Oil Changes frequency

[BSeid33859]

I am wondering why the factory rcommends you change the oil 6 months or 50 to 100 hours. My engine is a 40HP 4strk Yamaha. I only have 25 hours on it and the 10hr break in inspection and oil change was completed last August, 9 months ago with Yamaha Lub by the dealer. I keep the boat in my garage under my house so it is not exposed to any fiie weather.
I did not change the oil prior to taking it out for the first time on May 25,2008. The engine runs great so I am wondering why the factory recommends the oil be changed after 6 months regardless of the hours on the engine?
I'll probably have the dealer change it soon anyhow but it seems like a waste of money.
Speaking of oil changes, while looking at boats at a local dealers boat show I inquired as to what they would charge to change my oil. They could not give me a price and said there rate is $90 an hour plus parts and material and it would probably take 2 or 3 hours to change the oil. I said it seems like a lot of hours to drain a couple of quarts of oil out when all you have to do is remove one plug drain the oil put the plug back on,screw off the filter and screw the new one on and add a couple of quarts of oil and test start the motor. They said they do not quote flat rate to change oil because there is no way of telling how long it will take but a good guess is 2 or 3 hours. My regular dealer always said it would cost about $100 or so, which to me seemed about right. My regular dealer is 85 miles away so I was hoping to find someone as good a little closer, but I'll probably take a chance on the 3 hour oil change just to see because I dont fell like driving 170 miles for an oil change. In the past I've always changed the oil myself on my other boat but now I dont mind paying some one else to do it professionaly. I'm just hoping I'm not getting riped off.

 

[NCangler]

I would follow what your Yamaha Owners manual recommends in keeping with the warranty coverage. I would think that Triumph recommendations are based on the engine manufacturer recommendations.

 

[wschapinjr]

Just finished having the 10 hour check up and fluid change. With new plugs, two fuel/water separators, and all fluids changed out the bill was just north of $200. While that seems really high, I have the 6 year warranty and do not want to risk having Yamaha come back and refuse to honor any warranty work based on lack of maintainence. I think I could have done the work blindfolded with one hand in less than hour!

 

[fridaysoff]

wschapinjr
Yamaha will honor your warranty even if you do the work yourself. You just need to save the receipts for parts. I buy all of my oil and filters from my dealer and change it myself. I only use Yamaha brand oil and filters. Like you said you can do it blindfolded in one hour, especially on the smaller engines. You could buy a lot of gas for your motor with that $200.
JD

 

[wschapinjr]

Good point......I have extra filters and the correct Yami oil and gear oil. I'll go after the 50 hr check myself and save enough to buy at least a gallon of gas.

 

[HighTechRedneck]

what make yamaha oil so good?? for me it is hard to come by and I was thinking of using mobile 1 which I always thought was the best oil. I have a 2005 f115 and My motor is out of warranty. any suggestions???

 

[wschapinjr]

IMHO Amsoil or Mobil 1 are superior to any dino on the market today. I think once the motor is broken in then the switch to synthetic makes sense. With the cost of motors, the extra price for synthetic is worth it. I would run it by the dealer just to make sure!

 

[HighTechRedneck]

there is a new oil by mobile 1 that I have been using in my truck. it is full synthetic and last for 15000 miles. I dont know if I trust it till 15000 but i do wait till 10000.

Mobil 1 Extended Performance

 

[fridaysoff]

I will switch to Mobile 1 when my warranty is out. I will use Yamaha oil until then. I doubt if Yamaha would deny a claim even if I switched out now because Mobile 1 is within the Specs recommended. I used Yamaha oil for 4 seasons on my 60HP 4 stroke before I sold the boat and had great service out of it. My dealer and others are close and convenient to buy from so I get Yamalube.
JD

 

[pamarine]

Oils

Guys,

The six month interval for the oil change is due to the effectiveness of the oil as a lubricant breaks down over time, even if the engine is not being run. Except for the 3-months/3000 miles myth that the Auto guys want you to believe. It is reasonable to expect 6 months or 100 operating hours from a quality engine oil. Incidentally, my car, my plane, and most of my customers's boats have this exact interval requirement.

