Page 1
Page 1
Started By
Message

Outboard oil change - plug vs extraction

Posted on 5/19/25 at 10:49 am
Posted by jmorr34
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2004
3214 posts
Posted on 5/19/25 at 10:49 am
Went to change my oil this weekend and one of the bolts on the side panel to get to the plug was stripped.

Contemplating just buying a fluid extractor vs drilling out the bolt and reversing it out. Would have to buy the reverse bit and a new bolt (online) anyway.

Any concerns with the little bit of dirty oil left in by using an extractor?

This post was edited on 5/19/25 at 10:51 am
Posted by BigBinBR
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2023
7658 posts
Posted on 5/19/25 at 11:31 am to
quote:

Any concerns with the little bit of dirty oil left in by using an extractor?



When draining oil from the oil plug on any engine there is still a decent amount of dirty oil that stays behind.

The drain plug is normally at the lowest part of the pan so that tiny particles (like metal shavings) can be removed when changing the oil since it should sink to the lowest point. But honestly you shouldn't have any issues if its just a small amount left in.

I would still plan on fixing it correctly and extracting the bolt/rethreading if needed, but you will be fine for more than a few oil changes just using a fluid extractor.

Plus you can extract some oil and send it off to Blackstone labs for them to analyze if you get worried about it.

Posted by DownshiftAndFloorIt
Here
Member since Jan 2011
69389 posts
Posted on 5/19/25 at 1:57 pm to
quote:

Any concerns with the little bit of dirty oil left in by using an extractor?


No. Any trash should end up in the filter or stuck to the plug magnet.
Posted by Redlos
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2005
1117 posts
Posted on 5/19/25 at 5:05 pm to
I use an extractor…but have also used it my first time and then removed bolt to see how much I’m able to extract. Only had one vehicle that left what I felt was “too much” residual oil.
Posted by WhiskeyThrottle
Weatherford Tx
Member since Nov 2017
6539 posts
Posted on 5/20/25 at 7:01 am to
Can you get a pair of vice grips on the head? I've had some bolts stuck like chuck and rounded off. Tightening the channel locks as tight as I could and giving it a good pop has worked more often than not.

The oil plug bolt on my dirt bike was seemingly glued and I rounded that off, so I had to tack weld another bolt to the head of the rounded off bolt, and it popped right off with the bolt tacked on.
Posted by zippyputt
Member since Jul 2005
6563 posts
Posted on 5/20/25 at 7:06 am to
I would drill and get the old plug out. Maybe use shop vac to catch items as you drill. I have put replacement valves on mowers instead of plugs if they fit. Makes it much easier.
Posted by The Mick
Member since Oct 2010
44507 posts
Posted on 5/20/25 at 7:25 am to
Ive got same issue on a Yamaha 200. Very common problem is the stripped plug. Apparently the plug bolt is made of a harder metal than the threaded insert (if I have that correct), terrible design.

You can try getting a longer plug, have to do some research. For my outboard, it was a mercedes plug - same exact one but about a 1/2 longer. It allows it to grab some thread past the stripped area. It helped but didn't fix completely. So, we sealed it shut with JB Weld and are using an extractor for oil changes from now on.

This post was edited on 5/20/25 at 7:28 am
Posted by Major Dutch Schaefer
Location: Classified
Member since Nov 2011
35752 posts
Posted on 5/20/25 at 8:38 am to
I use extraction and that is also what Yamaha recommends in the owners manual.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 1Next pagelast page
refresh

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookXInstagram