What type of oil and lube to use

[Glengman]

I have a 2003 Fourwinns 190 horizon with volvo penta 5.0 gl and sx outdrive. Manual say Duraplus premium engine oil for AP service CE/SG for engine. For outdrive it only states Duraplus GL 5 synthetic. I understand that a suitable substitute for engine oil is SAE 30. Is this correct? What can I use for out drive? The Duraplus is very hard to find.

 

[Lou C]

I use the Merc/Quicksilver 25/40 motor oil and High Performance gear lube in the outdrive. Since you have a Volvo I’d use what they recommend

 

[Scott Danforth]

15W40 diesel oil in the engine
Amsoil marine gear lube in the drive

 

[BRICH1260]

15W40 diesel oil in the engine
Amsoil marine gear lube in the drive

This is what I use also. Engine oil has made significant improvements since your engine was built, you do not have to use exactly what is states. Drive oil needs to NOT have limited slip additives.

 

[Glengman]

Wow! Never heard of putting diesel oil in a gas motor.

 

[Lou C]

the 15w/40 is usually certified for both gas and diesel, the S followed by a letter is for spark ignition (gas), the C followed by a letter is for compression igition (diesel)
I used to use the Delo straight 30 or 40 and that at one time was certified for both, but about 10 years or so ago, I started to see it only certified for diesel, probably doesn't matter much though.
The 15w/40 is a bit cheaper than the Merc/Quicksilver oil, I haven't seen tests to show if one is better than the other, its really the owner's choice, I go by the oil pressure reading I see after a run on plane, as long as the oil pressure is not dropping below 20 psi at slow hot idle, your oil is not shearing down enough to cause a problem. Normally mine runs between 40 and 60 lbs, even though the short block is original from 1988.
I would not use car based 5w--anything in a marine engine, unless the manufacturer specifically recommends it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Wow! Never heard of putting diesel oil in a gas motor.

the higher zincs in most of the diesel oil dont do well with todays modern engines and emissions. however for a boat motor, you cant beat the requirement.

not to mention, any flat tappet motor (1995 and older) will require the higher zinc so you dont take out the cam. Todays "car" oils wont cut it. it also works as a good lubricant for the roller lifters in heavy load application..... such as a boat........ Merc 25W50 is essentially a diesel oil in a really expensive package.......so yeah. diesel oil....

 

[dingbat]

I have a 2003 Fourwinns 190 horizon with volvo penta 5.0 gl and sx outdrive. Manual say Duraplus premium engine oil for AP service CE/SG for engine. For outdrive it only states Duraplus GL 5 synthetic.

https://www.api.org/~/media/files/c...iesel/publications/mom_guide_english_2013.pdf

Interesting that a 2003 manual would specify obsolete oils with a precautionary warning.

SG

Obsolete

CAUTION: Not suitable for use in most gasoline-powered automotive engines built after 1993. May not provide adequate protection against build-up of engine sludge, oxidation, or wear.

CE

Obsolete

CAUTION: Not suitable for use in most diesel-powered automotive engines built after 1994.

 

[Lou C]

PS only thing I can add on oil choice, is many debate the value or lack of value of the FWC rating for marine oils, well when I took my old engine apart after it blew both head gaskets and had water (that's salt water) in the oil for about a week...there was....no corrosion on any of the parts where I'd expect it be seen....white mayo in the oil yes....but no rust on the pushrods, rocker arms....the only place I saw any evidence of corrosion was the combustion chamber part of the cyl heads on the 2 cyls that had water in them. So maybe there's something to it.

 

[Lou C]

PS...
I don't think the Merc oil or even the Rotella or Delo have what I'd consider higher zinc level vs standard oils, this was true some time back but now not so much. I did a Blackstone oil analysis on the Delo straight 30 I used to use and also on the Merc oil I switched to about 10 years ago...
back then the Delo was at about 1700 ppm, I think the Merc oil was at 950 or so....the highest I've seen advertised was the Lucas Extreme Duty 20/50 which they say has 3100 PPM of zinc....