Avoid putting regular automotive oil in you engines. Marine Grade oils have add detergents and other chemicals specifically designed to protect engines run at high rpm constantly without breaking down. For you two-stroke folks out there, I recommend and use West Marine's brand of TC-W3 oil (made by Star Brite). It is the only oil on the market that is cleaner burning and better performing than Yamalube (Which is the standard oil that two-stroke oils are tested against, the results of which ar at the end of this article). For you four-stroke guys, us the wieght specified by your manufacturer of either Yamalube 4M or West Marine. A complete list of FC-W approved oils can be found at NMMA - 2008 FC-W CERTIFIED OILS. Below is a 2006 article from BoatUS on the subject,

Chuck Husick: Techno-Talk, March 2006 from BoatUS Magazine -

Engine Oil​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The “lube” oil in any internal combustion engine is all that stands between normal operation and certain, sudden, and gruesome mechanical death. However the oil you use in your gasoline fueled car engine may not be the right oil for the gas engine in your boat. [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The most significant difference between the engine in your car and the one in your boat is how hard it must work, usually expressed as how much of its maximum power it is required to deliver for sustained periods of time. In many boats the engine is constantly delivering 60-80% of its maximum power rating, compared with the 20% of maximum power demanded from a car engine. The more highly stressed marine engine needs superior lubricating oil if it is to operate reliably. Marine diesel engines also require special oils since most diesel engine applications involve high continuous loads. Just about any of the “C” diesel oils will work well. (The first “C” in the specification identifies the oil as being suitable for a compression ignition engine). [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The lubricating oil identification you see on a container of oil is created under the auspices of the American Petroleum Institute, the “API”. The specification that defines the “weight” of the oil, for example 10W-50, is set by the Society of Automotive Engineers, the “SAE”. However, in recognition of the special and often severe stress placed on oil by gasoline fueled marine engines, the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA), has created a series of specifications for two- and four-stroke marine engine oils. NMMA Specification FC–W™ defines the oil requirements for four-stroke engines, NMMA TC–W3® specification applies to two-stroke engines. The oils that meet these specifications are specially formulated to provide the special protection required by our hard working marine engines.[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]All engine oils serve multiple purposes. Controlling friction between opposing surfaces is only one of those jobs. One of the oil’s most important tasks is to transfer heat from parts of the engine that are best cooled by being sprayed with oil, for example, undersides of the pistons. Oil provides the critical seal between the inner surfaces of the cylinder bores and the piston rings, keeping the high pressure gases created by combustion of fuel from leaking past the piston rings. This ensures that the expanding combustion gases are used to provide useful energy while reducing contamination of the oil in the crankcase.[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Additionally, oil provides a vital cushion between surfaces that impact on one another, for example the tops of the valve stems and the tappets and some types of gear teeth. Its lubricating qualities prevent adjacent moving surfaces from contacting one another and welding themselves into a solid mass from the heat of friction. Oil also fulfills a particularly critical need in marine engines, corrosion protection. Recreational vessel engines spend most of their lives just sitting in what is often a high humidity, salt air environment. The saying that our engines usually rust out before they wear out is unfortunately true. [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]NMMA specification oils are usually identified as synthetic or part synthetic. The use of the word synthetic does not necessarily mean that it was created directly from hydrogen and carbon atoms in a laboratory. Synthetic oils are often made from a mineral oil base stock which may be partially disassembled and reconstructed to yield a set of specific performance requirements. Oil constructed entirely from the chemists’ stockroom tends to be more costly and is used primarily for special applications such as aircraft jet engines. [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]All of today’s engine oils contain chemical additives, each designed to fulfill a specific purpose. These include anti-foaming agents, corrosion inhibitors, acid neutralizers, viscosity and pour-point stabilizers and detergents that help keep the inside of the engine clean and hold the contaminants in suspension so that they can be removed when the oil is changed. [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Although claims that the “oil” in engine oil does not wear out are true to a degree, the chemical additives do have a finite service life. Properly conducted oil changes are primary in ensuring long and trouble free engine life. Change oil only after the engine has reached full operating temperature. Use the correct oil, one that matches the engine manufacturer’s specifications. In most cases, change the filter when you change the oil.[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]By Chuck Husick[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Chuck Husick is a pilot, engineer, sailor and former president of Chris Craft Boats. [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]© Copyright BoatUS Magazine 2006[/FONT]​