Yamaha FT50 Oil change

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Oil change on a Yamaha FT 50 outboard engine - while the engine is in the water

We have two Yamaha FT50 BET engines from 2003 on our houseboat and the only way to get the engines out of the water is to haul out the entire boat. Since going to a boatyard and lifting the houseboat out of the water for each oil change is rather impractical, we are changing the oil while the boat is afloat. With the right equipment this procedure is clean and doesn't spill a single drop of oil. 

 

In-water oil change on a Yamaha FT50 outboard

What Yamaha recommends is to change the engine oil every 100 hours or at 1-year intervals. Otherwise the engine will wear quickly. So here we go,
this is my procedure, use it at your own risk:


(1) What you need:

- Engine Oil: about 2.1L (2.2 US qt) per engine, e.g. Castrol Outboard 4T
- Engine Oil filter: e.g. "Yamaha 40-130hp 4 Stroke 2001-2015", part #: 5GH-13440-00; or "YAMAHA 40-130HP OIL FILTER (OSOF5GH)"
- Oil extractor pump, e.g. Pela 2000
- Tool to remove fuel filter, e.g. Shankly Oil Filter Wrench
Absorbent rags, paper towel 
- Zip lock bag: 1 qt., to catch the oil filter
- A container to transfer the used oil to once you are done with the pump.

 

(2) The procedure:

2.1 Get outboard in position: Make sure the engine is all the way down and not tilted up. If the engine is tilted you might not be able to get all the oil out 
and the oil level on the dip stick may not be accurate.

2.2 Start the engine to warm it up. Running in idle at 5-10 min is all you need. Then leave it for another 10min to cool down, otherwise the oil is too hot to handle.

2.3 Remove the engine cover (the "top cowling")

2.4 Remove or loosen the oil filter cap. It's a yellow cap on our engines (image (1) red arrow). I usually only loosen the cap enough to let air in, but I don't remove it. This way I don't have
to worry about things getting into the engine during the procedure. 

2.5 Pull out the dipstick and insert the hose from the oil extractor pump (image (2)) into the dipstick opening (image (3) red arrow).

2.6 Extract the oil completely. You should get about 1.9 -2.0 L. Another 0.1 L remains in the oil filter.

2.7 Remove the oil filter: Place a rag and on top of it a zip lock bag, with some paper towels in it, under the oil filter (image (4)). Use the removal tool to carefully loosen the oil filter, then unscrew by 
hand. The faster you work the less oil will drip down - however all the oil will be collected in the zip lock bag. Once the oil filter is out, just drop it into the bag as well.

2.8 Install a new oil filter. Grease the O-ring of the new oil filter with new engine oil and screw it on - finger tight is enough.

2.9 Add new engine oil through the (yellow) oil filler cap. Now is when I finally remove the loose oil filler cap and fill the engine with about 2 L (2.1 US qt) of oil. Then I carefully 
add up to 0.1 L more, carefully assessing the level with the dipstick.

2.10 Run the engine for 5-10 min, then clean the dipstick, check the oil level and top up as needed. Install the top coiling and enjoy a beer.

 

And if this article helped you out, why not invite us for a beer.

 

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