Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

[garycinn]

The dealer told me I needed two quarts of Volvo syn gear oil on my 2000 Volvo SX outdrive. After pumping in the two quarts, I see nothing on the dip stick. I do a look-see in my Volvo manual and it indicates 71 oz.

All of my local marinas are closed. I have some Merc syn (blue/green) gear oil.

Can I mix and put in the extra 7 oz of Merc oil, or should I play it safe and wait until spring and put in Volvo oil? I'm getting ready to put it up and won't have access to it until spring.

Thanks!

 

[Don S]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

NO! Wait till spring and top off. Don't go by how many ounces the book says. Fill it till it's on the flat of the dipstick. It could take more or less depending on the casting and machining DO NOT overfill.

 

[garycinn]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

Thanks much, Don.

When I top it off (let's say it is 7 oz), can I pour it in the top dipstick hole, or do I have to do the pull-out-the-drain-plug-get-everything-messy-pump-from-the-bottom-routine?

 

[MRMainelli1]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

The dealer told me I needed two quarts of Volvo syn gear oil on my 2000 Volvo SX outdrive. After pumping in the two quarts, I see nothing on the dip stick. I do a look-see in my Volvo manual and it indicates 71 oz.

All of my local marinas are closed. I have some Merc syn (blue/green) gear oil.

Can I mix and put in the extra 7 oz of Merc oil, or should I play it safe and wait until spring and put in Volvo oil? I'm getting ready to put it up and won't have access to it until spring.

Thanks!

 

[Don S]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

The manual says you CAN add oil thru the dipstick hole. But I for one wouldn't.
If you get an air bubble and it makes it look full, you loose a drive.
Read below my name what it says in blue.

 

[MRMainelli1]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

It's perfectly OK to mix. All the base oils are the same, with different brands differing only in their additives formulation. And most additive formulations today are very similar, as the gearcase oils pretty much confront the same wear/impact/corrosion problems. Add the Merc and put it to bed.

Out of curiousity, you said Volvo recommends two quarts, but you're prepaing to fill to 78 floz. Two quarts equals only 64 floz. And two litres is 68 floz. Be careful not to overfill. Springtime heat will create oil expansion problems. Thin-filmed fresh oil is so clear, and the film on the dip stick so thin, that you might not have noticed true fill level.

 

[MRMainelli1]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

It's perfectly OK to mix. All the base oils are the same, with different brands differing only in their additives formulation. And most additive formulations today are very similar, as the gearcase oils pretty much confront the same wear/impact/corrosion problems. Add the Merc and put it to bed.

Out of curiousity, you said Volvo recommends two quarts, but you're prepaing to fill to 78 floz. Two quarts equals only 64 floz. And two litres is 68 floz. Be careful not to overfill. Springtime heat will create oil expansion problems. Thin-filmed fresh oil is so clear, and the film on the dip stick so thin, that you might not have noticed true fill level.

 

[MRMainelli1]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

Sorry, got my numbers ass-backward. You're at 64 floz now, and want to go to the manual's 71 floz. Your dealer simply understated the drive's capacity.

And, as a second thought, to be pure, hold off on topping off the drive until the spring, and warmer temperatures. Buy 3 Volvo quarts, 1 for topping off, and two for the end of 2007. You'll get 4 "top-offs" from that one quart. Put the Merc stuff in an outboard.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

I don't think I'd mix since you don't know if they are really compatible, and even Merc says not to mix their High Performance and Premium gear lubes. Make a tag and tie it to the steering wheel that says "chec gear lube and add if necessary BEFORE starting engine" don't depend on memory.........

 

[garycinn]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

Thanks, all. I'll wait and put a tag on the steering wheel.

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

Once you have topped it off and run it once, let it settle for a few hours and double check the level. If there were any air bubbles in your process, you will have caught it. Too low is just as bad as too much. On my Cobra( and I think Volvos are similar), the impeller shaft is at the top and it needs the lube or it will break and cause all kinds of engine overheating grief. Not to mention costly drive repair.

 

[Don S]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

Volvo drives DO NOT have raw water pumps on them. They are ALL engine driven.

 

[BoatGuy22]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

When changing gearlube in SX drives I pull out the dipstick, remove the top drain screw under the plastic cover.

Remove the bottom drain screw and let the gearlube drain. I then fill it with the pump from the bottom till it comes out the top drain screw and then call it a day. It will always be on the dipstick 100% of the time if the drive is down. No need to add from the dipstick.

Ive been told since Merc gearlube has graphite in it that not to use it in Volvo Penta drives but have not seen any kind of faliures from it so who knows.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

Ive been told since Merc gearlube has graphite in it that not to use it in Volvo Penta drives but have not seen any kind of faliures from it so who knows.

Just a WAG here, but I would suspect the biggest difference between the additives in the Merc and VP drive lubes has to do with the different clutches in the drives.

Therefore I WOULD NOT mix the two.

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

No impellers on Volvos? Cool!8) Learn something on here everyday!

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Is it OK to mix Volvo syn gear oil w/ Merc syn gear oil on a Volvo SX?

No,he said no pumps on drive (grin)

DHP