Northern Lights 12kW Generator Oil Change (MVDirona Channel)

In this video from Nordhavn 52 Dirona, we change the oil in our Northern Lights 12kW generator and discuss related aspects including oil storage, obtaining new oil and disposing of used as we travel the world.
Additional maintenance and travel videos are at / mvdirona . And you can read more about our travels at mvdirona.com, including a live map with our current location.

[@brentloftis3746]

Jennifer asks great questions. As soon as I think of a question, she generally asks it. Good team 👍

[@bennievanniekerk2457]

Yes thank you for the questions, i was thinking what you asked every time 😜

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the feedback from you both. Jennifer's questions help me as well because I often forget to mention some important points without the questions. As well as being the camera operator and interviewer, Jennifer is also the video editor and producer.

[@fryfrysk]

Jennifer asks questions from the viewers point of view as James at the same time tries to think of everything has to explain while working. Great teamwork as both roles are complementary and necessary to get a viewers full picture !

[@JamesCoffeeStudios]

Someday you are going to sell this boat. The new owner will be inheriting a part of your soul. Love these videos. Love the way that you do things. Love the way that you live.

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the feedback Jim.

[@JungleJimAB9AB]

A very entertaining and useful "best practices" procedure that can be applied by many like-minded boat owners. Thanks for posting.

[@MVDirona]

Thanks. The only part of that job that requires care is the oil filter will be full and it takes quick action to take off the old filter and install the new one without excess oil spillage.

[@pogump]

Finally Mr.Spitfire “showed up” It’s amazing to see both of you in action,very good photographer Jennifer and then you James,explain everything in an comprehensive way so that every one can understand every step of what you are doing,fantastic thank you for sharing what you are doing,be safe out there until the next time :) :) :)

[@MVDirona]

Yes, Spitfire wanted to inspect the work closely on that job. When I'm working down there he often climbs up to the tray above the main engine. He can see everything from there and I walk past frequently. Thanks for the feedback on the video.

[@limbandtreeremoval]

Love to see your routine... And great job! Thank you

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the feedback on the video.

[@FranklinNewhart]

I don't know what your work experience is but you have definitely approached your maintenance from a good perspective. A boat person has to be an everything type of person. You can never know to much.

[@MVDirona]

You're right and even more so during the worst of Covid where self sufficiency is, in some cases, the only alternative.

[@roberthall-palmer9134]

The wiser I get, the more I appreciate a clean job leads to a good job.

[@MVDirona]

Thanks!

[@alanmccormick6911]

Hi James, as a fellow Amazon Engineer, I really enjoy learning about how you think about and perform maintenance on your boat. They are really great videos and Jennifer asks good questions about the all details. I believe I read that you also data-log temperatures and other metrics to show trends and perhaps have alarms for anomalous readings. It'd be interesting to see that in a video!

[@jeepxj]

Is he a celeb internally there? I been following him for a while and he's like a grandpa amazon.

[@MVDirona]

Hey Alan! Yes, you are right, we do have all data points recorded every 5 seconds. I don't know the exact number of data points we capture but I would estimated to be capturing around 200 and it's been operating this way for many years. We also use this data to set warning indicator lights, sound alarms, and send email. That's a good suggestion to do a video on some of the control and data logging systems.

[@jamesearl4703]

Hi James, great video but I think you forgot to close the valve on the generator drain/fill tube inside the enclosure. Stay safe.

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for catching that. I just forgot to mention it when I did close it and, in scanning the video, it looks like I didn't remember to close it until near the end of the job. You can see the valve closed at 31:22 just before I put the cover back on the generator. In our design, there are actually two valves in series with one at the generator and one right before the oil change pump.

[@FranklinNewhart]

@@MVDirona I noticed that as well but what I also noticed was that the valve did not seem to be completely closed but rather only half way.

[@captainrick9379]

A well maintained vessel is a happy vessel! 😊👍 And yours is serenely well maintained! Thanks for sharing!

[@MVDirona]

Thanks! We appreciate the feedback.

[@casaMariaPT]

Good to watch guy's, thanks for documenting it.

[@MVDirona]

Thanks!

[@RenlangRen]

Another great educational video! Thanks for posting.

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@barrysummers1622]

Good video guys, thank you, never realized that the gen set engine was almost the same as that wing of yours, that is great for interchanging spare parts.

