Oil Transfer Problems

[NoFearEyes]

Got twin 2000 Saltwater series 200HP Yammies. Was out Yesterday and the Port motor went into safe mode and it was due to low oil in the tank on engine. The Emergency Switch wouldn't activate the pump and 12V at pump didn't make it work. I removed hte tank and cleaned up the pump and it work with 1V on the bench.

After I put it all back in place (almost) the pump still wouldn't work with emergency swirch but it would work with direct 12V from battery. It just never pumped/moved oil to tank on motor.

I did all this on the trailer in parking lot with key on. Also read that it was necessary to bleed air from lines -- haven't done yet and that motor needed to be running. I assume power is all that's needed not acutally running.

Also the oil level in the tank was indicated at only one bar on the dash gauge--read that levle hd to be aove pump--should i put oil back in tank and test again before iorder new pump?

Last thing--didn't see 12V at the 4pin connector on the oil tank in boat. SHould I see 12V across ble and brown there?

THanks for any feedback..

[jb123]

If you can feed oil into the engine's tank using the emergency toggle switch
(key must be ON...) then the problem is with the switch inside the engine's tank.
If you can not fill the engine's tank using the emergency toggle switch then the
problem is with the wiring harness or the remote tank's pump (rare).

clean all the connectors
sometimes sludge builds up in the lines, happened on my hpdi
i flush oil every year now

[NoFearEyes]

Hamfisted-

THanks again for your tips (and the Service Manual).

I've gotten to point where the pump in the sub-tank will pump with the emergency switch and I'm seeing voltages and grounds at all the right places.

I did take the subtank out and clean up the pump and connections and flushed it a little. It ran with direct 12V albeit slowly. I did see that ti doesn't move much oil according to spec in manual for test. May have been that, may have been a few ground connections on block that I cleaned up and treated wih CorrosionX.

It may have been tha the sub-tank was low enough on oil that the pump couldn't maintain a prime to be able to pump. The oil level was about 3 quarts low but the guage on digital panel showed 2 bars. It seems like poor design if that tank has to be more than 1/2 full to be able to transfer oil===

Next step is to actually put the boat in the water and test there.

I'll let you know.

Have you found a pair of muffs that will let you run this engine on garden hose? My brother nad I both are having a problem being able to do that--

Bill Miller

[jsparker]

Out of curiosity, what did you do to clean up the pump? I'm waiting for the weather to get warmer before I start working on my oil transfer issue. Might as well service the pump if I can while I have it out checking oil lines and electrical conncetions.

Happened only once on the day I was hauling out for the winter. Low oil alarm, failsafe mode and low oil in the engine tank (full main tank). As suddenly as it failed, it started to work again on its own after shutting off the engine and restarting it.

Don't know if the emergency switch would have helped me diagnose anything since I couldn't find it at the time (I know exactly where it is now), and oil started pumping again when I simply restarted the engine.

John

[NoFearEyes]

The biggest struggle was getting the sub-tank out of the braket. THe way CENTURY rigged the boat the batteries and the two ansk were all in same compartment and there was little room to manuever the tank and the shape of the compartment opening was a real pain.

You need to disconnect the 4pole connector and the oil line at top of tank, best to pump out as much oil as possible to milk jugs or whatever and just start "fighting" to opne braket strap and getting tank out. I ended up using my foot to pres the side panel opne enought get the tank out of braket.

Once out the motor is very simple device--I just washed i down with CorrosionX and cleaned it up. THen I ran it with a battery on the bench to make sure it worked.

Putting everything back togehter was relatively simple but did learn some lessons--

Pump won't move oil unless oil level is ABOVE level of pump even though the intake point is at bottom of tank. THe pump won't prime.

Pump volume is just a trikcle so it will take a while to get oil moving and purge the lines of air. I hooked pump directly to battery to make it run because iwas by myself and couldn't reach emergency switch. Once oil started to move I could see the remote tank start to fill and a trickle of oil run down inside of remote tank.

No high tech job--just a little messyadn and a lot of scratches, bruises, and cussing--

Still have to test in water since I can't find muffs that will let me run wngine on garden hose.

A local mechanic said it was important to clean out tank annually because of sludeg that can build up in bottom of tank and lines and then clog inline filter. I didn't see any sludge so I didn;t worry about ti.

[jsparker]

Thanks. I'll remember that about needing the pump primed. I've got an '04 so if there is sludge, it might not be bad but just enough to be a filter problem. I've always just topped up the tank when it got down by a gallon or so. Can't remember ever seeing less than full on the gauge.

Sounds like my tank will be a bit easier to work with on the Parker. Its mounted on a bulkhead in the bilge just under and forward of the hatch. 90% accessible from the hatch and batteries are in a different compartment.

My concern is that the thing just suddenly started working on its own. I'll replace filter, probably some lines and clean electrical contacts but without seeing something definite, I won't really know (or think) if I corrected the problem until maybe the end of the season without having an issue.

John

[NoFearEyes]

Another thing i did was clean the ground posts on the top of the engine block--there is one on eanc side on top of cylinder banks.
THere was a little green fuzz on one ofo them so I took all there round ring connectors off and washed it all down with CorrosionX and put it back together.

After what I've read and experienced I'm gonna keep my oil tanks topped off all the time--especially since that pumpe won't prime if oil levle gets below top of the pump itself.

[slim]

a little info for all. no the tank will not prime unless the oil level is above the pump but once it does get primes, it will run till its almost empty. once you get the yellow light(boat tank empty), the system is designed to where you still can fill the main tank up one time with the transfer switch. its called "return to port capability". its a very good feature that was designed into the system. it is the best and most ful proof system out there if you understand it. most oil transfer problems is due to a clogged inline filter on the back of the sub tank. if it is slow to pump then change this filter out first. its very cheap. if you still have slow oil transfer then its either a clogged or kinked line or the pump can be getting weak. i have seen many of these instances in the past. here is one tip for all. if you buy a new container of oil, peel all the foil seal off the top before you pour the oil into tank. most clogged filters is from bits of this seal. if you purchased the motor new, the salesman should have explained how the system works. if he didnt, then ask him to.

[Auxboat]

Did you check the screen at the end of the tube in the boat tank?? I had a heck of a time figuering out why mine wouldn't pump into the engine. Never thought about that screen. I failed to do the obvious and check the easiest things first!!!

[NoFearEyes]

After reading the last post I went and bought the inline filter mentioned. It is tiny--about diameter of a nickel--thikness of a cigarette. No wonder it's susceptible to even smallest particle to become blocked.

I'd definitely putting this filter on a regular maintenance schedule--it's $14 retail.

Thanks for this tip

[MarkTillman]

Do I need to prime the remote oil tank pump?

I just installed a new filter and pump on a remote oil tank for a 1996 250 VX. When I use the emergency toggle switch it turns the remote pump on but there is no oil pumping in the engine oil tank. Do I need to crank the engine to help prime. The remote tank is full of oil. I completely cleaned the tank out of the boat and put new oil back in.

Thanks for your replys

mark

[boats.net]

Bleed air out of new pump, remove oil line going into pump and let run out until no more air bubbles come out, install that hose and remove hose on output side and bleed it same way.