First Post

[Redmax]

New to this, so here goes.
Just got a 2009 1800 SR3, with 4.3 TKS. Had a good few hours in and cleaning it!

A couple of questions if anyone can help

1. I thought an '09 would have the oil drain pipe through the transom. I have the cable on the drain plug but nothing attached. No sign of a pipe in the bilge either. Guess it doesn't have this.

2. I use it in salt and flush it every time. Should I also drain it via the five plugs? Why the hell aren't those plugs joined together with one drain, or at least piped to an accessible position. I am thinking about adding pipe to modify them. (I realise they need to be isolated from each other to stop flow through the mod). Any reasons to avoid this? Might it disturb the flow?

Thanks for any advise.

Oh, and a tip I have worked out. Carry a mask in the boat as a ski rope round the out drive under a swim platform in a bit of chop is not clever.

[ss3964spd]

Welcome aboard RM, congrats on the new boat.

If the cable on the drain plug is there my guess is that it's simply become disconnected from the drain hose. If you remove the drain plug you might be able to see the rubber drain hose, which should have a square head brass plug in the end of it, by shining a flashlight through the hole. Otherwise, depending on how accessible the bottom of the engine is, how long your arms are, or both, you might be able to reach down underneath and reposition it. Of course, the possibility does exist that it simply isn't there for whatever reason.

Flushing it after each use is a great idea if using it in salt water. No need to remove the various drain plugs. Hook up the muffs, turn the water on, run the engine for 5 minutes once it's up to operating temp. The engine drain plus are not co-joined simply because they are positioned at various heights, which will be at the low points for that particular section of the cooling system. Only time it's really necessary to remove those is when you have to store the boat during winter, when you have to ensure the water is completely drained.

Dan

[mmwjr]

Welcome aboard RM.

I don't believe you boat is equiped with a drain hose and that the cable is just so you don't loose the plug.

I agree with Dan on the flushing,only need to remove the plugs to winterize.

Best of luck with the boat

[AlwaysSober]

FYI: This is the quick, clean and easy way to change your 25W-40.

http://m.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/s..._-1?icid=HF3_8

[CountryME]

Welcome to the MOC Redmax! Hopefully you will find this forum as welcoming and informative as I have.

-JP

[jrsick]

I am fairly certain that you have an oil drain hose (vice pipe). It is a black rubber hose and probably zip-tied on the stbd side of the engine. The primary purpose of the drain plug you mention is as a bilge drain, which you will use frequently after a day on the water. You probably also have drain hoses, they are blue. If you want to send a few pictures of you engine we can give you more information.

[Redmax]

Thanks for the comments.
I read somewhere that drain hoses were introduced in 2002. No idea if that is correct, but I will look for something zip tied. There is definitely no drain hose lose under the engine, so if it is there it is tied up or has sprung up out if sight. Only pipes visible are a pair of tilt hydraulics, I assume.

I will refrain from draining the water as two plugs are a pain to find and a huge pain to relocated once removed. Seems like a good idea to extend them to a visible location though.

One other question, should I be concerned about a fishfinder (like a Lawrance DSI 5) draining the battery? May drift for 10mins, start up and relocate, drift again etc. Radio probably on too. Seems like lots of battery usage and not much charging time.

A non-starter is my biggest concern.

[mmwjr]

2 hoses at the very back will be the trim hydraulics. If you can feel under the oil pan on the bottom of the engine you'll either find just a plug (fee;s like a big nut) or you'll find the hose you are looking for. If only the nut then you don't have a drain hose.

Fisfinder and radio (unless you have a big power amp installed) won't drain the battery to much unless you spend all day doing this and then it will be the power draw of the starter draining the battery not the fishfinder and radio. If you can you may want to add a second battery but probably not much room in an 1800 for that.

[AlwaysSober]

IMO, Carrying a jump pack is always good insurance. I've used ours on stranded boats and jet skis as well as running laptops, cell phone chargers and DVD players.