[@MVDirona]

Yes, it's great. Same injectors, same oil filters, same fuel filters, same water pump, same starter, etc. Really nice from a spares management and cost perspective.

[@cliffordb47]

Another great video I absolutely love the layout of your boat those people have really thought about everything we're just about everything nothings perfect

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the video feedback.

[@michae8jackson378]

Another great video! Thank you very much!

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@chuckoman]

James, Jennifer you guys are awesome more maintenance videos And more spitfire Thank you Jennifer for excellent views

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the feedback on the video. Spitfire was particularly interested in that job. Some of the more interesting service operations he sleeps through and some he inspects every move I make. You just never know with him.

[@steveharvey1876]

Clean Job! Stay Well! Cheers!

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@jeromebarnett7565]

Thanks for the video.

[@robbierobot2979]

Really informative. Many thanks. I learned a lot.

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@murphyslaw907]

One thing I have on all of my generators is an electric lift pump with a 1/4psi check valve. We have had drain back and air issues in the past. Then ensure the controller is programmed to allow a purge or preheat cycle. If the generator has glow plugs we tap glow plug power thru a diode so the electric fuel pump runs during the preheat cycle. Otherwise, during the purge cycle, the fuel solenoid is opened and it turns on the fuel pump again by a power feed with a diode. This just helps ensure there is proper fuel at the IP when it goes to crank and helps pus out any air to the return that may have gotten into the lines. This has been a big issue for us on the D40 Cat generators with the Perkins engines.

[@MVDirona]

Good advice. There is no question that would help this installation. I noticed that it can start a bit rough when it's been off for a few weeks. It also happens when the supply fuel tank is very low. And I also see the issue when transferring fuel. A fuel pump triggered by the glow plugs is a nice simple solution that I think would help. I only rarely see the issue and it always starts and clears quickly but this would almost certainly solve the occasional rough or slow start. Thanks for passing that along.

[@paulsthemarksman]

Great vid guy's

[@MVDirona]

Thanks!

[@peterhallman9408]

James and Jennifer- your "how to" team videos are top notch. The level of detail and presentation method is wonderful and Jennifer always asks the questions in my head...usually right as I think them...haha. so look, I have knee issues. I'll have a knee replacement soon. Even after, squatting down to work is not a great option for me. I've been looking at narrow mechanic seat options to help. This looked feasible in the Nordhavn 47. I'd be curious about your thoughts on this.

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the video feedback. If you wanted to avoid time on your knees, you could probably stand or crouch in areas where there is sufficient clearance and sit where there isn't as you suggest. Because the floor is slanted, a wheeled seat wouldn't work well. When I need to be on my knees for a long time, I use kneepads or a padded foam piece to kneel on. That seems to work pretty well for me. Certainly back problems or knee problems will slow you down a bit but, if you are patient, I suspect you'll find ways to do it.

[@perrooceaniko2005]

very nice. lot of common sense. I use rotella synthetic in my 22.5KW Onan and very happy with the results. the advantage on Synth (pure, not blend) is that allow more flexibility between changes, In car terms, you can change at 3000 or 4000 or 5000 and will not be harmful to the engine. Regular oil is also good , BUT need more discipline on the hours. The breakdown of regular oil is vert step compared with Synth.

[@MVDirona]

The small marine engine manufacturers won't allow any more hours when using synthetic oils from a warranty perspective but there is no question that the oils are better and it makes sense that they could support extended hours. I think the reason the manufactures will not support extended hours is the risk that the oil is contaminated increases with time and synthetics don't help much with that. For example, some fuel system designs tend to get a small amount of diesel into the engine oil which reduces the lubricating effectiveness of the oil.

[@deanmacka4975]

Great stuff guys and you as well spitfire, all I need now is the boat one day I'll get her 🙀😁

[@MVDirona]

Good plan! We have had an amazing around-the-world-tour. It's really been a once in a lifetime experience.

[@pacoblanco9969]

great vid. One remark, I usually run the enginee for a short while before changing the oil. not to long ,you do not want to burn yourself.. but it helps to clean out all the old oil as it will be more liquid... Anyway great job

[@MVDirona]

Yes, thanks, we do the same on all of our engines.

[@astrodiver1]

I was wondering if the engine was warmed up also.

