So today I decided to change out my engine oil. Hooked up the fake lake and ran my engine til warm, then waited 5 min for oil to drain back into pan before hooking up my electronic oil suction pump. Hooked up pump and was only able to get around 3 quarts of oil out of it. WTF?? <BR>After some thought, I decided to pull the plug from the drain pan and BAM, a whole bunch of oil came gushing out making a huge mess in my bilge. I had put a bunch a rags and what not so it was contained, but still. What's the point of going through the dipstick if you're not getting all of the old oil out?? Anyone have a better "cleaner" way to do this?? Thx in advance.

Take the flexible drain tube out through the stern plug and attach you pump. Much better than using the dipstick.

I used a vacu canister I got at the boat shop, thru the dipstick I got 5 quarts out, after taking the filter off though it dumped in the bilge, maybe your tubing down the dipstick doesn't hit the bottom of the pan, you could go old school and pull all the spark plugs and the filter and turn it over til it all drains out, you need a custom cut coffee can for that though... I believe someone on here once said get out as much as you can and then replace how much you got out, I'd get a longer piece of tube...

Yeah, the tube is as long as the dipstick, so kinda figured it would do the trick. It may be a tad short tho. Not sure about the whole "coffee can trick" tho. <BR> <BR>Darren, when u say take the drain tube out thru the stern plug, what plug are you refering to? Is there another way, besides the dip stick method, to get at the oil? <BR> <BR>Tony

Many of the v-drives have a hose attached to the oil pan where your plug is. The hose is made to extend through the rear drain plug. Mercruiser does not use this approach. They recommend sucking through the dipstick. I always had to work the tube to get it all the way to the bottom of the pan. I was never comfortable that I got all the old oil out. I beelieve you can buy the hose assy to replace the drain plug from skidim.com

Sitting in the back seat looking towards the transom, on the left side of the motor between the exhaust manifold and headers there is a black rubber hose that curves up from the drain pan, around the oil filter and attaches with a brass ring to the bracket which the ECM is mounted too. You can uncoil the hose and poke it out the drain hole in the stern.

Darren, not all Sangers' have these drain hoses that you speak of. My 06 does not but my 94 and 88 did. I believe it was an option for the last several years. You actualy don't even need to insert the plastic hose down the dipstick tube. The dipstick tube itself goes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You just attach the correct fitting right to the threaded top part of the dipstick tube and start the vacuum/pump. You should get about 3 3/4 from the pan and another 3/4 from the filter.

George, remove the drain plug from the oil pan and then you're sure you got most of it out...man what a mess that was. I hear ya tho, seems that hose assembly you mentioned is the ticket. I'll look into it. <BR> <BR>Darren, I think I know which hose you're referring to. So once I uncoil it and run it thru the drain hole, I hook up my pump and let it do its thing? Sounds easy enough. I'll check it out when I take it out again. <BR> <BR>Thanks guys for the help.

My '99 has the drain tube, strange all Mercs are not the same set up? <BR>It works great when the oil's warm, but I still use a hand pump on the end of the tube to make sure I get it all out.

Mercury recommends you suck it out through the dipstick tube, for my '06 Scorpion at least.

Antonio, what year is your Sanger? I just bought an 09 and just been researching and trying to find good info about breakin and now the changing of fluids. I have motorcycles and I do all that, but this is new animal,

Some time around 2000 or a little before mercury added hose threads to the dipstick tube on their mercruiser engines. The dipstick tube has 3/4" hose threads down about 1" from the top. Many oil extractors have and adapter to thread onto this. I get about 4.25 quarts out of the pan and another .5 in the filter. You will never get 100% of the oil out through the dipstick but the little that is left never concerns me.

This is the pump that I use for engine oil, transmission, and v-drive. Works excellent and comes with adapter for mercury dipstick. <BR> <BR>MOELLER <BR>Fluid Extractor Kit <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/713884.jpg" alt="Upload">

^used mine on 3 of my boats and never had a problem<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/happy.gif" border=0>

Jason, mine's an 05 WakeSeries 1. <BR> <BR>Brandon, gonna look into getting that pump. Be on the look out for a transmission and V-drive fluid change out thread once I do. <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/proud.gif" border=0>

this pump can be used on different fluids? Does it just have to be cleaned between different fluids to not contaminate?

That's the same one i use, it's great, my sanger didn't come with the flexible tube for draining oil either, wish it did though. A little pricey but worth it, drill pumps are a pain, <BR> <BR>antonio if your tube is only as long as the dipstick then you need a longer tube, i don't think dipsticks bottom out on the pan, i have had dipsticks show no oil but I still had plenty in there, 2 quarts added and it was up to snuff,

Interesting, my '99 Black scorpion has both the drain tube and the threaded coupler on the dipstick. <BR>The drain tube works much better, and easier. <BR> <BR>My old Mercruiser sterndrive had the threaded dipstick connector, and I could never get all the oil out that way, even removing the filter. I would then pull the plug and drain the remainder into a small bowl. <BR> <BR>Jason, the pump really dosen't have to be cleaned for extracting different fluids - since you're sucking it out, there is nothing to contaminate.