BAYS-3400122 BF40A.... Dipstick question

Changed the oil and filter.
Used recommended black filter.
Drained hot oil completely.
Refilled with Honda 5W-30 using 2.5 quarts exactly. Ran engine for a few hours. Checked dip stick today(with engine perfectly level) and oil shows about 1 inch above x's on dipstick.
Is this something that I should be concerned about?

Thanks,
Bill

Does the oil smell anything like gas? It is not uncommon for an engine that has a bad thermostat(s) to "make oil". It is because the engine runs too cold and the gasoline doesn't burn completely with some being deposited in the crankcase. This is NOT GOOD for several reasons, engine bearing damage being an obvious one.

Operating an engine cold all the time also leads to the pistons, valves and combustion chamber getting sooted or "carboned" up. This can lead to problems in the long run. Also, a cold engine will waste gas since it is not burning the fuel efficiently.

If you haven't serviced your thermostats in a couple of seasons, it may be time to do so.

On the other hand, you may have simply overfilled it in which case you would just need to "adjust" the level so that it is somewhere between the full and the add mark.

Running an engine with the crankcase overfull can lead to oil "foaming" wherein the oil pump doesn't pump the foam efficiently and can starve the engine bearings of oil.

I make it a habit to change the thermostats every 200 hours for all the reasons Jimmy just posted. 200 hours for me is less than a season.

Thanks for the info.......

I removed the oil filler cap and it smells acrid, like gasoline. The new oil that I have left over has practically no smell so there is a huge difference between new oil and oil that has been run for a few hours.
The plugs(2-3 years old) look blackish and I will install new ones. The gaps are between .025 and .028.
I filled the motor with exactly 2.5 quarts of oil. The thermostat has not been touched on this 2004 motor. It is time.

1. Is the oil in the motor ruined?
2. Can the new oil filter (15400-PFB-007 black) still be used?
3. Should I test the thermostat and thermo switch as per shop manual or.... just replace them both?
4. 19300-ZW9-003 Thermostat Assy ($30.70).. is this correct? any gaskets, etc. needed in addition?
5. 35673-ZW5-003 Water Temp Sensor Assy ($14.10)... is this correct? any gaskets, etc. needed?
6. Any reason that I should not do this install myself?

Thanks again,
Bill

1. Yes, ruined
2. Not a good idea
3. Just replace them
4. Cannot verify part numbers on that engine. Should replace the rubber gasket. Go to boats.net for parts diagram and parts numbers.
6. Pretty easy operation. Do it yourself.

Yes, still use the black oil filter.

The thermostat part number is correct for that motor serial number.

Do not bother to change the water temp sensor, unless you know there is something wrong with it. It only activates the warning system in case of overheat. It is only a switch. It is not really a sensor and does not tell the engine how to burn the fuel as it would in a fuel injected engine.

One question about the high amount of oil.....how high was it before you ran it? I have never been able to put in the exact amount of oil that the book indicates. There is always some oil in various pockets throughout the engine. When filling with oil....put in 1 quart less that the book says, then check the stick. Little by little, add more until the oil comes just to the top of the x's. If everything goes right, with a new filter, the oil level should go down to about 1/4" or so below the full mark....where it should be.

In other words....maybe you do not have an issue, you might have just put in too much oil.

Mike

I smelled my friends oil in a BF50D 2005 model and it was also a bit acrid... like a gasoline smell. He changes oil every fall so it is a fair comparison.
I will adjust the oil level and take it for a spin.
My plan is to change the thermostat soon just for good measure.

I will also test the tach at high RPM as per my other thread on that topic.

Thanks,
Bill