[@MVDirona]

Yes, it was warm. We're currently at anchor so the generator is autostarted every 4 to 6 hours. If I'm going to work on it, I usually do it just after a run so that I have lots of times to solve any issues that might come up during the service operation without delaying or preventing the next run.

[@merc9193]

Great explanation, I love all the details you give. One thing I missed is did you put oil on the new rubber filter seal? I always do, it ensures a good seal and makes the filter easier to change next time.

[@MVDirona]

I didn't explicitly lube it but, in the approach I take, it gets lubricated. I generally don't like side mounted filters since they tend to run oil down the side of the block so what I do is remove the former, ensure the old gasket came off, then install the new one. The oil mounting surface is wet with oil from the old filter so it lubes on the way on. Then I clean up. This just allows me to go a bit faster but still ensures the gasket is lubed and the filter is easy to remove.

[@auwz66]

Dont forget to lube the o ring on the new oil filter, dont know if you did or not. Watch your starter motor over the next few weeks, its been working harder than normal and at 6000 hours its probably due soon anyway. The issue with your cylinder head is a very common one tbh and I have seen it many times over the years as I run Kubota and Perkins engines on quite a bit of plant. The bottom ends are rock solid though.

[@MVDirona]

Wow, you nailed that one "Watch your starter motor over the next few weeks, its been working harder than normal and at 6000 hours its probably due soon anyway. ". One month later, we needed to replace the starter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIWXf3p3i7mBask. We changed the cylinder head (kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2mWqYZ_lLOantU) and it's back to full output. Thanks for passing on your experience.

[@jaquigreenlees]

James, have you considered the simple expedient of puncturing the oil filter to drain it of oil before removing it? That should allow all the oil in it to drain out so the actual change is less likely to have a major mess. edit to add: If done, that can also be the air intake spot for the oil change to speed the process.

[@MVDirona]

That's a great trick that many use successfully. I've tried it and found it seemed slower than being careful when changing the filter and cleaning up the small mess I make when changing filter. It's a good approach but I find it slows me down so I've ended up not using the technique but thanks for the suggestion.

[@terrytytula]

Thoroughly enjoy your video's, glad to catch a new one. Just a quick question, have you ever thought of solar to augment your energy needs? Ever time I daydream of having a boat like yours, it's always soured by the thought of the cost of the fuel.

[@MVDirona]

It would take a truly enormous number of solar panels to actually deliver the power needed for propulsion. That's not really practical on a boat this size or weight. But it is very common practices to put a small number of panels on to augment on board power production. With work to minimize power consumption and with a good sized solar array, it can make a material difference. We run our boat like a small, comfortable apartment. Consequently our power draw is on the high side and there really aren't any good locations to put panels on this boat. A good argument can be made to use solar panels to at least reduce generator time but it's not an upgrade we've done at this point.

[@FranklinNewhart]

On that oil seal, if you don't plan to replace it right away perhaps covering it with some paper towels to absorb the oil so it is not sprayed every place.

[@MVDirona]

Yes, I was taping on an oil absorbent rag while it was leaking. Lowering the crankcase pressure from slightly positive to slightly negative completely corrected the leak. The manufacturer runs the crankcase pressure at slightly positive by forcing it to vent to the intake manifold through a spring resisted valve. With the spring removed, the leak goes away without obviously compromising any other aspect of the engines operation.

[@rodneylarpenter8499]

Hi James, I had the same starting issue with my Volvo main engine. Turned out to be the fuel pump was starting to get bad and was allowing the fuel to drain back to the tank. New pump and issue resolved.

[@MVDirona]

That's a really good point. With a diesel, it's almost always fuel when they are slow starting. The fuel pump on this one is fairly new (still could be bad) so I was thinking of temporarily putting an electric pump on the fuel line to eliminate lift pump and fuel drain back issues. But, when I went down to check it out, I noticed right away that the starter was cranking the engine over at about 1/2 the normal rate. The starter still cranks fast enough to start the engine but it's about 1/2 the rate of our Wing Engine which uses the same starter and diesel engine combination as the generator. After checking for adequate voltage at the engine when cranking, I changed the starter. It's now back to starting quickly. We video taped the diagnosis and the change of the starter so it's in the works.

