4-stroke oil recommendation?

[jmiskovs]

I've got a 2004 Yamaha 150 4-stroke that it still under the manufacturers warranty and I could certainly use the recommended yamalub oil in it, but I'd like to know what others are doing. I see several other oil manufacturers (Pennzoil, Amsoil) with marine grade oil (FC-W) that is a little less expensive and meets or exceeds the OEM specs. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tommays]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

There are people doing pretty much everything you could thing of

The oil is so cheep compard to the cost of the outboard i would just stick with the yam but thats just me


Tommays

 

[TheOilDoc]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

Any oil certified as FC-W of the specified viscosity will fulfill your warranty requirements and provide your engine everything it needs. Save your money for bait.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

Any oil certified as FC-W of the specified viscosity will fulfill your warranty requirements and provide your engine everything it needs. Save your money for bait.

Absolutly!

You will want to make sure your oil you chose is of the manufactures recommended wieght though.8)

 

[TheOilDoc]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

"Weight" is not the correct term to use.

As I already posted, he needs to use an oil of the specified "viscosity"

For example, SAE 30 and SAE 30W are not the same "weight". They are measured using different tests at different temperatures. The viscosity of SAE 30 oil is measured at 212*F. The viscosity of SAE 30W oil is measured at 0*F. "W" being a designation for "Winter", not "Weight". And the "30" does not designate a "weight", but rather a viscosity at a particular temperature in terms of an arbitrary scale assigned by the SAE (example: 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50).

Yamaha recommends a 10W-30 viscosity oil for this outboard. This is a multi-viscosity oil that does not have a designated "Weight", nor does Yamaha specify a "Weight". I would hate to see owners using a 10-weight or 30-weight oil, or a mixture thereof, based on your statement.

 

[JB]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

I used Mobil 1 in my Suzi after break-in.

Is there any reason I shouldn't have?

 

[TheOilDoc]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

Your Suzuki specifies a 10W-40 viscosity oil in one of the older or obsolete API "S" classifications.

The Mobil 1 is an excellent oil that will surpass the older "S" classification that your engine required. But I'm not sure the Mobil 1 comes in your engine's specified 10W-40 viscosity. So other than viscosity and price, I see no reason not to use it.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

My new Mercruiser says specifically in the engine manual not to use synthetic oil. I've always used syn oils, why don't they want them in their motors?

 

[TheOilDoc]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

My new Mercruiser says specifically in the engine manual not to use synthetic oil.

No, Mercruiser says not to use non-FC-W synthetic oils:

Per Mercruiser http://www.mercurymarine.com/fueloil_recommendation_faqs#1124:

"NOTE: The use of non-detergent oils, multi-viscosity oils (other than as specified), non-FC-W rated synthetic oils, low quality oils or oils that contain solid additives are specifically not recommended."

So you can use synthetic oils, they just have to be FC-W rated. In fact, the oil Mercruiser recommends is a synthetic blend.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

That's not what my book says and it is the factory manual for a 2003 mercruiser 3.0l. Is says;

" The use of non-detergent oils, synthetic oils, low quality oils, or oils that contain solid additives are specifically not recommended."

Just curious.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

It's interesting that Merc says not to use "non FC-W oils" yet Volvo, who uses the exact GM engines, has no such specification since their oil or other oil they reccomend are not FC-W rated.

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

What's the FC for? Is it the marine designation? What makes an oil better for marine use? Is it some kind of additive to allow it to still perform well in a humid environment or in case of water intrusion?

 

[TheOilDoc]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

Drowned Rat, yes, Mercruiser used to say that. But your Mercruiser manual is 4 years old, and now there is more current recommendations.

Per Mercruiser (current information from the link I provided):

"This crankcase oil recommendation supersedes all previously printed crankcase oil recommendations for MerCruiser gasoline engines. The reason for this change is to include the newer engine oils that are now available in the recommendation.

Older owner manuals, service manuals and other publications that are not regularly updated will not be revised to show this latest engine oil recommendation. Current owners manuals, service manuals and other service publications that receive regular updates will receive this revised recommendation the next time they are updated.

"FC" stands for "Four Cycle". The "W" stands for "Water cooled". It is a special marine designation. The oil must undergo different testing and testing procedures in actual marine engines to become certified. This is much different than automotive oil requirements. Some of the FC-W tests specifically address the marine environment like the "salt fog test". BTW, Mercruiser helped the NMMA develop the FC-W tests. This is not to say that some automotive oils can't pass the test as they are. But without FC-W certification, we have no way to know for sure. Even if your engine doesn't specify a FC-W oil, I would recommend taking advantage of its benefits.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

BTW, Mercruiser helped the NMMA develop the FC-W tests.

