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NSF18B2 Engine Oil Question

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bobby85

New member
I'm new to the forum and have a question about a 2005 18hp I recently purchased. The guy I purchased it from told me to tilt the motor up to check the engine oil level. But from what I read in the owners manual it says to leave the motor vertical. Anyone out there that can help me out?
 
Do not tilt to check. The oil should be checked only when the motor is in the running position. See p28 of the owners manual, available from Nissan Marine or Tohatsu online. Either the PO or you may have gotten confused about draining the oil; the owners manual talks about tilting, not to check, but to drain, the crankcase (and then draining it twice), but that's actually not necessary either. As long as your drain pan will clear the transom, etc., it's fine (and easier/quicker) to not tilt to drain.

When checking, you want the oil between the hash marks on the stick. Never a drop above full. About 3/4 full is best, as you will probably gain some oil in use.

When changing oil, always use the stick to verify when you have filled enough; don't just dump in a liter and think you are OK. Many motors get overfilled that way. Most 18's will use about a quart after changing oil and filter, due to residual oil in passages, etc. We typically drain the oil, change the filter, add about a quart, start the motor to fill the oil galleries and filter, then stop (and allow the oil to drain into the sump for an accurate reading) and then check the level.

While on that topic, do not run synthetic oil, or oil that is too heavy. Either will make you gain oil faster. Run non-synthetic type FC-W, 10w-30; or if in the tropics, 10w-40.
 
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