Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

[akapolas]

I just bought a used 20' Wellcraft with a 1990 200 Johnson outboard, the guy I bought it from said he would add some oil in the gas in addition to the oil tank. He said it lubricates the engine more and the worst that can happen is I might have to go through two sets of plugs in a season. Should I continue to do that? Is what he saying correct? if so how much oil should I add into the gas tank?

Thanks

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

no he is not correct. may be covering something up. like: until you verify, the VRO oil pump is working properly, i would use a 50:1 fuel oil mix in the tank. those VRO pumps, were known for failing. if you really want to i would ungrade the motor to the new dependable OMS oil mixing system Pump.

 

[akapolas]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

Should I add 50:1 and keep an eye on the VRO tank?
Is there any other way to test the VRO tank?

Thank you.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

If it's a "new-to-you" deal I'd add 50:1 to the fuel tank and mark the oil level on the oil tank. After you run it once you'll see the oil level drop. Once you verift it's using oil just keep an eye on it.

 

[akapolas]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

So the worst thing that can happen with adding to much oil is a lot of smoke and maybe new plugs?

Thanks.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

I'd add oil to whatever fuel is in there. Once you verify it's using oil then just add straight fuel to the fuel tank. I doubt you'll see much difference other than at the initial start. I doubt your plugs will be affected as long as you're using the right plugs and the motor is running correctly.

 

[akapolas]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

Thank you.....

I'm currently in the process of cleaning up the boat and installing new fishfinders/GPS etc. Once in the water I'll let you know the outcome.

Thanks again.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

Thank you.....

I'm currently in the process of cleaning up the boat and installing new fishfinders/GPS etc. Once in the water I'll let you know the outcome.

Thanks again.

I went through nearly the same thing: bought a used 1990 200 hp Johnson last fall. Here's what I did.

First, I read this article: http://www.continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/VRO.html.

I bought OEM owner's and shop manual. The owner's manual, I think, is very important for anyone who just wants to operate and do basic maintenance.

I marked the oil tank to make sure it was burning oil at 50-60:1 before switching from premix to straight gasoline.

I inspected the lines and made sure the clamps were good and the proper type.

I tested the "low oil" and "no oil" alarm by letting the tank run low (for low oil alarm) and then disconnecting the oil line (for no oil). Using premix of course.

I cleaned the oil tank and replaced the pick up filter, re-filled tank (making permanent 1 pint marks) purged and reconnected oil line.

I have full confidence in the system now, given the alarms and simple maintenance required.

None of this was difficult or time consuming, just fairly methodical.

On the other hand, since my VRO2 pump is original to the engine - as evidenced by the old style pulse limiter. I therefore plan to invest in the latest model OMS pump and pulsmiter. NOt because I think the VRO2 is inferior or defective, but simply because the pump is 18 years old and the places I go, a fuel pump failure would be a big problem. Note, I'm not talking about an oiling failure. I do not feel that is any more likely than a fuel pump failure - either would cause a serious problem where I go, so it just seems prudent to replace such an old part.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

Guys, After you determine the Oil injection is working correctly, I recommend you put some oil into a storage area on the boat, in case it fails when you are out. I have a 63 gal gas tank on my 21 footer. I have a 1 gal sealed container of 2 cycle oil in the bilge. If the OMS pump fails, I simply empty the oil into the tank (it will be no worse than 63::1, which is OK for slow cruise, likely it will be more like 40-50::1), let the waves mix it up for a bit and take off slowly. I can then fix the problem at home....

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

Great idea Chris. I used to keep some oil on hand before I changed to premix.

Just in case.

 

[akapolas]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

WOW!!! Great feedback guys!!!

dajohnson53, you probably answered every question I had. That article (http://www.continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/VRO.html.) explains the VRO system perfectly.

My engine is a 1990 200HP Johnson as well, and I was wondering if you can help me with one more question:

The RPM cage is not working at all. I haven't had a chance to check out the wiring just yet, but before I do can you recommend anything? Is there something specific I should be looking for?

Thank you all for your help, I'm totally hooked on www.iboats.com.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

The most common cause of the tach not working is a bad regulator / rectifier. You don't want to run with a bad reg / rec. If it's bad because it shorted out internally and you continue to run it, the wiring could catch on fire.

Is the motor still charging the battery? If you aren't sure, hook up a volt meter and run the motor at about 1500-1800 (you can do that on a hose in neutral). The voltage going to the motor should be over 12 volts. Almost 14.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

...

My engine is a 1990 200HP Johnson as well, and I was wondering if you can help me with one more question:

The RPM cage is not working at all. I haven't had a chance to check out the wiring just yet, but before I do can you recommend anything? Is there something specific I should be looking for? ...

The most common cause of the tach not working is a bad regulator / rectifier. You don't want to run with a bad reg / rec. If it's bad because it shorted out internally and you continue to run it, the wiring could catch on fire.

Is the motor still charging the battery? If you aren't sure, hook up a volt meter and run the motor at about 1500-1800 (you can do that on a hose in neutral). The voltage going to the motor should be over 12 volts. Almost 14.

Again, back to my experience with my 1990 200 (J200TXESM). As Dhadley said, it could be the rectifier/regulator (R/R). And, as he also says, another common symptom of a bad R/R is no charging.

However, my engine had a non functioning tach but was still charging 14+ as shown on the dashboard gauge as well as using a multimeter directly on the battery when the engine was at high idle.

Turns out the R/Rs on those engines can still charge when partially blown, and the only obvious symptom will be the non-functioning tach. You really don't know if it's a bad tach or bad R/R or bad wiring .

It is not a trivial question though because a new R/R can cost $250 retail, and the tach is probably at least $50, and testing the wiring - and maybe replacing it - can be a hassle.

So, test your charging. If it is charging, it could still be a bad rectifier or could be a bad tach. or bad wiring to the tach.

Before my amateur's experience and advice from my recent and only experience dealing with this, test your charging. If not - we can give you some more direction which way to go next. It involves things like substituting a known good tach, testing the wiring, bypassing the wiring from engine to tach, testing the R/R using the method in the FAQ. It's not hard, but you might not have to do all the various troubleshooting tests depending on the charging.

PS: you might want to start a new thread because the subject title now doesn't indicate your problem - you might get more and better advice.

 

[akapolas]

Re: Should I add oil in gas as well as oil tank?

You guys have no idea how much help you have been.
Thank you all for your help.

I have created another post about the Tech or bad R/R, please visit....I can use all the help i can get.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=276183

Thanks again....