Cruisin Fever to Alaska: Oil Change Day

Pumping Out Old Engine Oil

Removing Old Oil Filter

Today we changed the oil for “Got d’ Fever’s” two John Deere engines, a maintenance item to be completed after every 200 to 250 hours of motoring. We left our moorage space and motored to the fuel dock to take on more fuel and to run the engines, making the oil more fluid and easier to change. We headed back to our moorage spot and began the oil change process. We first pumped the old oil out, filling empty oil jugs that we had on hand. We then removed the old oil filter from the engine capturing it in a plastic bag. Using the top of a milk jug for a funnel, we poured new oil into the engine; and because of the large filter size, the filter is pre-filled with new oil. After installing the new oil filter, we ran the engine to check for any leaks and to ensure the correct level of oil for normal operation. We then repeated the process for the port side engine. Each engine takes three gallons of oil! Of course we’re left with the old oil that needs to be disposed of properly. In this case, the Prince Rupert fuel dock accepts old oil for recycling. A similar process is used to change the oil in the Genset (a motor that generates AC electrical power) but uses only one gallon of oil. Other projects include filling all the house batteries with distilled water every 2 to 4 weeks and cleaning out the engine cooling water "sea strainers" from time to time. Java helps out too, she stands watch as supervisor and drops her toy into the engine room.