Gearbox oil change? How often?

[Kristian]

Hi, Im a little concerned, had my boat over 2 years now and ive never done a gearbox oil change (JP3+PRM260).

Whats peoples thoughts on how often this should be done? I was told leave it but check the oil level and keep it topped up, but surley there comes a point when the oil needs changeing??!!

Thanks Kristian.

[alan_fincher]

Opinions seem to differ wildly on this.

 

My manual is on the boat, and I can't recall what Newage themselves say.

 

Personally my view is that it is minimal effort to do the gearbox at the same time as the engine, and, as so little oil is involved, the incremental costs are insignificant.

 

I certainly don't think I'd want to be doing it less than annually.

[BlueStringPudding]

I change mine everytime it dumps all it's oil into the bilge. That'll be every day, then.

 

(Or at least every time we move the boat)

[blackrose]

It really depends on how many hours the engine has done. I've got an Izusu 55 witha PRM 150 box and I just followed the service schedule: I did the first service at about 50 hours (engine oil & filter change, gearbox oil change, drain a bit of fuel from the water trap, fuel filter change, fanbelt tensions & check engine mounts). I'm just doing the second service at 300 hours now (the same as above but changing the water trap element and without changing the fuel filter).

 

I'm not sure if the PRM 260 has the same sort of dipstick as my PRM 150, but it's impossible to see the level of the new oil because it's a round dipstick rather than flat. In the end I had to put some masking tape around the dipstick to see the level - if you do this just make sure it's not going to come off inside the box! Also you have to screw the dipstick right down on my box to check the level.

 

I was told leave it but check the oil level and keep it topped up, but surley there comes a point when the oil needs changeing??!!

 

You are correct - whoever told you that doesn't know what they are talking about - check your gearbox manual!

[Keeping Up]

The manual for my PRM150 says the gearbox oil should be changed every time that the engine oil is changed. I expect the PRM260 is the same.

 

Personally I reckon this is rather OTT. The gearbox rarely works that hard, and I reckon to change it at every alternate engine oil change.

 

The engine oil is supposed to be changed every 100 hours but again it doesn't work very hard and I change it every 200 hours instead. That means the gearbox oil gets changed every 400 hours. It's always still crystal-clear when I change it (so clear that you can't read the level on the dipstick) so I reckon that's probably OK. As I do about 600 hours per year, that means the engine oil gets changed 3 times a year and the gearbox oil 3 times in 2 years.

 

The tip I was given to read the oil level, is to put a sheet of kitchen-roll down and roll the dipstick along on it (because of the design of the dipstick you have to put the kitchen roll on the edge of something so the stick will lay flat). The oil trail is easily readable.

[BlueStringPudding]

The tip I was given to read the oil level, is to put a sheet of kitchen-roll down and roll the dipstick along on it (because of the design of the dipstick you have to put the kitchen roll on the edge of something so the stick will lay flat). The oil trail is easily readable.

 

That's what I do. (It always reads: empty! )

 

A boat went passed us at the weekend when I was in the bilge and we heard him say to his mate: "Fantastic! I think I should get my Jan to change the oil on our boat." And he promptly burst out laughing.

 

I guess it's not a lasses job round his way.

[RLWP]

Also you have to screw the dipstick right down on my box to check the level.

 

Hmm, now I am going to have to check my manual. I'm fairly sure that you check the level by unscrewing the dipstick, cleaning it then dipping the oil without screwing the dipstick in. PRM 260.

 

Richard

[larkshall]

I'm alarmed that anyone stretches engine oil changes beyond what the manual states. This increases engine wear. I change engibe oil at 75% of manual recommendations. Oil cheap, Engine rebuild = fortune

 

Gearbox oil doesn't get the same hammering, even so would stick to manufacturers recommendations.

 

 

Have just taken delivery of new iveco 7.5 ton vehicle, Oil top up or change is not possible by the user (cab has to be tilted). Oil change interval 30,000KM

[Keeping Up]

Hmm, now I am going to have to check my manual. I'm fairly sure that you check the level by unscrewing the dipstick, cleaning it then dipping the oil without screwing the dipstick in. PRM 260.

I don't know about the 250 but on the 150 the manual says you do have to screw it right in; to avoid having to do so, just lower it down without screwing then treat the "minimum" mark as if it were the "maximum" mark, and mentally imagine another mark the same distance below it which is the temporary "minimum" mark.

 

I was also told (by PRM's agent) that since my oil-cooler is above the level of the gearbox, and the oil from it will have drained back into the gearbox when I am measuring it, I should always overfill the gearbox by half a pint. The excess oil will be pumped up into the oil cooler as soon as the engine is running, thus creating the correct level in the gearbox when it is being used.

