www.iFourWinns.com

This is the stuff I've been using for years, no issues on my end...

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2004 Four Winns 328 Vista
1997 Larson Cabrio 290 - sold
1988 Rinker Fiesta Vee 248 - sold

And it spins clockwise as it goes down the funnel...that's just wrong.

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"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

Other than emissions, not much has changed in oiling requirements of marine Chev blocks since the late 90's.
Can you take a photo/ scan of VP or Mercruiser specifying to use an automotive spec oil and not a genuine/ OEM lube?

P.s. I use the latest SN spec of 20w60 PAO/ Ester based automotive grade oil in my VP 5.7GL. I also use non marine PAO/ Ester based 75w90 GL-5 gear oil in my out drive.

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2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

check out Merc's and VP's websites at least in the US they to recommend their oils, Merc, doesn't specifically DEMAND that you use then but instead gives several recommendations, starting with their syn 25/40, the semi syn 25/40, plain 25/40 followed by straight 30 (50*& under) and straight 40 (over 50*). Volvo now recommends a syn 10w/40.
If you don't want to bother with a more expensive marine oil in a used boat I'd use 15w/40 HD oil from Chevron, Texaco or Mobil. They meet both gas and diesel specs and are going to better than automotive based oils. In fact at one time either Crusader or PCM (makers of inboard engine packages) specified that in their engines.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I won't claim to know 1/3 of what most of you guys know, but I will add this...
My old man started boating when I was about 10 (I'm 38 now). He is an auto machanic/garage owner. He went to college on Ford's dime and is well trained in the auto industry. He always performed his own services on his boats and has taught me to do the same in the past year and a half. Neither he nor I have ever used "marine grade" motor oil (or gear oil or bearing grease). It is entirely possible that we have just dodged a bullet over the years, but neither of us have ever had a problem. With that said, he was always meticulous about maintenance of everything from the engine to the outdrive to the wheel bearings. Each season the bearings got repacked, the engine and drive were serviced and all worked well all year long. Granted, he is a trained auto mechanic, not a marine mechanic. It is possible that he did it wrong over the years and now I am doing it wrong now, but the evidence does not point in that direction.

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Seth




2005 210 Horizon
5.0L GXi
"Don't Think Twice"

+1. This was recommended to me by a good friend who is a Volvo/Mercruiser/BRP certified master tech. I used the Mobil Super Delvac 15W/40. This is what he recommended.

I changed the oil once mid-season at about 25 hours or so, mostly to check for flakes, chips, etc. as it was a fresh rebuild. Just wanted to make sure everything was copacetic.

The other "fancy" option he said was Monolec 15W/40, by Lubrication Engineers. Expensive stuff but supposed to be really good.

http://products.lelubricants.com/item/diesel-engines-cj4-rated-15w-40/monolec-ultra-engine-oil-8800/8800?bc=100|1248|1261|1029&forward=1&gclid=CM2C-L3XxLkCFUxo7AodAXYA_Q

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1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC

Using diesel oriented oils (defined by the API rating starting with a 'C' - compression) in a petrol engine has far less ability to reduce component wear, sludging & piston deposits.
Most high tech' diesel engine oils have the latest API CI-4 Plus diesel spec's, but can only meet older 'SL' petrol spec's (circa 2000).
I've linked to a graph of the mechanical benefits of using an API SN oil over an API SM oil.
Comparing an SN to an even older SH, SJ and SL will be even more significant.
Rule of thumb - Use the latest API spec's for petrol (API SN) in a petrol engine and CI-4 Plus in a diesel engine.
If you want to go one up again, use the very latest technology in man made PAO (group 4) and Ester (group 5) based oils; to have the ultimate shear stability.
Internationally, I think only Motul (300V) and Penrite 10 Tenths Racing, manufacture this.

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/tech_pdfs/ ... e%20SN.pdf

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2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

I have no idea what all those acronyms mean. Any chance you could spell it out for us without petroleum expertise?

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1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC

Good grief, I think the original poster just wanted to change his oil, not split an atom....

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Lately iFW has been interesting!! In other news, Im running out of popcorn

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

How can you be bored at work with iFW and popcorn?

Ray

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"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

Honestly as long as you are using something with greater resistance to viscosity breakdown than plain old automotive oil (ie 10w-30/40) such as one of the single weights or the HD 15w/40 that are marketed toward marine inboards you should be fine. The Merc and other marine spec oils may be incrementally better but its probably not a measurable difference in longevity. Just don't use light weight car oil.....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Change your oil at least once a year.

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2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

With this years low engine hours due to personal circumstances; GGGRRRR ( less than 20 despite the best boating season here for at least 7 years with weeks of calm seas, sun and warm temperatures ) I'll still do that !

Wow a lot of conversation around oil. can't find the volvo 30w synthetic so wondering if quicksilver 25w 40 synthetic blend 4 cycle will work? Being a blend I figure it is as close to synthetic as possible in marine grade. Thoughts?

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Dennis

2007 H190
4.3 liter
Seattle WA