PRM 150 Oil level & dipstick

[PCSB]

I've just completed the 500 hour service on our boat. It is fitted with a Canaline 42 and PRM 150 gearbox. The PRM manual says the gearbox takes 1.4 litres excluding any oil cooler. I'm not aware of an oil cooler on our engine so I'm assuming 1.4 litres will be ok - I used that amount at the 250 hour service and it has worked fine.

 

However I am having a tough time reading the dipstick, it is either stainless steel or chromed and I just cannot see the oil level against the dipstick - and yes I am wearing my glasses!

 

How do others manage?

 

TIA

Paul.

[ditchcrawler]

7 minutes ago, PCSB said:

I've just completed the 500 hour service on our boat. It is fitted with a Canaline 42 and PRM 150 gearbox. The PRM manual says the gearbox takes 1.4 litres excluding any oil cooler. I'm not aware of an oil cooler on our engine so I'm assuming 1.4 litres will be ok - I used that amount at the 250 hour service and it has worked fine.

 

However I am having a tough time reading the dipstick, it is either stainless steel or chromed and I just cannot see the oil level against the dipstick - and yes I am wearing my glasses!

 

How do others manage?

 

TIA

Paul.

Touch the stick on clean loo paper

[Tony Brooks]

 Or even the back of your hand. In both cases, the side of the dipstick, not the tip.

[john6767]

7 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Touch the stick on clean loo paper

Yep that basically, I use kitchen towel.

[Steve56]

3 hours ago, PCSB said:

I've just completed the 500 hour service on our boat. It is fitted with a Canaline 42 and PRM 150 gearbox. The PRM manual says the gearbox takes 1.4 litres excluding any oil cooler. I'm not aware of an oil cooler on our engine so I'm assuming 1.4 litres will be ok - I used that amount at the 250 hour service and it has worked fine.

 

However I am having a tough time reading the dipstick, it is either stainless steel or chromed and I just cannot see the oil level against the dipstick - and yes I am wearing my glasses!

 

How do others manage?

 

TIA

Paul.

I would be pretty confident in saying your gearbox will have cooler. You should have a couple of hoses coming from the box, just follow and see where they go. It is a real pain trying to see the oil level on the new dipsticks. The older models used to have a blackened matt finish on the dipsticks but I suppose now it's all down to cost so a plain dipstick saves a few pence. As previously said just lay on some kitchen towel and you will see the level. Note the dipstick should be screwed in to test level. Normally I would just place it in position but just fill to minimum mark. You will be close enough.

[Cheshire cat]

As Steve says, I would be suprised if you don't have an oil cooler. It's usually a sausage shaped heat exchanger (the oil passes through a water jacket) rather than something similar to what you would find on a car which relies on forward motion to ram air through a small radiator.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Cheshire cat
to correct a word

[Tracy D'arth]

PRM 150 gearbox ought to have a cooler. Its a box with hydraulic clutches and  PRM say it must have an oil cooler, their smaller mechanical boxes use ATF instead of engine oil because they don't have coolers.

Blacken the dipstick with a felt tipped pen and you will see the level better.

[Tony Brooks]

6 hours ago, Steve56 said:

Note the dipstick should be screwed in to test level.

 

True, but the thread length is about the same as the distance between max and min, and the distance between min and the end of the stock is about the same. So if you do not screw it in the Min becomes the max and the end of the dipstick is the minimum mark.

[robtheplod]

10 hours ago, john6767 said:

Yep that basically, I use kitchen towel.

that blue engineers 'kitchen towel' shows it up great....

[PCSB]

Thanks all. I'll double check for the oil cooler following the advice above. 

[Ray T]

If you have an oil cooler it is probably a Bowman. Should look like this:-

Probably at the back end of the engine.

The gear box had been removed in the second photo.

[David Mack]

Similar to Ray's example but smaller, , this is Bowman's cheapest model, which you are most likely to find on a narrow boat gearbox. The two fittings on the side will have hoses connected to the gearbox, the ends are connected to the cooling water pipework.

Edited May 5, 2023 by David Mack

[PCSB]

I can confirm it does have an oil cooler and I have found it located on the left side when looking forwards and towards the front of the engine. Have adjusted the oil level accordingly. Many thanks again for the help.

[Richard T]

I made a wooden dipstick for our boat with the marks transposed from the original one. It has a stepped end so it can't accidentally be dropped into the box. I also have an 18mm spanner kept for the gearbox.

[Ray T]

16 minutes ago, Richard T said:

I made a wooden dipstick for our boat with the marks transposed from the original one. It has a stepped end so it can't accidentally be dropped into the box. I also have an 18mm spanner kept for the gearbox.

I made this from an 18mm socket and an old spark plug spanner.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Ray T

[Steve56]

4 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

True, but the thread length is about the same as the distance between max and min, and the distance between min and the end of the stock is about the same. So if you do not screw it in the Min becomes the max and the end of the dipstick is the minimum mark.

I did also mention that in my comment.

[Ray T]

With the Bowman oil coolers one thing to look out for is distortion of the rubber boots.