Seems self serving to me.

I bet Volvo didn't submit their's because they are not really in the oil selling business and don't have a large line of outboards to help sell their oil.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

"Weight" is not the correct term to use.

As I already posted, he needs to use an oil of the specified "viscosity"

.

While your statement is politically correct, Weight is the normal laymans term most people go by so that`s why I use it. I don`t think I have ever been ask, "What viscosity oil should I use"? Even though that would be the correct question.

Weight, Smeight, It`s immaterial to most. Everyone knew what I ment.8)

Point well taken though.

 

[TheOilDoc]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

So LubeDude, if it's "immaterial" and just a matter of being "politically correct", then please tell us what the "Weight" of 10W-30 oil is? SAE 30 oil? SAE 30W oil?

bruceb58, oil certification programs typically look to the engine makers for help on setting certification standards. After all, the engine makers know what oil properties their engines require. They are the ones requiring the standard. The NMMA's FC-W is no different than the TC-W3 or API program in that respect. Yamaha and OMC were big players in the TC-W3 certification standards, and their outboards and oils are still used today as part of the testing procedure. Apparantly those engine makers, like Mercruiser, felt the water-cooled outboard industry was in need of their own 2-stroke oil standards. Thank goodness. The API looks to the major auto makers for their help as well, setting standards specific to the most modern automobile engines.

Regardless, Mercruiser wasn't the only engine manufacturer involved in the NMMA's FC-W certification program. And Mercruiser didn't, and can't, force the NMMA to help them become "self-serving". BTW, Volvo sells their own line of lubricants with the "Volvo" label, just as Mercruiser does.

 

[tommays]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

Funny even the makers use the WT on the bottels to confuse us common folk


Tommays

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

BTW, Volvo sells their own line of lubricants with the "Volvo" label, just as Mercruiser does.

So why do you think Volvo doesn't bother getting their oil certified?

 

[TheOilDoc]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

Funny even the makers use the WT on the bottels to confuse us common folk


Tommays

Actually there's nothing confusing there if you check into what that product really is.

Redline's "WT" signifies their own special application Racing Oil. They are not oils that a "common folk" would ever buy. In fact Redline doesn't even consider their "WT" oils "motor oil", and they seperate them from their motor oils as racing oils, even on their label.

Per Redline, the "WT" oils contain no detergents, and are not suitable for practical automotive or marine use. "WT's" will not meet the API specs or the API's SAE standards that your marine engine needs. Redline's "WT" oils are designed for specific high-tolerance race engines or race applications (ie: 10-12 runs in a drag engine, 355 sprint car engines, 410 outlaw engines, IHRA Top Alcohol, etc). In fact most of their "WT" oils are used only in very few special applications.

I would NOT recommend EVER using a Redline "WT" oil in a marine engine. In fact oils like these on the market are exactly why Mercruiser recommended against using sythetic oils. They can quickly ruin an engine. They simply can't deal with things like fuel dilution, moisture, contaminates, acids, corrosion, oxidation, carbon, etc., particularly as operating time increases. They are simply designed as a short-term low friction, low wear, oil to race with.

When it comes to motor oils, Redline clearly uses the term "Viscosity", not "Weight", to describe the different viscosity grades:

Here, at the bottom of the page http://www.redlineoil.com/pdf/4.pdf, Redline classifies their oils into "Viscosity" grades, not "Weight".

And here, on page 2 http://www.redlineoil.com/whitePaper/motoroils.pdf, Redline talks about "Viscostiy" grade selection, not "Weight".

Not to mention they have secondary mulit-viscosity classifications for their "WT" oils as shown here http://www.redlineoil.com/products_motoroil.asp?productID=10&subCategoryID=2&categoryID=2 and at the bottom of the page here http://www.redlineoil.com/whitePaper/motoroils.pdf

 

[LubeDude]

Re: 4-stroke oil recommendation?

I would NOT recommend EVER using a Redline "WT" oil in a marine engine.

I don`t think he said he was going to us it for Marine use, he was only trying to make a point.Nice explanation though.8) And, why do we have terms like, SAE "Weight " Designation, and Multi-"Weight" ????