[@rodneylarpenter8499]

@@MVDirona Glad to here you have it resolved.

[@Mandurath]

Interesting, not to mention a good job on the recording/editing. Couple questions. First, about the sound insulation panel you took off. Is the sound insulation foam and absorbing that oil mist, or was the surface the oil mist landed on solid and non absorbent? Can't tell on my tablet. Second, have you considered an oil filter relocation kit? Looks to be plenty of room there, make it a bit cleaner. Always enjoy your videos, be it travel or maintenance. Thanks for sharing.

[@MVDirona]

Thanks for the feedback on the video. On your question on the sound insulation, it's a closed cell foam that doesn't absorb oil. This is a good choice by the manufacturer Northern Lights since oil soaked insulation especially around exhausts systems is a common cause of fire in older boat engine rooms. These days, most manufacturers and installers are making better materials choices. The good news is that the oil wipes off rather than building up in open cell foam but the bad news is that it's a bit of a mess and changing a rear main oil seal is a big project. Going with a remote oil filter is a good suggestion. I can live with it as it is but a remote filter would be much nicer. I'ts not the worst I've worked upon: Ferrari put two oil filters upside down in the center of the V on some of their older V12s :-)

[@williamjordan811]

Bono Oleum...skål!

[@mkrawats]

Why do some people suggest prefilling the new oil filter with fresh oil? What are the pros and cons of pre-filling the new filters? Ty for producing these excellent videos. I am preparing to do my first oil change on my northern lights generator. In this video, you install the new oil filter dry/empty.

[@MVDirona]

That's a great question. The reason why many recommend filling an oil filter before re-installing it, is the oil pump will take a couple of seconds to fill the oil filter and during this brief period, the engine will not have oil pressure. Technically it's better and there is no arguing that point. The question that remains is "how much better?" For sure it's better but some argue that it's only marginally better. Let's look at some of the important factors to consider in this decision. I only change oil when the oil and engine is hot and I change the oil within 10 min of it being shut down. I do this because I want all impurities in the engine in the oil rather than settling out in the oil pan. A hot oil change is a better and more complete oil change. Changing oil hot ensures that all inside-the-engine mechanical surfaces are well oiled. Because the engine is well oiled and many oil galleries remain full, the potential negative impact of starting the engine with an empty oil filter is greatly reduced. Another factor to consider when thinking through the question of whether you should fill an oil filter on oil change, is practicality. An oil filter that is side mounted or vertically mounted upside down is very hard to prefill. Early Ferrari V12s had two oil filters upside down in the center of the V? You simply can't prefill these filters without making an incredible mess. If Enzo Ferrari wanted filter prefilling, I figure he would have mounted them such that they could be prefilled. Another factor when filling an oil filter is some of the oil you are pouring in will be delivered to the engine unfiltered. Of course, none of us would anything other than brand new clean oil but there is a tiny risk that something could fall in. The risk here is minor but it's something to consider and, if you do elect to prefill, be careful and don't leave the full filter in a place where foreign matter is a risk. On fuel filters on high pressure common filter electronic engines, I would actually recommend against prefilling filters due to the risk of introducing tiny airborne impurities. The fuel systems are more sensitive but the risk is non-zero on the oil side and still worth considering. Lastly it's strongly recommended that when changing oil, never put load on the engine until the engine has built oil pressure. Some designs don't enable the alternator until oil pressure is built. None of mine have this feature but my regulators don't enable the alternators until the engine has been running for 45 seconds. Of course oil pressure will build in a couple of seconds so this is much longer than needed but I like to give them time to have oil fully splashed around an small amount of heat in the engine before taking any load. The final factor is if you make it easy to change oil, then you are far more likely to do it when it's needed. My choice is not to fill the oil filter on change mostly because it's easy and I don't see the theoretic gain of pre-filling worth the time it takes. I'm very confident all three of the engines in Dirona will live a very long time. The main engine is over 12,000 hours now and the gen heading for 9,000. I could see both doubling those numbers if used sufficiently to get those hours before boat end of life.

[@mkrawats]

@MV Dirona Wow! that is an amazing explanation. Thank you very much. I agree with you about the psychological aspect to this decision making process. The easier we make this oil change process, the higher the probability we will adhere to the maintenance schedule.

