oil oil oil...

[fullsize_chevy]

I hate to do this, but I need to hear it for myself. The "expensive two-stroke oil" dilemma has surfaced and I'm complacent to switch oils. I have a 2004 115 saltwater merc (2 stroke). Quicksilver oil runs about $16 standard or $24 premium per gallon. After having done the research, it doesn't appear I run the risk of voiding warranty by using non-Quicksilver oil. However, I am open to comments on this. What are your (anyones) opinions on Tech2000 oil from Walmart. The price difference is more than dramatic, as it is less than half the price. Does anyone have any recommendations on this? For what it's worth, I have recently gotten past the break-in period for the motor. Feedback on this anyone? Anyone have suggestions for other oils? Thanks in advance.

 

[marinemech1]

Re: oil oil oil...

it is impossible!!! to save money on oil buy the best merc has to offer<br />iv'e seen to many engine failures using good enough oil to know

 

[moderator1]

Re: oil oil oil...

It won't void the warranty if it's TC-W3 oil, but sometimes it's best to stay with the manufacturers brand during this period and if it ain't broke, don't fix it...

 

[Scali]

Re: oil oil oil...

This TCW 3 rating is a puzzle to me.<br />You can get a gallon of el cheapo oil for 9 bucks thats TCW3 rated or Semi synthetic for 30 bucks a gallon which is also TCW3 rated ..<br />But most Marine techs will strongly suggest you use good oil .<br />So how does the cheap TCW3 oil even be good enough to get the rating ?<br />Also has anyone ever seen 2 stroke outboard oil that's not TCW3 rated..?<br />It's too easy to qualify for this rating or something..

 

[marinemech1]

Re: oil oil oil...

i repeat its impossible to save money on oil

 

[moderator1]

Re: oil oil oil...

You can get semi-synthetic at walmart for not much over 9 bucks....maybe it's 12 bucks, I can't remember..<br />As far as how it gets the rating, it passes the required tests.<br />non-rated outboard oil is something you need to do a search for at the top red search tab....I'm not going there...

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: oil oil oil...

Just listen to the little voice in your head.

 

[JB]

Re: oil oil oil...

I know of no documented cases of engine failure caused by a TC-W3 rated oil, Marinetech.<br /><br />If there was one that could cause engine failure the manufacturers could and would forbid you to use it.<br /><br />You can buy good oil for 9 bux or you can buy good oil that is no better for 9 bux plus another 21 bux for advertising hype and dealer mythology.<br /><br />Advertising hype and dealer mythology wont harm your engine either. . . just your pocketbook.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: oil oil oil...

my por oil injected 120 jonny rude has survived since a piston replacement in 95 with a steady diet of supertech. I burn about 30 gallons of it a year. one day I guess I should decarb it but it always runs well. last set of plugs was in oct of 02 I think. it does have the OMS pump from 98. its about due for replacement again. but your 115 is a mechanical pump. as long as the oil is rated and clean it will work. if it was EFI yam or any DFI I would say stay with the factory oil. however the merc 115 tecnology has been proven for 20 years or so. I would be more concerned with the cheese bone engine killing vinyl oillines and keeping a good fuelpump diaphram more than oil brands. in almost 30 years of 2 stroke work I cant say I ever saw an oil brand related failure. years ago when it was pre-thinned 40wt and 30 wt non detergent with leaded fuel we had to pull the heads every 50 hours or so. its unheard of with modern oils. however I have seen engines neglected that coked up for various reasons. suzuki had the 100 hour head removal as late as 95 or so. so if your comfortable with super tech run it. but as with any motor today a once per year decarb following the instructions on what ever brand you use is recommened. oil is important but cooling system maint is just as important. for every piston/crank failure I see due to lack of oil ill see 30 or 40 from lack of cooling or coking.

 

[rabidfish]

Re: oil oil oil...

Actually, the magnusson-moss act requires that for the oil that meets the manufacturer's rating to "void" the warranty, that the MFG must supply the proper oil at "no charge". <br /><br />Since none of us have ever, or will ever get Mecury branded oil from Mercury at no charge...<br />No TCW-3 rated oil can legally "void" your warranty.<br /><br />Still, I recommend it highly... So much so that I sell the "perf plus" oil for $15 a gallon. If your local dealer trully believes in it, he would make it available for a reasonable price also.<br /><br />(JB... NOT ADVERTISING HERE...) <br />(Please do not contact me to buy it... I won't ship it to you.)

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: oil oil oil...

It depends what you want to put it in. A plain old carbureted (like your 125) or EFI 2-stroke? Fine. One of the new DFIs? NO WAY! Stick with the manufacturer's stuff for those until there is a little more history. They run a LOT less oil and regular outboard oil may not be adequate. The main thing I run into with different oils is the Smoke factor. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean more smoke, but it seems to trend in that direction.

 

[BillP]

Re: oil oil oil...

SuperTech is TCW-3 rated and that assures the oil meets the specs for your motor. If the $$$ cost of QuickSilver bothers you then switch and don't worry. Like already posted, Wallyworld has Pennzoil semi-synthetic for approx $10 a gal if you want to compromise beween cheapest and most expensive.

 

[jtexas]

Re: oil oil oil...

SuperTech user here (in my old carbuerated 3-cyl OMC). It's closer to $5/gal. <br /><br />rodbolt, I'm not familiar with the term "coked up" - is that the consequence of failing to "decarb"?<br /><br />Is there a symptom that tells you to decarb or you just do it on a schedule? Annually regardless of useage, or does the fishing guide decarb his motor more often than the week-ender?<br /><br />thanks,<br />john

 

[moderator1]

Re: oil oil oil...

