remote oil tank not pumping

[hammerhead225]

have a friend who has 1999 272 sailfish twin ox66 225 yamaha's alarm went off low oil one engine then the other engine same thing oil was in both tanks but could not pump oil even when using switch by oil tank on engine had to pour oil in small tank, must be a wireing prob because what are the odds of both pumps going out [ he just bought boat had been setting a while] thanks any ideas help would help

 

[LeapFrog]

I lost my oil pump two days after buying my Marlin which had sat for about a year... water had been leaking around the bait well and dripped onto the pump itself... had to have it changed at a marina since I was on my way up the intracoastal... they changed the filters at the bottom of the tanks at the same time... was a good thing... they were both almost clogged completely... make sure you check them too... that could be contributing to your problem...

 

[hammerhead225]

thanks i will have him check that out

 

[Enough Already]

Given the age of that boat and if it hasn't been done before, I would remove the oil tanks, check the tank brackets, blow out and reuse all the small lines individually, replace the small filters and put 12v to the motors and see if they are really shot. I would also disconnect and blow out the oil line up to the motor holding tank. Pour all the oil into a bucket and check for sludge in the bottom of the tanks which can clog up the filters and the oil pump motor. When the job is complete, run the oil through a paint strainer to catch any impurities that may have gotten in there over the years. If you have sludging issues, consider recycling the oil and starting fresh. Just did all that to my boat and custom built new tank holddowns out of starboard - never to rust again. arctek on this forum also makes a nice custom aluminum holddown. I ended up replacing both oil pumps and saved one as an emergency backup. There is a possibility that they were both pumping OK but since my floor is screwed and caulked down - I didn't want to mess with anything down there for a few more years. Possibly some overkill on the whole job but I like to eliminate as many future issues as possible when digging in to something like this. Let us know how it works out for your friend.

 

[grady33]

Probably the oil pumps. They tend to rust out over time. Good idea to replace them every several years if you are heading way offshore. I keep a 1-2 gallons of oil on board in case we need to pour some into the tank on the engine. That's what we had to do once when one of my oil pumps went out 40 miles offshore. Saved us from having to be towed.

 

[seasick]

You have a point about both going at the same time. I would look at wiring first, The pumps get a constant 12v when the ignition is on. The signal to pump is a ground on the control lead, so check for 12V first.
If the screen is plugged, the pump will still run, so turn on the ignition, operate the manual fill switch and listen for the pump.

I disagree about changing the pumps every few years as a precaution. How long they last depends to a large extent on how much salt spray/water they get. For my boat, they don't get a lot as my bilge is usually dry. My pump is 10 years old and looks just about new. I replaced the screen early this season since it hadn't been previously changed and it was clear.

 

[Slacktime]

I had a very strange experience with the oil tank pump. During a 4 hour run in my 2000 Adventure 208 with a 150 2 stroke that I just sold this fall from York to Booth Bay Harbor Maine the engine suddenly went into 2000 rpm limiting mode. I think it tried to sound the alarm, but the fuse blew on the instrument console and I had no guages. I shut her down to investigate and at this point I was 3 miles off shore. I discovered that the upper tank was low so I filled it up from a gallon bottle of Yamalube I had on board. After limping in to a Marina in Saco Maine and further investigating, everyone was stumped. During a lull in the investigation, I decided to raise the engine to start troubleshooting the wiring when I hit the emergency switch and suddenly the pump started working. Nearest I can figure, the float switch was stuck in the "full" position on the upper tank and the tilt action of the motor caused it to drop and work again. I did not have any additional trouble on the trip.

 

[Slacktime]

I had a very strange experience with the oil tank pump. During a 4 hour run in my 2000 Adventure 208 with a 150 2 stroke that I just sold this fall from York to Booth Bay Harbor Maine the engine suddenly went into 2000 rpm limiting mode. I think it tried to sound the alarm, but the fuse blew on the instrument console and I had no guages. I shut her down to investigate and at this point I was 3 miles off shore. I discovered that the upper tank was low so I filled it up from a gallon bottle of Yamalube I had on board. After limping in to a Marina in Saco Maine and further investigating, everyone was stumped. During a lull in the investigation, I decided to raise the engine to start troubleshooting the wiring when I hit the emergency switch and suddenly the pump started working. Nearest I can figure, the float switch was stuck in the "full" position on the upper tank and the tilt action of the motor caused it to drop and work again. I did not have any additional trouble on the trip.

 

[grady33]

My only suggestion is that if you head way offshore (saltwater) a lot like I do ... you need to make sure to inspect the remote oil pump(s) yearly. If corroded, I'd consider replacing so as to not ruin a day offshore. I carry two one gallon containers of oil just in case one goes out - I can add to engine tank and still get home.