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Is there a difference in oil?

footbrake

footbrake

Contributing Member
Having a Volvo-Penta AQ231A ,which is really just a 305 Chev. motor . The motor doesn't know if it's in a car, boat,or airplane. It's never used in really cold weather, so why can't I just use a good Pennzoil 10W-40 or a straight 30W, or even a Brad Penn 20-50, from my local Autozone store when there are deals? Thanks-Russ
 
There is no reason whatsoever not to use good quality oil of any brand, if it saves you a few bucks. If you boat only in a temperate climate, any 10w30/10w40 multigrade works fine (as long as you change it when required).
 
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re: "The motor doesn't know if it's in a car, boat,or airplane".

Well... in a car this engine would have a 180 ish t'stat. In a boat, it will have a 140 degree t'stat. Further post #3... " up a moutain pass... before the engine warms up fully"... i.e. raw water cooled engines ( i.e. sea water directly cools the block) run under high load and never reach optimal design temperatures and neither does the oil. Condensation products tend to accumulate in oil in marine applications.
 
footbrake said:
Having a Volvo-Penta AQ231A ,which is really just a 305 Chev. motor . The motor doesn't know if it's in a car, boat,or airplane. It's never used in really cold weather, so why can't I just use a good Pennzoil 10W-40 or a straight 30W, or even a Brad Penn 20-50, from my local Autozone store when there are deals? Thanks-Russ
Click to expand...

Russ, along the same lines with Kim, Chris and Bob...... I have to respectfully disagree with you.
If our Marine Engines were intelligent, they would most definitely know that they are being used in a boat.


The ole adage is that the Marine Engine could be compared to a car/truck engine pulling a loaded trailer up a never ending hill.
And to top that off, it's been given only one gear reduction.

Combustion by-products are also more prone to get past the piston rings and into the crankcase as well.

While the cooling system may hold at 140ish (for the raw water cooled salt water engines), and the 160-170ish (for the raw water cooled rive/lake water and for the Closed Cooling system engines), the oil is subject to more extreme conditions.


Russ, I am not an oil expert in any stretch of the imagination. I would suggest that the OEM recommended oil, or equivalent, be used.


.
 
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