The "weekender" will have more coking than the guide in most cases, I would guess...a good decarb once a year helps with that, some even do it twice a year.

 

[JB]

Re: oil oil oil...

Yo, Rabidfish.<br /><br />I wasn't referring to advertizing in posts. I was talking about the advertizing in mags, on TV, etc., etc. <br /><br />That is a lot of what you are buying when you buy the expensive versions of TC-W3 rated oil.<br /><br />The dealer mythology I referred to is stories without basis of engines being destroyed by (fill in the brand that you seek to bash) TC-W3 oil.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: oil oil oil...

Rod bolt has explained it as well as it can be explained. If I ran out of my oil (Amsoil synthetic), I would have no problem running the SuperTech if that is all that was available, and I would run it just as hard as I normally do, (Although that has changed somewhat with the fuel prices). You will not blow your engine buy using the cheaper oil.<br /><br />The benifits of using the more expensive oil, Blends and synthetics are seen over the years other than less smoke. Over the years, your engine will have less carbon build up and you may spend less on spark plugs. Also your engine may just sound better to you. I see a slight performance increase normally with synthetics.<br /><br />There, that was pretty civil for me dont ya think?

 

[roscoe]

Re: oil oil oil...

jtexas, "coked" up, head, pistons domes, and rings, coated with carbon deposits from insufficiently burned fuel.<br />A decarb is recommended maintenance.<br /><br />How to do it:<br /><br /><br />Your intent is to REMOVE the existing carbon buildup from the cylinders, heads, and rings, a spray decarb solvent product, such as SeaFoam Deep Creep, Power Tune, or Ring Free, is needed to do the decarb process. Free moving rings are what seals your cylinders and gives you compression. Compressed and stuck rings meanss loss of compression, broken rings, damaged pistons and heads, and eventually, engine failure.<br /><br />Run engine at fast idle, with engine running and warm, slowly spray liberal amount into each carb. Its gonna smoke up the place. <br />Spray for a couple minutes, now spray a larger amount into the carb(s) until engine chokes out and stops.<br /><br />Remove spark plugs and spray the decarb product liberally into each cylinder, install the spark plugs, let it soak for an hour or more. <br /><br />Start the engine and run at medium throttle, or if at the lake, run it at full throttle. It won't hurt to spray some more through the carbs. Run it for atleast 10 minutes to flush the crud out of your engine. Now remove and clean, or replace the spark plugs. <br /><br />It works well to do the spraying, the night before you go to the lake. This way you can let it soak overnight, and run at full throttle at the lake.<br /><br />Don't do this in front of the garage door or the house, unless you want it covered with greasy black crud.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: oil oil oil...

OK, I made the crack about listening to the voices in your head, but here's my take. I use the same care and layman's criteria that I use with my cars (some new, expensive, high tech, some old and low tech):<br /><br />Premise #1: Proper use of oil is more important than choice of oil (e.g. for cars - regular changes using correct weight; for outboards, proper mixing using certified TCW3).<br /><br />Given this, I would never worry about using "Brand X" el-cheapo oil if I had to, but don't make a regular habit of it - for my cars or boats. Why? dunno.<br /><br />I buy "known brands" of oil for my car based on convenience and price, but I can't emphasize this enough, never ever skimp on regular changes. E.g., with my cars, I use whatever motor oil my normal oil change guy uses - a "national brand" like Pennzoil, Quakerstate, Valvoline, Havoline, Castrol, Exxon, etc. etc. For my boat, I buy either bulk OEM (Johnnyrude or Merc) if I happen to be in the neighborhood of the boat store - get it for around $14 per gallon. Often though, since it's much more convenient, I buy Castrol or other name brand TCW3 by the case in qts. or in gallons, because my local favorite hardware and big box stores always has a good price on it whch works out to around $10-$15 per gallon. I haven't tried the cheapest products at Walmart yet, but will probably run a gallon this summer just for fun. <br /><br />But, I can't really figure out why I'd buy the cheapest oil for eithr my car or outboard - because I am not broke and the cost savings is so insignificant. There were times in my life where I absolutely would buy the cheapest oil because the small price difference was significant and I don't think that was necessarily a bad thing. <br /><br />For example, back then, if I saved $5 on an oil change, that would buy a case of beer which I otherwise couldn't afford! Nowadays, I'm so rich I can buy expensive oil AND a case of beer (sometimes even expensive beer!).<br /><br />Mostly, when I need oil, I listen to the little voices in my head and don't worry about the miniscule percentage in seasonal cost for expensive vs. cheap. Hell, I NEVER price shop for gasoline, but buy based on location and ease of getting my boat/trailer to the pump - and that's a much more important factor!

 

[bluewater19]

Re: oil oil oil...

I just bought my buddys starcraft with a 1996 merc 75hp. He has run pretty much only walmart tech 2000 tcw3 since it was brand new. This is a guy that brings his boat to work 3-4 days a week and fishes every weekend also( oh to be single!). Now don't get me wrong his motor has dropped a coil once and he had a habit of bouncing the prop off logs, but not one time has using cheap oil caused him any problems.<br />Maybe the motor will blow any second now but I plan on keping up the wally world oil.

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: oil oil oil...

I use Wally World oils in my cars, inboard, and 2 stroke outboards. They are excellent. No complaints whatsoever. I even prefer it to other brands! It seems to stand up better than some known brands(i.e. gets less black at the end of the oil change interval).<br /><br />I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same crap as many high end oils. Pay more if you like, someone has to pay all that advertising they do!