[bottle]

http://www.newage-prm.co.uk/prm/handbook.htm

 

 

Oil changes

Gearbox oil should routinely be changed annually or at intervals corresponding with engine oil changes, whichever occurs first. However, if the oil should

become contaminated by water, or if the gearbox suffers major mechanical damage, the gearbox, oil cooler and hoses must be thoroughly flushed out and

the gearbox re-filled with fresh oil to the correct specification.

Edited July 16, 2008 by bottle

[RLWP]

http://www.newage-prm.co.uk/prm/handbook.htm

 

Fair enough, I'm running the gearbox with more oil in it than it needs.

 

Richard

 

Not that it uses much oil anyway

[blackrose]

Fair enough, I'm running the gearbox with more oil in it than it needs.

 

It's a silly design - most dipsticks are read without screwing the whole thing back in, but the PRM 150 dipstick should be read after being fully screwed in so it's bound to lead to people assuming it's a normal dipstick and overfilling the box.

[Liam]

Just to confirm, does the 260 need to have the dipstick screwed back in fully or just placed in so it sits on the thread to get an accurate reading?

 

In the past I've always screwed it back in fully and have filled the box to the maximum mark when it's in that position.

[tosher]

Hi, Im a little concerned, had my boat over 2 years now and ive never done a gearbox oil change (JP3+PRM260).

Whats peoples thoughts on how often this should be done? I was told leave it but check the oil level and keep it topped up, but surley there comes a point when the oil needs changeing??!!

Thanks Kristian.

 

When I bought my boat it had 250 hrs on the Izusu 42 & PRM150. 250 hrs is the manufactures recommended service interval and this service was carried out before purchase. After 500 hrs I serviced it myself and the old engine oil looked quite clean but the old gearbox oil was very dirty indeed, much worse than I have experienced before, I suspect the oil was not changed at the 250hr service. I flushed it through and refilled with new and have subsequently changed the oil every 200 hrs and each time the old oil looks as good as the new. So my advice would be to change all oils before the manufacturers recommended intervals not to exceed them.

[Lesd]

Our Barrus manual (covers the PRM 260 as well) states gear box oil change every 500 hours after the initial 50 hour change.

[RLWP]

Just to confirm, does the 260 need to have the dipstick screwed back in fully or just placed in so it sits on the thread to get an accurate reading?

 

In the past I've always screwed it back in fully and have filled the box to the maximum mark when it's in that position.

 

Hi Liam.

 

The manual that is linked to by Bottle says screw the dipstick in. As Blackrose says that's a nuisance. I like the "Keeping Up" strategy of using the minimum mark as a maximum and not screwing it in and will adopt that one in future.

 

Richard

 

I have always found this to be a bit academic anyway as our gearbox doesn't seem to use any oil between changes. Quick, where's a bit of wood to touch! What have I said!!

[Yoda]

After the running in period where frequent oil changes and flushes are required, it is not really a requirement to change the gearbox oil again for 1000 or more hours unless, two things. These are, contamination by water or other liquid or being run at high temperatures for instance when grounded or other. The oil must be changed then as it will have lost its ability to lubricate.

 

This assumes the use of quality mineral or chemical oils.

 

As for the engine, most of the time the engine is lightly loaded so therefore as above change when required. I see no reason not to have a 1000 hours or more on the same oil. The heavier the engine is worked, the more the oil changes.

[alan_fincher]

I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone should want to change the oil less frequently than Newage suggest.

 

If it says "annually or at intervals corresponding with engine oil changes", that's what I'd do, as so little oil, and so little effort is required. Why do otherwise ?

 

What I have learnt new from this is that you should run the gearbox in neutral to ensure the oil cooler is full, before checking the level.

 

I have never done this, assuming that like the engine, you get a more accurate reading if it has stood for a while. It's possible ours has been run with less oil than recommended, so I'll now check.

 

I agree with all comments about the stupid design, and use of the dip stick on the filler plug. It's hard to imagine something less well thought out.

[RLWP]

I agree with all comments about the stupid design, and use of the dip stick on the filler plug. It's hard to imagine something less well thought out.

 

Some time ago I took our gearbox apart to change the oil seals. Sitting in one corner of the gearbox was a broken off dipstick. I do wonder if it had gone into resonance and fractured.

 

Richard

[bottle]

slightly but

 

With reference to the dipstick, the bit that goes into the gearbox not the other end, my lawnmower has the same 'system' screw the dipstick in to get the correct level.

 

Only did this once, then after wiping placed the dipstick into the orifice, not screwing it in, noted and marked the new level of the oil, have used this new mark ever since.

 

Similar to Allan's method but the dipstick is permanently marked with the new 'level'

 

Remember that the oil level always has a maximum and a minimum, anywhere between the two is OK.