 

[saaristo]

Just to add, my 2008 4.3gxi requires SAE30 or then alternatively was it 20w50 full synth. As the latter is practically impossible to find here I'm running semi-synthetic 15w50 by Motul, designed for 4T marine inboards. On plane it runs somewhere between 400 and 420 and coming off from plane it drops to 150...160.

 

[ripjmk]

For what it's worth, I asked Mobil Products Technical Support what oil they would use in place of VP SAE 30 if it were their boat. Their response was 5W30 Mobil1 Truck & SUV Full Synthetic. So that's what I use.

 

[bruceb58]

I used to use the Mobil 1 gear lube until they put in friction modifiers. After that, and also based on DonS's recommendation, I only used the Volvo Penta gear lube.

 

[bruceb58]

Just to add, my 2008 4.3gxi requires SAE30 or then alternatively was it 20w50 full synth. As the latter is practically impossible to find here I'm running semi-synthetic 15w50 by Motul, designed for 4T marine inboards. On plane it runs somewhere between 400 and 420 and coming off from plane it drops to 150...160.

I used to use 15w50 Mobil 1 in my Volvo Penta 7.4.

 

[Glengman]

I think I am going to try:
Delo 400 SDE SAE 15W-40 with ISOSYN Advanced Technology is a mixed fleet engine oil recommended for naturally aspirated and turbocharged four-stroke diesel engines and four-stroke gasoline engines in which the API CK-4 or SN service category and SAE 15W-40 viscosity grade are recommended.
For the engine.

I will keep trying to find a good place to get the Duraplus GL 5 synthetic gear oil.

 

[QBhoy]

I’d say that things like this are an age old subject. But as far as I know…the fact is that this GM engine has been around for about 4 decades now and used in countless different applications and with a few different stickers on them.
Each one of these applications can suggest many different grades of oil. Just quickly, the Volvo Penta version of the 4.3 GM states 15w40. Yet the mercruiser identical engine states 25w40. The road going version used in cars…can vary wildly again.

 

[saaristo]

I’d say that things like this are an age old subject. But as far as I know…the fact is that this GM engine has been around for about 4 decades now and used in countless different applications and with a few different stickers on them.
Each one of these applications can suggest many different grades of oil. Just quickly, the Volvo Penta version of the 4.3 GM states 15w40. Yet the mercruiser identical engine states 25w40. The road going version used in cars…can vary wildly again.

And Volvo itself at least here has discontinued the abovementioned and says to go with VP original 10w40.

 

[QBhoy]

And Volvo itself at least here has discontinued the abovementioned and says to go with VP original 10w40.

Ah. Didn’t know that. They always said to use Volvo oil like that…but at least had the sense to suggest alternatives on the grade scale. Mercury didn’t and made their own weight and grade up. Presumably for the coin. Whole I’m having a moan…I might as well mention just how bad the quicksilver 25w40 oil is. Terrible stuff. I got analysis done on it after 50 hours. Compared to a U.K. brand called rock oil with 50 hours on it 6 months later. The difference between them was unreal. The quicksilver had totally broken. Down and lost property. Terrible

 

[saaristo]

Started to search again. Can it really be so that now they are suggesting you to go with 5w30 https://marinepartseurope.com/Part/23211288?type=search

Seems everything else for the gas engines is discontinued.

 

[Senior B]

Have had my own boat since 2001 and worked in the service department where I keep my boat now. I've always had Volvo power plants. In my boats, I use either Sierra Full Syn 30wt or Rotella Full Syn 15W-40. In the service department, for the most part we use regular oil (Rotella 15W-40) on everything unless the customer has a specific preference. The only oil type failures I've seen is when an oil pan in a TURD boat rusts out and deposits its contents in the bilge. The owner shows up and hops into their neglected craft, doesn't check anything and decides it's a fine day for a cruise and wonders what the knocking sound is. In summary, a wise man on here has a saying that "Some grease is better than no grease at all" The same goes for oil. Keep the level on the dip stick where it's supposed to be and live life on the water to the fullest. Cheers