[@philandlyra3365]

Like I said before, I’ll gladly change the rear seal for ya. U may want to check your crank case breather aswel, plugged breather filter will without a doubt cause leaks

[@MVDirona]

Great suggestion on the crankcase ventilation. The main engine at a problem with the crank ventilation system and started leaking at the rocker shaft carrier. I changed the rocker shaft carrier gasket and corrected the excess crankcase pressure problem and, as you said, no more oil leak. Unfortunately, the generator ventilator is free and there is very little blowby when I take off the oil fill under load. My last hopeful check was for any oil leaks at the back of the engine but it's all clean and white. I think I'm stuck with doing a rear main oil seal. As you probably can tell, I'm less than excited about the prospect of needing to change the rear main oil seal. I do wish you were here to change that one but it's a 1.5 liter toy compared to what you normally work upon.

[@philandlyra3365]

MV Dirona ah it’s all just nuts and bolts,

[@56Spookdog]

I’m assuming you have a dedicated oily rag storage container or do you do your oil changes at a marina where you can dispose of them? Thanks for the video you two are were efficient as always.

[@MVDirona]

The approach we have evolved is to use oil diapers for the really oily stuff and so the rags themselves are mostly not heavily oiled so they clean nicely with detergent. We have some rags that that worn out that we use for bike chains or really oily jobs and those are discarded. We don't have a dedicated container for oily rags but we only discard up to a couple a month so there isn't a concentration of oily rags in any one place in our stored garbage.

[@theresnobodyhere5778]

the pump sytem makes ir an easy job you never mentioned you closed the valve bit you did close it at same time as the valve on pump system while you was putting the rubbish out way it was open then i saw it closed when you stood up to turn clear it all away,that slow starting may not be fuel problem,could be starter wearing not throwing engine fast enough can imagine all the start stops it done

[@MVDirona]

Your right on both points: I forgot to mention I was closing the valve but I did close it. And, on the slow starting, you are 100% correct on pointing out that the starter could be at fault. I've since investigated and found that the engine was cranking at 1/2 the speed of the wing engine (same starter and engine combination). Voltage was good at the starter when cranking so I replaced the starter and it the normal cranking speed really helps it start quickly. It's much better now (and we'll post a video of the starter change).

[@theresnobodyhere5778]

@@MVDirona yup diesels need fast crank speed from starter to create the ignition of the fuel had this problem few times,just a thought the crank oil seal leaking would throw oil mist into starter would be part of starters demise order seal keep an eye on oil level will leak mostly when oil is hot and engine stops there be a slinger washer throwing oil back it has grove with opposite rotation so oil gets guided back away from seal when its running just hope its not going into generator windings its pain in the ass job but you.ll manage it could be heavy unit to handle use brains not bruan

[@gjurczyc]

Yea! a Kitty Cat 2nd mate.

[@MVDirona]

He thinks he's captain but doesn't even reliably take a watch when underway!

[@AndyMillerPhotoUK]

If (as you do) your vessel has really good engine room soundproofing, why not run the gens with the covers off -- to improve performance and life? Do you "flush your block" to drive out particulates and foreign materials?

[@MVDirona]

I like the sound attenuation and the look of the generator enclosure but many pros recommend that they be run without covers. Out of couriousity, I put a remote recording temperature sensor inside the enclousure a year back and, over the last year, it's never exceeded 123.9F. This generator is effectively a "heat soak" data point where the generator has been shut down recently and the temperature continues to increase without cooling airflow. Searching for the highest temperatures where the engine is actually running over the last year, I got 121.7F. My general take is that 121F is pretty low and so I'm not really concerned about it and don't think the negative impact of temperature will be measurable at these low levels. To be extra safe, I have put a remote alarm on higher temperatures. On your second question, yes, I have flushed the cooling system: mvdirona.com/2019/06/northern-lights-12kw-generator-overheating/.

[@gjurczyc]

HI Did you lube the new filter seal with a film of fresh oil, to prevent leaks?

[@MVDirona]

No, I didn't but it's impossible to take that oil filter off without some oil leaking out across the gasket sealing surface (and, if you're not quick, a lot will leak out). So, the new seal lands on an oil wetted surface, never leaks, and stays easy to remove. But, I agree, pre-oiling the new filter sealing surface is a good idea.

