Battery connection

[Tstick333]

I have one battery hooked up. And I have one positive cord left for the other battery and one cord with two eye-lids that I have I idea how it connects. Please help.

And I cannot get the oil filter off either and yes I have the special tool.

22 I type R
Mercruiser 350 mag mpi

[IDBoating]

I have one battery hooked up. And I have one positive cord left for the other battery and one cord with two eye-lids that I have I idea how it connects. Please help.

Is the cord with two ring terminals black in color? If so, it's the neutral connection between the two batteries. It connects to each battery's negative terminal. There will also be a separate black cable, connected to the boat's wiring harness, that connects to the negative terminal on one battery. In this way, both batteries will have their negative terminals connected to the ground bus on your boat.

This separate black cable will likely be heavier and should connect to the engine starting battery, with the standalone dual-ring terminal cord running from there to the other (accessory) battery's negative terminal. This way the starter current will not have to pass through the (smaller) standalone cable.

Hope this helps!

[Tstick333]

Yes that helps tremendously. I hooked the black cord with two ring terminals to both batteries negative post. Thanks!

Any ideas about getting the oil filter off???

[IDBoating]

Any ideas about getting the oil filter off???

All the standard tricks. I haven't had much luck with those "cap wrenches", they just seem to slip around on me. But a good strap wrench, either metal or rubber, works great. The rubber ones benefit from being really clean so they don't slip too much.

Absolute worst case, you can drive a screwdriver through the body of the filter and start unscrewing it that way. But I have never needed to do this, and it will be REALLY MESSY because the oil will start leaking. Go with the strap wrench.

Another trick, which I picked up here: Once you have slightly loosened the filter, put a gallon sized ziplok bag around it as you finish unscrewing it. This will capture any oil that spills, keeping it out of your bilge. Ziplok it shut before you carry it out of the boat to protect the passenger compartment.

Report back!

[Tstick333]

The strap was no good. Going back to orileys to look for rubber strap

[chpthril]

The strap was no good. Going back to orileys to look for rubber strap

If its a metal strap wrench, double over a piece of sandpaper ab place it between filter and wrench. This adds a bit of grip.

[Tstick333]

Ok got it off by hammering big flat head screwdriver threw it. Next how do I get all the excess oil out of the bottom of the boat? Left over oil is sitting below the engine.

[IDBoating]

Ok got it off by hammering big flat head screwdriver threw it. Next how do I get all the excess oil out of the bottom of the boat? Left over oil is sitting below the engine.

Yep, I warned you!

Now you get to go to O'Reilly's again - but this time for those special oil-absorbent pads they make for exactly this reason. Hurry up... I've found that the longer oil sits in the bilge, the more permanently stained your fiberglass becomes. That's why I use the ziplok bag trick - I try for ZERO oil and a nice clean bilge.

Report back!

[Tstick333]

Got the pads and soaked up the oil!

Put new oil in and new oil filter in. Time to crank her up for the first time this year!

Cross ur finger!!!

[wired1236]

I've found that's what happens when people don't oil up the o-ring on the filter before they screw it on.