other year should do. They aren't hard to do yourself and the parts don't cost that much.

 

[seasick]

I'd to the filters every other year at a minimum. If you have an exterior oil fill I'd change them every year to see if there was water in the oil. On a new (to you) boat purchase I'd drain, clean and refill the tank(s).

For impellers, every other year should do. They aren't hard to do yourself and the parts don't cost that much.

I just went back to the parts diagram to check. There is a strainer not exactly a filter connected to the hose that connects to the bottom of the oil tank. On my boat it is a real pain to get to, I have to pull the tank. Like I said earlier, in the spring I check the oil flow using the manual overide button on the motor. If all is OK, I won't bother pulling the tank and checking the screen.
My impeller: 4 seasons and counting. I haven't decided if i will change it in the spring. I have good water flow and no issues. For me boating is bay or near shore. I don't want to break down but that is why I have towing and a lot of boating friends

 

[JUST-IN-TIME]

yes every year, unless you want to have an alarm go off

it is in the maintenance schedule's here

http://switchbait.com/forums/showthread.php?t=657

 

[seasick]

According to the Yamaha service manual for the SX200, there is no mention that I can find of routine maintenance for the oil strainer on the primary oil tank. There is no mention in the owners manual either.

 

[JUST-IN-TIME]

http://66.221.91.35/TechPhotos/Yamaha%2 ... Models.pdf

 

[gw204]

There is no mention in the owners manual either.

That's the main problem with owners manuals. The only things they tell you about are the stupid little things you can do yourself that the dealers probably don't make much money off of... Ever seen VST service, low pressure fuel pumps, oil tank maintenance, decarb, etc. in an owners manual?

I replaced the oil tank strainers on my engines this spring. I also cleaned the tanks out by sloshing around about a quart of diesel fuel in them and pumping the diesel through the transfer pumps. Then I removed the pumps and flushed the diesel out by pumping a good amount of fresh TCW3 through them. Finished cleaning the tanks by sloshing around a hot water/dish detergent mix, rinsed them thoroughly several times with hot water and let them dry for several days before reassembling everything.

 

[BobP]

In the air space in the oil tank and all the length of 1.5 inch filler hose on remote fill if you have one, water condenses from the air just like in the gas tank and it's filler hose, particularly during high relative humidity days, not all days and seasons of the year.

The water and oil seperate entirely, water goes to bottom, forms sludge as well as staying free water depending how long it is there.
The oil pickup is at the bottom. Need I say more?

If you do empty your oil tank and find something other than oil still remaining at the bottom, you won't have to ask what that stuff is. The free water will come out with the good oil so you will have to seperate that differently if you still want to use the remaining good oil.

As far as the filter getting plugged, it's an awefully small filter with little capacity, if it gets plugged, are you sure the applicable alarms will sound when the oil is used up in the oil tank in the boat or the other one on the motor ?
Have you ever functionally tested the alarms, all of them?
If not, why not?

As far as not having problems with the oil system so far, you will find out there's a problem when the motor starts a faint knocking noise, you with immediately feel a pit in your stomach and loss of appetite, followed with a mechanics bedside chat and 6500 buck repair bill with a 2-3 week layup.

The oil filter is about 11 bucks.
To functionally test the alarms costs 0 bucks.

------------------------
With the water pump, depends on how many hours and how much bottom you pick up and suck through pump. Only you would know that, not your mechanic, hence Yamaha schedule being conservative.

 

[BobP]

I didn't mention a faulty O ring seal at the remote oil fill port since I figured everyone knows water is not a lubricant, but water will pump equally the same to all those lubication points internal to motor.

No alarm for turning your oil tank into a water tank, to functionally test.

 

[seasick]

There is a water trap on the engine oil tank. I always check that and assume that if there is no water in the trap, there is litttle or no water in the remote tank. In addition, if the screen gets plugged, the flow will be reduced. If it is less than the needed amount the engine tank will empty and the low oil alarm will trigger.

I see the reference in Just In Times post for the filter replacement (2005 manual,). It was not in the 2000 manual. Interesting. I wonder if the early set ups have screens and the later have actual filters. Well, next spring I will have a look.
Thanks for the info

 

[Gman25]

My oil tank filter clogged on me once on my sailfish w/ HPDI's. The horn sounded on the port engine that turned out to be low oil level on the engine tank. I tried to fill it using the switch bypass but it wouldnt fill. After pulling out the boat oil tank I found the small inline oil filter. I removed the filter and blew into it against the arrow and a wad of may have been paper towl fragment blew out. I reinstalled and was good to go.