[@nchristi26]

Could you share your thoughts on anchors and anchoring. It looks like the bow anchor is a Rocna, what size is it and what size / length chain do you use. Do you have more than one anchor like a storm anchor and a kedge anchor ; extra chain. Ever anchor by the stern or use two anchors at the same time like in Bahamian mooring. Some-one once said "Why be happy when you could be interesting?". Spitfire and her crew are always interesting, thank you.

[@MVDirona]

Modern anchors are great. On our previous boat we used a 44 lb Bruce and liked it but the Rocna is a better design. It's a notable improvement over the Bruce which was quite good. We aren't big fans of the storm anchor and kellet approaches prefering to chose a storm anchor as primary and then always use it. With a good, strong windlass, a heavy storm anchor is no more difficult to handle than the "normal"anchor. Another approach we take is to watch the anchor chain angle in 40 kts in a given anchorage and then find the engine RPM that matches it. Once we know what RPM approximates a 40 kt blow, we use it in reverse when we anchor. Most anchoring advice recommends letting an anchor soak before setting it or setting it lightly and giving it time to dig in. The problem with this advice is that if you have been in an anchorage for an hour you are psychologically unlikely to leave even if you can't get a good set. What we do apply 1200 to 1250 RPM in reverse which is the equivalent of 40 kts of wind. If it holds, we stay and don't worry if we are in big winds. If it won't set, we leave. The approach above has the upside of there being no mistakes. If it sets and holds, you can relax in a blow. We never drag and we never get up to check the anchor. We have been anchored in 60 kts in open areas and just don't worry about it. We love that but the downside is you will have to leave some anchorages that would have otherwise been fine. The good news for us is that the Rocna does super well and we only loose an anchorage once every couple of years. The only conditions where the Rocna might fail are very light silt where it lacks surface area and very heavy weed where the weed is robust enough that the Rocna can't cut through it. There conditions are rare and we only see them every 2 or 3 years but it can happen. We carry a very large surface area Guardian up front for these conditions. This is a 29 lb aluminum anchor and it's both easy to handle but also has massive surface area and works super well in heavy weed or silt. The way we install it is on the front of the main anchor with a lenght of chain between. Effectively we anchor off the Guardian and our existing anchor is just a kellet. This is very effective but we almost never need to do it. We find the above rarely limits us. Where we do find some limitations in our approach of using unusually long scopes. We require more space than most boats because of our scope choices. But, we sleep well and we really prefer longer scopes. For chain, we have 500' of 7/16" high test chain. We like having a lot of chain and have used the full load 2 or 3 times over the last 10 years and we are often up over 350'. We do have a stern anchor and used to use it frequently on our last boat but find this boat has so much above water surface area, the wind forces if anchored sideways to the wind are really high. As a consequence, we are stern tying and stern anchoring less but we are set up to do it and occasionally do.

[@nchristi26]

​@@MVDirona Thank you. How many lbs is your Rocna.

[@MVDirona]

The main anchor is a 154 lb Rocna.

[@victorhausler4339]

Thank you for your excellent explanation. But 250 hours is equal to how many months cruising ?

[@MVDirona]

Generator run time varies all over the place depending upon usage. The way we are set up, we never run the generator at the dock if we are plugged in (we can run off of low amperage shore power connections by using two shore power connections). And, we never run the generator when we are underway since our main engine can produce 9kW of power. So, the generator is only used at anchor. When we move the boat frequently the main engine will be charging the batteries when underway which reduces are generator time. But, when at anchor for a long period, it'll run 25% to 32% of each day if we are on the boat. The longest we have ever gone between oil changes was 38 weeks and the shortest time between changes over the last 10 years is 4 weeks.

[@victorhausler4339]

Thank you. I learn how to use this boat without having ever seen it. This is great. When I learn enough I buy one

[@James-seafan]

interesting video may I ask are the oil filter's recycled

[@MVDirona]

We have storage for used oil on board so all engine oil is recycled and most places in the world will do that without charge or great difficulty. A recent exception was a recent stop in Amsterdam where we needed to pay 100 euros to recycle used engine oil. Generally, it's usually possible do without much difficulty and only rarely with additional cost. Oil filters are not re-usable nor efficiently recycled so they end up drained of oil but in disposed of according to local garbage handling protocols. The most environmentally friendly marinas provide a place for used oil filters so they can be managed correctly but this isn't the norm.

