Anybody ever modded a pump insecticide sprayer to dispense oil?

[slug zitski]

Good tool for boats is an offset funnel


typically the most frustrating oil top off is the navtec hydraulic tank

up high under the deck is some location that you must find with a flashlight

 

[Quickstep192]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. The comments and ideas have caused me to do some deep introspection.

I think what I’m really trying to do is gain some efficiency. I like working on the boats, but I don’t love doing oil changes. It’s usually cold and I’d like to minimize time spent just standing around.

Ideally, I’d have a way for the oil to get into the engine while I go do something else. That way I could get the oil going in to one boat while I go do something else on the other boat.

For now, I’m going to upsize the hose on my oil IV bucket. I’ve got a whole year to think about it.

 

[steele]

Chevron sells oil in quart, 2 1/2 gallon and even 5 gallon buckets. Most places that service the marine industry have the larger sizes, even WM.
A 100W incandesant bulb in a metal clamp light above a cardboard box will do a decent job of warming up oil in the original plastic containers.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Will you be starting a thread on waste oil disposal soon?

 

[Marcjsmith]

Day before you decide to change the oil....put the bottles of new oil in a cooler, then plug in a heating pad put the heating pad inside the cooler. Close cooler . When ready to leave. Unplug heating pad. Take warm cooler full of oil to the boat.

 

[167149]

i've found that one of those drill driven jabsco pumps works a treat for this, handy to have onboard as they'll pump most fluids in both directions, adapt it to use common garden hose which gets binned after each use, super easy to clean just make sure you're using the nitrile impellor though, I've built a bigger one for the workshop with a 3/4" jabsco pumprun of a 3/4hp AC motor that'll damn near pump anything

 

[SimonGH]

The garden sprayer works well. I just cut off the spray tip, and it works perfectly for both gear oil and regular motor oil.
It's much neater because you literally can squeeze the trigger and oil comes out. Most have a trigger lock that then allows you to then keep it flowing.
If you put the correct amount in the jug then you can just let it go and come back when empty...

 

[Grrr...]

The most important thing when adding new oil to a engine is keeping it clean. A simple funnel in the valve cover inlet makes this a 10min job on pretty much any small diesel. Getting old oil out of a engine there are a lot of ways some good some bad but putting new oil in Keep it simple.

This is where a transfer pump with a very small hose that fits the dipstick tube is a lifesaver.

 

[jamhass]

I installed a reversible oil transfer pump permanently plumbed to the drain of my engine. One of the BEST purchases ever. Oil changes are now quick, easy and most importantly immaculately clean.

 

[DDW]

+1 on that. On my trawler, it is a three way, changing the engine, reduction gear, and genset. Can do all three in about 15 minutes with little mess.

On the trawler NL genset and the sailboat Volvo main, the engineers committed the mortal sin of mounting the oil filter sideways. The CEO and all management staff should be publicly caned for that. More mess there than anywhere else. On the NL genset, I've recently mounted a 90 deg adapter which fixes it. I may see if I can do the same on the Volvo.

 

[Quickstep192]

I installed a reversible oil transfer pump permanently plumbed to the drain of my engine. One of the BEST purchases ever. Oil changes are now quick, easy and most importantly immaculately clean.

I like that immaculately clean part!
I’m assuming you’re reversing the pump and pumping new oil in through the drain?

Can you describe a little bit about how you switch between the container that accepts the dirty oil and the container that supplies the new oil?

 

[feralcomp]

I installed a reversible oil transfer pump permanently plumbed to the drain of my engine. One of the BEST purchases ever. Oil changes are now quick, easy and most importantly immaculately clean.

Fooking brilliant.

 

[jamhass]

I like that immaculately clean part!
I’m assuming you’re reversing the pump and pumping new oil in through the drain?

Can you describe a little bit about how you switch between the container that accepts the dirty oil and the container that supplies the new oil?

Pump outlet is attached to a bit of hose long enough to reach to the bottom of the oil jug. Pop it into empty can, evacuate the old oil. Cap the jug, put hose into new jug, flip the switch and pump in the new oil. pretty darned easy. I put a nice tight threaded cap on the end of the hose to contain any residual oil and as a safety backup in the event of any leakby from the pump or the safety valve I installed at the pump. A bit of paper towel cleans up the hose when done. 5 minutes I'm done, and I don't have to do too many contortions along the way.