From what I recall after buying an extra filter to leave on the boat, it was a bit pricey @ about $15.

2005 300 Marlin w/F250's

 

[fishingFINattic]

It is not that bad too do - took me about four hours for both motors on 265 express and cost about $30 for the parts.
The fluid was gunky looking at the very bottom and I felt it was a service worth doing.
Took advantage of having the tanks out and cleaned the entire area.
Good luck!
Tim

 

[JUST-IN-TIME]

its not going to be in any service manual

it is going to be in the schedule manuals, that all techs never get unless you go to factory training!!!

 

[SlimJim]

its not going to be in any service manual

it is going to be in the schedule manuals, that all techs never get unless you go to factory training!!!

don't you have anything better to do on a sunday morning?? hehehe :lol:

 

[JUST-IN-TIME]

what

watch the 49ers loose, HAHA

 

[JB]

Hey all! Thanks so much... I am convinced that changing the oil filter or should I say screen and clean out the tanks is the right thing to do...
some of you also mentioned "testing alarms"... how would I go about doing it?
Thanks in advance again.

 

[JUST-IN-TIME]

you have 2 filters on all yami boat engines with a yami tank

one one motor
one on boat oil tank

 

[BobP]

Very simple way to truly test alarms, here's one to test the tank on the motor - this you will not see in the manuals either.

FOR DIYers ONLY:
you wil be wasting you time asking the mechanic to do this as well as get laughed out of shop.

----------------------------------------------
Get a used container - like the one windshield washer / non-toxic antifreeze fluid comes in (I have plenty of these every year), cut off the upper 1/3, clean it out of all traces of fluid. Or a similar container just as flexible.

Scott towel heavily the area under the motor oil tank around the cowl (just in case).

See the clear drip tube on the bottom of the tank with the nylon wire tie?

Turn on ignition switch. Don't run motor.

Position the container under the tank, squeeze the container to get good coverage under the drip tube. You may way to use duck tape or rope it in place. You may want to cut the top of the container at an angle to better fit under there.

Make sure you have at least a gallon of oil in boat tank.

Now cut the wire tie off and do it without even making a nick in the vinyl tube (you can guess why).

Pay very careful of what's goint to happen next, look for water initially - water is clear and less viscous - it will not mix with oil.

Now pull down the clear drip tube and let the fluid run into the container, let it go free bore.

If you missed the initial start of the fluid for visual signs of water, too late.

As the oil drops below the lower line on tank, you should see fresh oil enter the tank rear upper - coming down the inside of the rear (towards behind boat) wall of tank. If you see no fresh oil entering - take note, and continue test.

The oil entering will be unable to keep up with oil draining, notice at what point in level the alarm sounds, if it does sound. If the oil drains out and no alarm, end test.

Re-attach drip tube. Add new wire tie. Turn off igntiion. Clean up the mess if you made one (practice makes perfect!)

If fresh oil doesn't enter tank, find out why.

If a few drops of water pop out of drip tube and / or nipple that's ok, not any more than that. You are supposed to do the annual drip tube thing, try to clean out drip tube when off - it gets green colored inside from the oil, you need another tube or something else to close of the tank nipple while you do this - I use a piece of 5/16" fuel hose with a bolt in free end.

If the alarm doesn't sound, you owe me a beer, and you keep the 6500 buck powerhead job and 3 week down time avoided.

If you want to test the boat oil tank too, you can keep going on same test, best to do this when boat oil tank is already near first alarm point otherwise the container will overflow, so use a second container - have it standing by to swap fast. If you have a helper can verfy the oil tank level indicators on panel gauge too.

All the oil you drained can be reused if not contaminated by water.

There are several alarms and indications in total, both for the boat tank and motor tank, make sure all work as explained in owners manual

Each tme you start motor make sure warning horn works, if it doesn't sound when you start motor, get it checkout out right away.

Cost to do functional test = 0 bucks (unless counting one nylon wire tie!)

 

[Tucker]

How 'bout premixing and getting rid of all that crap. No worries about if all that suff is going to work correctly. Most of the time when these 2-strokes blow up it is because of a failure with the oil injection system. The Yamaha is the best system but requres high maintenance every year. The guys with HPDI's can't premix and must clean and flush like Bob says.