[@James-seafan]

@@MVDirona ok thank you for the information the reason i asked is the marina were our vessel is moored they recycle the oil filters

[@MVDirona]

That's really good that they make that easy. I suspect it'll get more common. Thanks for the comment.

[@sailinstyle]

ok, really great video - I watched this before doing the 1st oil change on my gen since I've owned the boat. Couple questions and comments on this: 1. my NL book says 200 hour interval, the actual oil fill screw-on cap says 100 hour interval, you're doing yours at 250 hours. 100 hours seems way too conservative. that's only four days of continuous run. What's your take on 200 vs 250? 2. My gen does not have the inline ball valve on the oil drain/fill hose. That is a little bothersome. They must have started doing that later in the series. My ME has inline valves on the lube and transmission line of course, as it must since there's only one ME control valve on the Reverso. 3. You must have staged that oil filter removal with a pre-empted and cleaned oil filter. There's no way you're sucking that thing dry enough to achieve that little amount of drippage! :) I saw this in the video and thought, no way is this going to end well for me, so I was well prepared with oilsorb pads to catch the inevitable massive flood of oil from the still half full oil filter! I let the pump suck on that engine for a while. How long do you let your pump run to get that filter so empty? Cheers Chris

[@MVDirona]

Our engine is a Northern Lights M843NW3.3 12KW generator and the generator operators manual recommends 250 hour oil change interval. What is your generator model? I recommend you get the operators manual from Northern Lights if you don't already have it. I was use the manual recommendations for your engine rather than the oil cap since the engine is used for many different applications and the cap may be from a different one (although I can't think of any application that would have a 100 hour change interval). You'll find your exact engine model number on the junction box above the generator section. The oil plumbing and valving is whatever the boat manufacturer decided to install rather than a Northern Lights decision. No problem not having a ball valve in the oil drain hose. The Reverso has a valve at the pump manifold and that is sufficient. On staging the oil filter drain to minimize oil spill. No, but there are some tricks. The most important two are 1) change the oil when it's hot and thin, and 2) give the engine 30 to 45 min off before changing it since they oil in the filter will drain back. The last trick is leave the oil change pump on, put the oil fill cap back on to cause negative pressure in the crankcase and then remove it quickly with an oil rag below it. Put the new oil filter on quickly after removing the old one. If you do that, you can minimize the mess but there will always be some spillage. I don't let the pump run that long to help empty the filter but it is important that the cap go back on for this to be effective. And, it's really a minor factor in mess minimization. The important ones are 1) hot oil and 2) 30 to 45 min with the engine off to allow drain back. Good luck!

[@sailinstyle]

@@MVDirona Oh, I didn't let it sit long enough after the warm up. That's gotta be it. I did everything else in your vid. Ours is a 4 cyl 16KW which is an upgrade over the 12K the N47 is usually built with. I do have the book for the engine. It says 200 hours, so that's what I'm doing.

[@MVDirona]

Yup, that'll help. It's exactly the same engine except that it has 1 more cylinder. Everything else the same. Good generator. You should have good success with warm oil, 30 to 40 min to drain, pumping with the oil cap on while removing the filter, let air leak a bit before taking off the filter. And then, go fast with a oil diaper to catch what comes out.

[@mickledlin9595]

Can you tell me how you sourced fuel supply in your travels? Is there a site that gives you fuel destinations, volumes available, price etc?

[@MVDirona]

There are some regional fuel listings but they are fairly rare and often aren't up to date. When we need fuel we call around and find price and availability. When planning a big trip, we call ahead and make sure we can get fuel at both ends of the trip. Over the last couple of years we have only fueled 2 to 3 times a year so we have a lot of flexibility on when and where we do it. We just look for good pricing and at a convenient location.

[@mickledlin9595]

Thank you James.

[@larsrosing5033]

Another thing to mention, apart from the excelent work done here, is it is a good thing to have a warm engine prior to oil change, makes the oil a bit more runnier. Just let it rest half an hour after running. I think you forgot to close off the cock on the engine drain hose! ;)

[@MVDirona]

Yes, I forgot to mention the engine should be warm. When the change was done, we were at anchor so the generattor was running every 4 to 6 hours so it's doesn't get much below 130F. It was nice and warm. Your a careful viewer. I forgot to mention it when I did close the valve and, in scanning the video, it looks like I didn't remember to close it until near the end of the job. You can see the valve closed at 31:22 just before I put the cover back on the generator.

