Engine Oil change..Is it Ok to use a Fram filter and regular motor oil? JUST OIL TYPE

[diver94]

Hi,
I'm trying to change the oil on my twin 4.3 MPIs. The boat is a 2003 Regal...not sure about the engine year (cannot locate the serial number).

I bought the boat earlier this year and it has a fram oil filter.

Do I really need to buy the Mercruiser oil and oil filter?

OK> I will answer my own question. No big difference (I just read other posts..they are just GM engines (same used in cars).

Please let me know what type of oil your recommend (brand and type). I live in NJ.


Thanks!
Lui

 

[KJM]

Regular oil and filter are fine in my opinion. Make sure its the specified viscosity and you could go with synthetic oil if you wanted the very best protection and didn't mind the higher price. I just use the same oil and filter I use in my car and truck.

 

[JoLin]

rut-roh... :lalala:

 

[diver94]

Got it. Thanks!

 

[alldodge]

The Fram comment only: The are several youtube and other discussions on Fram filters. They are used by thousands of cars and boats all over the country. The issue you can (not always) run into with Fram is the lack of quality control. I had two cases of Pennzoil (Fram makes these) and decided to cut open some new ones along with a few other brands. Found one out of the four I cut open which had a bad glue job on the media.

Most other filters do not use gluing alone, they also use metal to crimp the pleats together. So I still have the filters, but just don't use them anymore. I give them away with a comment.

 

[KJM]

I never heard that before about Fram... that's what I usually use! Not a lot of other brands around here......any other brands I should watch out for?

 

[ezmobee]

LOL, I was gonna say.......it's never ok to use a Fram filter :embarassed:

 

[stonyloam]

You will want a little heavier duty oil. I use Rotella 15w-40 Diesel engine oil.

 

[scoflaw]

I wouldn't cheap out on the filter. Big diff between Fram and lets say Wix or Merc. Look inside a Fram, it has a plastic cage holding it together as opposed to metal.

 

[gm280]

I use to exclusively use Fram Filters, 'til I read an article explaining how Fram filters stood up to their competitors. Fram didn't rank very high because they did short cut the quality. So I switched to other brands namely Purolator. At the time I read the comparison article, Purolator was a top pick because of their construction and particle filtering capabilities. And I have been using them since. But that is just my .02 cents worth.

 

[alldodge]

I never heard that before about Fram... that's what I usually use! Not a lot of other brands around here......any other brands I should watch out for?

Fram sells there under several different names, but in most all cases they always cost less. I would suggest staying with the major brands like WIX (NAPA brand is WIX), Hastings, AC Delco, Fleetguard, Baldwin, Purolator, Merc

You can still find Fram in the top 10 best oil filters, how I don't know, maybe they have gotten better over time. For me its, I found it once so not going to try them afterwards. Just search fram oil filter problems

Oh and I stay away from Sierra because they make some cheap stuff so I'm not sure about the filter

 

[harleyman1975]

Oil weight should be 25 w 40. I know lots use rotella 15 w 40 with good results but if that was what Mercruiser thought was best they would recommend it. just my .02

 

[KJM]

Is 25w40 whats recommended? I usually use 10w30 in mine, but its a different engine.

 

[alldodge]

Boat works a bit harder then a car so a heavier weight is needed. Whether 25-40, 15w-40 of straight 40w is an oil thread debate. The manual reads as follows

To help obtain optimum engine performance and to provide maximum protection, we
strongly recommend the use of Quicksilver 4-Cycle 25W-40 Marine Engine Oil. This oil is
a special blend of 25-weight and 40-weight oils for marine engines. If not available, a good
grade, straight weight, detergent automotive oil of correct viscosity, with an API
classification of SH,CF/CF-2, may be used.
In those areas where Quicksilver 4-Cycle 25W-40 Marine Engine Oil or a recommended
straight weight oil are not available, a multiviscosity 20W-40 (SH, CF/CF-2) or, as a second
but less preferable choice, 20W-50, with API service ratings of SH, CF/CF-2 may be used.

Note your boating during warm weather so straight weights are fine. Folks like 15w-40 diesel oil because of more zinc. Merc likes to sell more product so they have a 25w made. Is it better, some will agree, some won't.

Suggest using something more then 30W

 

[Scott Danforth]

Use any good quality oil that meets the duty cycle. Straight weight, multi-weight, synthetic or semi-synthetic.

However for God sake, don't use a FRAM filter. WIXX, napa, purolator, etc, however a toilet paper roll has more integrity than a Fram oil filter

 

[ericga]

Really need to? No. But I suggest to use a marine oil that have the FC-W certification from NMMA. You can see the list on their website. These oils are engineered for marine application and pass rigorous bench tests including corrosion resistance, foaming and aeration etc... Filter and oil is not where you want to save few dollars a year IMO.

 

[Oshkosh1]

People crack me up...I go through this BS in dealing with my old Brit car crowd...

Assuming you're not boating below freezing, fill it with 20/50...brand makes 0 difference and whatever filter fits. Everyone has their own preference and many will argue ad nauseam that brand xx works better than brand yy...but it's all just anecdotal nonsense. The engine doesn't care as long as it maintains oil pressure on relatively clean lubricant.

Personally I use the same oil in my boat as I do in my old car(MGB). Schaeffer 20/50 and a Fram, Wix or Walmart filter(now made by Wix...but 1/2 the price) and whatever I run upon first. I change the oil in the car every 4k miles and the boat every 100hrs or once per season...

Better to use cheap oil and change it regularly than boutique stuff and leave it in too long in any case.

People get entirely waaaay to worked up over three things regarding engines; Oil brand name/Filter brand name/Oil pressure. Brand names mean little and big engines will live a LONG time running 10psi per 1kRPM rule of thumb. Remember, most marine engines are simply re-cammed street lumps. They don't care if their running over the road or through the water. Yeah, they run almost double the RPM...but so long as they're well maintained and not abused they will live a good long life with just simple care and feeding.

Oh...and Fram makes very good filters. I use them quite often on all sorts of engines...fuel and oil. Even the dreaded OCOD(OrangeCanOfDeath)...which I'm currently running on my newly rebuilt(by me) MGB engine.

 

[Scott Danforth]

seriously look at the cut-away comparisons and then make your own decisions on Fram.

http://www.bullittarchive.com/5000/5003/Oil_Filter_Cut-Away_Comparison_Kit.pdf

http://www.austincc.edu/wkibbe/oilfilterstudy.htm

after having had a Fram filter fail on me more than once, I will never use a fram filter (or the rebranded Frams such as Penzoil). I will give you that the Fram filter of the 70's and 80's is significanly better than the cardboard junk they are pushing today.

 

[airshot]

As far as filters go please allow me to say this...a number of years back a brand of auto supply stores contacted my company to create a display of various oil filters. Many name brand and off brand filters were sent to us to be cut away so the internal components could be displayed. About a year after the displays were in use I am told that fram filter co filed a lawsuit against the parts store chain to have the display removed. It appears that when people saw how the fram filters were made there sales dropped! I will only say that since I have saw first hand how there filters are made I would never again buy a Fram filter. Many of the off brand name filters had far better construction than the cardboard and glue used in the fram filters. I personally look for any filter not made by Fram.

 

[jimbo_jwc]

Depends if you cant afford a boat and are trying to save money at every corner than get used to working on it yourself too. A friend tried that option and paid the price . Filter came loose , didn't notice oil pressure gauge and no alarm or shutdown safety .Only thing that we could determine non-professionally was that the threads in pressed hole were the problem . So if you want to save money take a chance and find out how xyz brand can sell theirs cheaper .