Home › Forums › Bass Cat Boats › Loose engine oil cap…I hope?
1stinLA.
Posted this over on the Merc forum at BBC, but figured Id ask here as well…I have a 2011 150 hp Optimax Pro XS on the back of my 2011 Sabre FTD…Ran it all day yesterday and it ran great (as it has since I got the boat back in June). I had one alarm after dragging it through the weeds. I put it in reverse and gave it a bit of gas, shifted it into neutral and gave it some gas, to clear any debris. Shut it down, restarted it, and it ran fine the rest of the day, probably 5 miles of running. No more alarms.When I got back to the ramp and was strapping it down I noticed a puddle of oil in the splash well. Seemed to be dripping from the rigging tube, opened the tube up and all the fittings seemed to be fine. A buddy came over and helped me take the cowl off, there was some oil in the bottom of the engine and it was dripping down through over the shaft. While were looking (and Im freaking out) I notice the label on the oil tank that says “Oil will overflow if cap is loose” my buddy reaches over and tightens it, as it was definitely loose. Its tight now, but it seems like if I tried to tighten it further it could slip.The tank itself is full to within a 1/4-3/8 on an inch to the top of the tank, and the reserve/fill tank in the battery compartment looks to have the same amount of oil that I started the day with (just under a 1/4 of a tank…need to get to the shop for another jug). I checked it this morning and there is a tiny spot of oil on my garage floor (about the size of a half-dollar), which Im guessing is the remaining overflow draining through.There were a few times throughout the day when I was in some shallow stuff and raised the motor as high as I could get it to keep it from dragging through the grass after the one alarm….could the extreme pitch of raising the motor be a contributing factor?Is this something I should be worried about?2011 Sabre FTD w/ Mercury 150 Pro XS, Power Pole Sportsman 2s, Humminbird 898 w/ 360 and 858 at bow, 898 at ConsoleFor lots of BCB love, follow me on instagram: @professorbeard
The on-motor reservoir is filled by pressurizing the on-boat tank. That is the reason for the loose cap warning; if its not tight the pressure from the boat-side tank will push oil out the neck. Was there oil on the outside of the motor reservoir? If you are sure that the cap was loose, you probably have solved the problem. I would keep an eye on it for the next few outings.Someone else should weigh-in on the oil level on the motor reservoir. I thought it was supposed to be full to the top.
Yes, there was oil coating the outside of the motor reservoir.Thanks for the input!2011 Sabre FTD w/ Mercury 150 Pro XS, Power Pole Sportsman 2s, Humminbird 898 w/ 360 and 858 at bow, 898 at ConsoleFor lots of BCB love, follow me on instagram: @professorbeard
Yes, that engine mounted reservoir should be full to the top. Simply take the cap off with the engine running and that reservoir will draw and fill to the top. Have a rag at the ready cause that is likely to get a bit messy.
As stated above, snug up the oil cap, then with the engine running on muffs in the driveway, crack the oil cap until oil begins to seep out from under the cap, now tighten it back down SNUG, Do not tighten excessively! There is only a couple threads on that cap and it is very easy to strip the tank threads out. Good and snug will be just fine. There should not be any air in the onboard engine reservoir. I recommend to all who own a boat, to take the cowling off the engine every few trips out and just give the engine a once over and verify all connections and fittings are tight, and oils and fuel are not where they should not be, spark plug wires are tight, and overall condition and security of the wiring harnesses, also helps to inspect when running on muffs in the driveway for any leaks. Good luck.
The reservoir on my 07 150 Opti was leaking. Ultimately, I had to replace the tank. The original tank was all white plastic (even the threads) and was stripped to the point where the cap would vibrate loose. The replacement tank has a black threaded insert and cap. Much stronger seal. If youre tightening it down and its slipping Id recommend you go ahead and replace the reservoir and be done with it. Mine hasnt leaked a drop since I did.
You can do little wrong if the warning buzzers are being paid attention to. Just clean it up and run it.
Sounds good! Its still under warranty, so Ill get it in to have them double check it, probably early next week, but will clear the air out and run it for my Wednesday nighter, of course paying careful attention to the alarm (or lack there of!)2011 Sabre FTD w/ Mercury 150 Pro XS, Power Pole Sportsman 2s, Humminbird 898 w/ 360 and 858 at bow, 898 at ConsoleFor lots of BCB love, follow me on instagram: @professorbeard
Thought Id post a follow-up in case someone else has this happen…I ran it a few times last week, and it was fine, but I took it to the shop today just to be safe. Just heard from the shop, theyre going to replace the entire tank, under warranty. Seems that they had some issues with the tank in 2010/11…Last edited by somata on August 26th, 2014, 4:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.2011 Sabre FTD w/ Mercury 150 Pro XS, Power Pole Sportsman 2s, Humminbird 898 w/ 360 and 858 at bow, 898 at ConsoleFor lots of BCB love, follow me on instagram: @professorbeard
Glad you got it sorted out!
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