[@R2robot]

A job isn't done until Spitfire has inspected and signed off on it. :)

[@MVDirona]

It's true. He does spot checks on just about all of our jobs and often spends the entire job on the work tray over the main engine. From there he can see all of the engine room and get some attention whenever I walk by. For him, the only thing better is when open up a storage area to get spares. He's always in there fast. Some refer to him as "our spare cat" since he's in the spares whenever they are open.

[@boohooboo]

from way over here, where i'm least able to make a suggestion: seems like you need a written checklist. too easy a sol'n to not use it. just my 2cents.

[@MVDirona]

We have a maintenance program that tracks when it's time to do different operations. We also have alarms and alerts to ensure that we don't have equipment in an incorrect mode. We do use checklists for some operations but our focus is on making the systems so simple to run that any needed checklists are short. Basically, people are the weak link so automate the mundane things that people tend to forget or don't check in sufficient detail. For example, in order to insure that the helms person is awake and alert, we have a watchkeeping alarm that must be touched every 10 min.

[@gck82s]

Hi guys I would love to be doing what you are doing, I live in Fleetwood if your passing PM me I would love to see you guys and Dirona.

[@MVDirona]

Yes, Fleetwood is just a little south of where we are. Our current plan, once the lockdown is lifted, is to head further north and spend some more time in the Scottish islands.

[@fryfrysk]

Sorry you had to pay in Amsterdam for disposal of used oil : ridiculous , as disposing of used oil is free at any car garage or at every municipality recycle station .There is no fee to be paid. The reason it is free is that used oil is simply worth money. After gathering of the used oil and after filtering, it is sold as socalled heavy duty oil , which is used by all large ocean going vessels ( however usage not allowed within all EU territorial waters: just diesel is allowed. But as we dutch use to say : Amsterdam is not the Netherlands, but just Amsterdam. tip1: When I change oil filters, I useally put a little fresh oil on the rubber sealing of the filter rubbing it smootly with my finger, preventing the filter getting stuck when replacement is needed after a while. tip2 : after running the engine to have the fresh oil circulated , best wait for 5 or 10 minutes untill all circulated oil has dropped back to the bottom and then check the level with the oil stick. The risk in doing it imediately is that the level appears OK, but later on above max level. A great new fuel by Shell is GTL ( gas -to -liquid), which is an very clean alternative for diesel. It can be used without any adaption of the diesel engine ( I am using it in my diesel cars and both tractors), but is was originally intended for marine purposes. It generates over 40 pc less CO2 ; 20 pc less NoX ; no more black smoke; no black partcles in your engine oil and the cetan number ( diesel is 50 up to 55 for premium diesel) is much higher ; over 75. , meaning it starts very easy and runs far more smoothly even in cold conditions. E.g. Shell V-power diesel contains wolrldwide around 15 pc GTL. It is very well suited powering the diesel generator and It can be mixed with diesel : no problem at all. Google : Shell -GTL -marine

[@MVDirona]

I've heard good things about GTL and those I've talked to that use it, really like the positive impact they are having on the environment and don't mind the additional costs. Thanks for passing along your experience.

[@perrooceaniko2005]

have seen some hospitals dirtier than your engine room .....

[@MVDirona]

Love it! :-) I like to keep things clean partly because, if it's clean, it's easy to see problems early that would often be hidden in the grime. And, if it's clean, it's easier to work on without needing to put on coveralls for small jobs or quick checks.

[@perrooceaniko2005]

@@MVDirona agree !! for me the engine room is sacred place !! dirt just complicate all, in peace and war time !!! *you understand me**

[@MVDirona]

100% agree with your comment "dirt just complicates it all." Clean parts are easier to service and problems are much easier to see. Our generator currently has a rear main oil seal problem and so it's throwing a lot of oil around which will make keeping that area of the engine clean more challenging. We'll plan to change the seal fairly soon.

[@JJP72095]

He closed it, check the part right before he put the sound shield back on

[@MVDirona]

Good eye JP. I didn't tell right near the end but at 31:22 you can see the valve is closed. I did forget to mention I was closing it though.