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As I mentioned on the page describing the installation of an electric oil change pump changing engine lube oil has always been one of my least favorite chores.
The oil filter on the W-27 is horizontally mounted in a very tight location. This insures that I always will spill a good 8 ounces of dirty oil onto the side of the engine and into the pan beneath the engine.
To take care of this problem I decided to install a "remote off engine oil filter". Westerbeke offers such a kit for a tidy sum of $259. A little research resulted in finding another source for about $70 less and it comes with a supply of 3 filters to boot. I ordered the kit from Joe DeMers of Sound Marine Diesel LLC in CT. The quality of all parts appears to be excellent. The adapter plate as well as the oil filter head are aluminum castings with machined surfaces where required. Hoses are rated at 300 PSI and all hose fittings are brass.
This kit uses a much larger filter than the original and comes with enough hose to locate the filter up to 36 inches from the engine. The kit offers the following advantages:
1. The added capacity of the larger filter combined with the extra oil in the hoses is sure to be a plus for the life of the engine.
2. The larger filter has much larger filtering media insuring that it will do a better job.
3. By pre-filling the filter when you change oil you lessen the time that the engine is running oil starved when you start it up and wait for oil pressure to build to normal.
4. This kit uses high quality NAPA or WIX filters that are available for about one third the cost of the Westerbeke filters.
Installation consisted of the following steps:
1. Remove the currently installed oil filter and replace it with the adapter plate. (Be sure to coat the O-ring with some fresh oil prior to installing it).
2. Install the supplied hose barbs in the adapter plate using teflon plumbers tape.
3. Select a location for the remote filter to which you have good access. (I mounted mine on the starboard bulkhead next to the engine just aft of the plastic antifreeze recovery bottle). Using a razor knife I cut away the soundproofing insulation so that I could mount a 1" thick teak block to which the oil filter head would be bolted.
4. Install the supplied hose onto the hose barbs on the adapter plate.
5. Install the 90 degree elbows with swivels on the oil filter head using teflon plumbers tape.
6. Install the last 2 hose barb fittings on the end of the hoses that connect to the oil filter head.
7. Thread the hose barbs into the 90 degree elbows using teflon plumbers tape.
8. Coat the O-ring of one of the new filters with oil, then pre-fill new filter with oil and install it into the oil filter head in the same way you would install any oil filter on an engine.
Below are some photos of the parts received in the kit.
The following two photos show the installation of the filter head in the boat.
Between this upgrade and the installation of a permanent 12 VDC oil change pump, oil changes are now merely a 5 minute task with no messes. :-)
Materials required for this project:
1. Remote Off Engine Oil Filter Kit $190.00 including shipping
2. 3 each 1/4" x 1" stainless steel lag bolts $.66
3. Teak block 2.5" x 4" x 1" On hand
4. 4 each 1-3/4" #8 stainless steel wood screws On hand
Total cost of project $190.66
Tools required for this project:
1. Open end wrench set
2. Screwdriver set
3. 3/8" Electric drill
4. Drill bit set
5. Countersink bit for #8 screws
Total time to complete this project: 3 man hours (includes oil change and cleaning up oil from side of engine for the LAST TIME !!!)