Beta 43, dipstick?

[umpire111]

Feel stupid asking this, new boat and head down engine hole first time...... can’t locate the dipstick or gearbox filler? Have manual at side but no luck. Help please

[Chewbacka]

On mine if you stand at the auxiliary belt end of the engine the dip stick is on the left hand side, about the middle point.  As Beta paint (annoyingly) green, you are looking for a green loop about 30mm in diameter.

 

The gear box filler depends on which gear box you have.

 

if it is a prm150 this may help.   Just click on the manual link. https://www.prm-newage.com/p12-prm150

 

Edited July 5, 2020 by Chewbacka

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Assuming it is a PRM150 gearbox, the combined filler and dipstick is a hex bolt head. Takes, from memory a 19mm / 3/4" AF spanner on the top face of the gearbox casing. If the previous owner has been checking levels and doing regular changes at least some of the Beta green paint will have been chipped off this, so it should be easy to find.

Jen

[Chewbacka]

4 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Assuming it is a PRM150 gearbox, the combined filler and dipstick is a hex bolt head. Takes, from memory a 19mm / 3/4" AF spanner on the top face of the gearbox casing. If the previous owner has been checking levels and doing regular changes at least some of the Beta green paint will have been chipped off this, so it should be easy to find.

Jen

And under the hex head dip stick/plug is a big thick washer that will slip into the bilge when you remove the dip stick, so take care.

[Iain_S]

There is a location for the dipstick on each side of the Beta, about level with no2 cylinder. If a high level dipstick is fitted, it usually uses the left side of the engine, looking from the rear. If a low level dipstivck, it's usually on the right hand side, as that's the side that's easiest for servicing from. Some engines have both fitted. If you have a low level one, it's a good idea to paint the external bit white: makes it a lot easier to see.

[umpire111]

Tx all now found it, what confused me was that I have an acoustic box round it and I thought the small inspection hatch would give access to it but I was wrong. Still not sure which bolt is the filler/ dipstick for the Prm 150 gearbox, any help please

[Tracy D'arth]

20 minutes ago, umpire111 said:

Tx all now found it, what confused me was that I have an acoustic box round it and I thought the small inspection hatch would give access to it but I was wrong. Still not sure which bolt is the filler/ dipstick for the Prm 150 gearbox, any help please

Its the 19mm 'nut' just forward of the lever that moves when you select a gear.

[Tractor]

19 minutes ago, umpire111 said:

Tx all now found it, what confused me was that I have an acoustic box round it and I thought the small inspection hatch would give access to it but I was wrong. Still not sure which bolt is the filler/ dipstick for the Prm 150 gearbox, any help please

 

In the pic, the hex nut just south of the name plate. the nut has 'shoulders', I would put an arrow to mark it but missed the pic being posted........

[Keeping Up]

1 hour ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Its the 19mm 'nut' just forward of the lever that moves when you select a gear.

Are you sure? On mine it's the one shown at the extreme top of your photo.

[Tracy D'arth]

May be, may be not.

[dor]

Keeping up is right.  It’s the one on the top, right hand side looking back.

[system 4-50]

4 hours ago, Iain_S said:

There is a location for the dipstick on each side of the Beta, about level with no2 cylinder. If a high level dipstick is fitted, it usually uses the left side of the engine, looking from the rear. If a low level dipstivck, it's usually on the right hand side, as that's the side that's easiest for servicing from. Some engines have both fitted. If you have a low level one, it's a good idea to paint the external bit white: makes it a lot easier to see.

Thank you for that, I've always wondered why my dipstick was on the other side from all the pictures in the manuals.

[LadyG]

8 hours ago, system 4-50 said:

Thank you for that, I've always wondered why my dipstick was on the other side from all the pictures in the manuals.

When you change gearbox fluid [I have a PRM120], I phoned Newgate, they said Dexron2 for mine. I had to change fluid by removing [magnetic] sump nut, a soft grey residue is good, bright steel shavings is bad.

Edited July 6, 2020 by LadyG

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

When you change gearbox fluid [I have a PRM120], I phoned Newgate, they said Dexron2 for mine. I had to change fluid by removing [magnetic] sump nut, a soft grey residue is good, bright steel shavings is bad.

PRM 150 is similar for oil changes, the drain nut is on the underside of the gearbox case, but you fill it up again with engine oil, the same as you put in the Beta 43. Screw the dip stick fully in to check level. With fresh oil it can be difficult to see the level on the stick, so laying it on a bit of kitchen roll can be used to see how far the oil is up the stick.

 

Jen

Edited July 6, 2020 by Jen-in-Wellies

[robtheplod]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

PRM 150 is similar for oil changes, the drain nut is on the underside of the gearbox case, but you fill it up again with engine oil, the same as you put in the Beta 43. Screw the dip stick fully in to check level. With fresh oil it can be difficult to see the level on the stick, so laying it on a bit of kitchen roll can be used to see how far the oil is up the stick.

 

Jen

Not sure if this helps but i found seeing the level almost impossible so got a small bamboo stick. I spent ages getting the oil level right (mainly as i couldn't see it clearly!), then put a marker on a bamboo stick that i just drop in. No need to keep screwing up the dipstick etc as i use the stick now to measure... much easier to see the level and quicker to do.

[Tracy D'arth]

Sorry, wrong plug. Mine is a PRM280, totally different .

 

No need to screw it in to check. Full is the top mark when screwed in, or the bottom mark without screwing it in. So just drop it down, to the bottom mark its OK, then screw it in.

 

Easier to see if you grind a flat on one side of the dipstick. I cheat and draw a chalk line on the stick first.

TD'

Edited July 6, 2020 by Tracy D'arth

[john6767]

On 05/07/2020 at 18:58, Keeping Up said:

Are you sure? On mine it's the one shown at the extreme top of your photo.

Yep that one on a PRM 150.