When do you change your boat motor oil?

[yetiseeker]

I am curious as to the consensus as to when you change the motor oil in your boat engine? Fall or spring?

I have always been told that fall is the best time to change the oil so any sediment, dirt etc doesn't have time to sit and solidify over the long winter months - clean oil sits in your motor over the winter. Some guys think changing the oil in the spring is better.

However, based on what I read regarding the thread going around as to when you winterize your boat, I am curious to see when guys are changing the motor oil out and why?

[Kokanee9]

Do it in the fall.

When you drain the old oil, carefully watch for signs of water or anything out of the ordinary mixed in with it. That will tell you if everything is ok or not.

I say the fall because if there is water, you wouldn't want it to freeze up in side the motor or leg during winter and possibly cause more damage.

[EZM]

I do mine every spring - engine oil and spring run up.

The leg oil comes out and is replaced in the fall.

[NEWB]

Leg oil in the Fall. It removes any water in there that could freeze and expand.

4 stroke motor oil if applicable in the spring.

[-JR-]

Everything in the fall.
Leg oil .... Because it might have water and filling .
Engine oil..... Because used engine oil has small amount of acid when it breaks down and gets dirts. Which is hard on bearing . So after you change the oil its best to let it run to get new oil on the bearing.

[Mackinaw]

I do mine every spring - engine oil and spring run up.

The leg oil comes out and is replaced in the fall.

This ^^^^^^

Mack

[gatorr]

In the fall for everything like the manual says to.

[wildwoods]

Everything in the fall with oil stabilizer in the block.
Mainly cause I have a lot to do in the spring and this takes one big item off the list. Some good answers above as to the advantages^^^

[Legend Boats]

Always do your oil change at the end of the year if your lakes freezes. Or every 100hrs if you can boat all year long. This will get rid of any contaminates or moisture sitting in your gear case and engine block. You want to run fuel stabilizer for at least 15min before you shut it off for the season and change your fluids. If your seals are compromised during your boating season and you decide to change the fluids in the spring time. All that moisture and contaminated fluid will cause more harm than good. Also make sure to store your outboard in the vertical position. This will allow any water to self drain from the outboard.

Hope this helps
Cheers, Henry Nguyen - Legend Boats

[badger]

Motor and leg oil in the fall, check levels in the spring and ready to go. Drain gas from the portable tank, hose and carbs. Inject small amount of oil into the cylinders with plugs removed and turn over by hand. I stored a car this way for 3 years, and it started up in 5 seconds.

[RavYak]

The only argument I can see for waiting until spring is so that you have brand new oil at that time.

The downsides of waiting until spring are that you leave old dirty oil that has a variety of contaminants and possibly moisture sitting in your engine all winter pontentialy forming sludge, rust, scale, varnish etc.

I would say definitely change it in the fall, make sure to give it a quick run to coat everything in the fresh oil as well. If you are worried it will break down(I don't believe it does, at least not significantly) then change it again in the spring.