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Oil Change

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kevmo

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"Took the boat out today and i

"Took the boat out today and it ran like a champ! Once we got home i check some things on the boat and checked the oil, which needs to be changed. Any recommendations on oil and filter? Thinking about going synthetic might as well right? Oh and how much oil would i need?

Thanks"
 
How old is your boat? What kin

How old is your boat? What kind of Engine ? and so on. If very old I don't think I would start using synthetic oil. I could be wrong but I under stand that is for less hours engines.

Frank
 
"OMC GM 3.0L 140HP 4 CYLINDER

"OMC GM 3.0L 140HP 4 CYLINDER - Sterndrive Stringer 400 series

Well i don't know about being old, because i use synthetic on my car it and it has 200,000 miles. And since my boat is a GM, basically a car engine i don't see the difference?"
 
I am not sure about this new s

I am not sure about this new synthetic oil so let me know now it works because I also have a 3.0 140 hp. 1985.
 
Looking to use mobil 1 or Cast

Looking to use mobil 1 or Castrol Syntec
but i still dont know what weight to use??
nor do i know how many hours are on the boat
 
"I don't know if I would p

"I don't know if I would put synthetic in an engine that's got to be at least 24-25 yrs old now. OMC always recommended using #30, I think the important thing is to change it and the filter on a regular basis, at least once a yr (or more depending on usage) and I always do mine at the end of the season as part of the winterizing so the old oil doesn't sit in there with all the combustion leftovers, acids and crap."
 
"straight 30 weight, 20W50, 25

"straight 30 weight, 20W50, 25W40

those are your options given in the OMC manual."
 
"Hi Bob

How was the south.

"Hi Bob

How was the south.
lol.gif
"
 
"thanks, guess ill just go wit

"thanks, guess ill just go with a sythec blend or just good oil. And the oil filter are all the same, fran and others? Or are there K&N type products out there?"
 
"Fram's fine, all the basi

"Fram's fine, all the basic automotive type are pretty similar (low) quality, but the filter doesn't do much anyways... It's cosmetic more than anything.

I don't know about K&N.
Donaldson make a good one, Wix and Baldwin are other good brands that possibly have enough media in them spaced with glue to collect debris without going on bypass at every cold start and washing everything collected directly into your engine bearings."
 
"Well said Stat. That's w

"Well said Stat. That's why I have never "bought in" to the whole synthetic oil thing, espeially in my automobiles. Unless you have some sort of special filtering system, that high dollar synthetic oil is getting just as dirty as any oil would. I hear guys talking about running 10k miles on synthetics. That oil must be pretty nasty by then. Regular changes with a good petroleum oil for me. Am I missing something here?"
 
"In a car/truck, for winter dr

"In a car/truck, for winter driving, synthetic has huge benefits on cold starts.
But not much of an issue for a recreational boat used in warm weather."
 
One of the most important part

One of the most important parts of an oil change(regardless of what type of oil you use) is to have the engine thoroughly warmed up before you drain the oil. The best time to change it is at the end of the day after the boat has been used for several hours. Draining cold oil leaves behind many wax like substances(sludge) and alot of moisture. Simply starting it and letting it run until the water temperature is normal does not mean that the oil is hot enough to change. The hotter the better if you want to remove all contaminants.
 
"Alright so.....
1) Run t

"Alright so.....
1) Run the boat for 2-3 hours (due to time restraints)
2)Drain the oil via dipstick siphon?
3)Replace oil filter w/Fram, Donaldson or Wix and Baldwin
4)Add new oil Regular/Synthetic blend 30 weight, 20W50, or 25W40...any preferred brands?

Missing anything?
*1985 OMC GM 181 140hp 3.0L"
 
"I cry when I see anyone recom

"I cry when I see anyone recommending FRAM filters in marine applications. Probably the filter brand that has given me the most problems (collapses). Boat engines unfortunately has a tendency of getting some moisture in the oil. Some filters are extremely sensitive and the elements gets blocked and collapses. I always used either the original ones, or if nothing else available a filter with pressure by-pass valve. Look inside the center hole, You may see something looking like a spring loaded valve at the bottom."
 
The Fram for my boat (Chev

The Fram for my boat (Chev V6) has a bypass in it.

The filter for my Cadillac doesn't have a bypass in it. The bypass is in the filter base on the Caddy.
 
"Come to think of it, the filt

"Come to think of it, the filter base on my Cobra 4.3L also has a bypass. Not sure about the FRAM that's screwed onto it......."
 
"Things might have changed sin

"Things might have changed since I was active, and hopefully valves are in the most filters by now?
Anyway I suggest to check. Older marine engines for certain do not have by-pass valves in the base."
 
"The original Chevy 283 marine

"The original Chevy 283 marine engines had no oil filter at all.
Chevy is all over the place. My 1973 400 small block V8 in my Chevelle has a bypass in the base.
My 1984 3.8 Chevy V6 has no bypass- relies on the one in the filter.
My 99 Cadillac has a bypass in the base.

A bypass in the base is WAY better.
When the bypass is in a filter, it is usually in the bottom of the filter...

Over night....much of the debris in the pleats settles down to the bottom right where the bypass valve is.

First thing in the morning, when you fire the cold engine with thick oil... the filter goes on bypass and all that debris gets washed right through....

My Caddy always has more flecks of aluminum and lead tin overlay from the bearings in the pleats. One might interpret that as a problem engine. But it's really just that the filter doesn't have the bypass, so the debris stays there."
 
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