www.iFourWinns.com

Some of you probably already know this...but I was browsing around on the Volvo Penta website and I saw the bottles of "their" synthetic engine oil....when you click for the bigger picture...it clearly says "Amsoil" on the bottle...does Amsoil sell the straight 30 syn themselves? Gotta check their site!

....checked...looks like they only sell it in multi-vis versions...not straight weight.....

_________________
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

Can you post a link? I've never seen that on their oil. That would be the answer to 25% of the questions ever asked on boating forums.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

forgive my computer ignorance vis a vis posting links...but just go to
http://www.volvopentastore.com
follow it to marine engine parts and accessories....when you find the oil section click on the pic and look at the gallon jug...it clearly says "Amsoil" on it! I guess Amsoil makes it for VP but does not list it on the Amsoil site (perhaps some agreement with VP so it can't be sold cheaper elsewhere....)

Anyway I am still using good old Chevron Delo 400 straight weight...I thought of changing to the Merc 25/40 but this engine has been run on the Delo for 7 seasons so far...oil pressure is still good....
http://www.volvopentastore.com/mall/image/view/3/4/volvofullsyntheticgasoil_2.jpg

_________________
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

Wow. I saved the original image in case Volvo changes it or takes it down, and added in the URL of the original image.

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

beat me to it Mike...I'm better with wrenches than with keyboards.....

_________________
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

No problem, Lou, just fly out here and winterize my boat for me.

Great catch on this!

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

It's interesting that the Amsoil logo is only on the gallon jug..it doesn't appear to be on the quart ones...I noticed because I always buy the Chevron Delo in the gallon jug...
Winterizing...ah that ain't nothing...little 3 hr job...bout 100 bucks worth of materials to do it the delux method (I drain manually...then back fill with the best -100 Antifreeze..keeps air out and reduces corrosion)...Lucky for me...my ancient 88 Horizon has the sun sport seating and no molded in fiberglass in the engine compartment.....so I just slide the seats and bukhead foward...and I can climb in the engine compartment and get at the oil filter (not remote but in the standard rear port side location)...and all the drains...I put OMC triple guard grease on the threads of the drains..and they always come out...even with salt water use...
After winterizing...I get out my drive stand...pull off the drive and check the bellows...gimble...and ujoints...and scrape any barncacles that were growing in the pivot housing...if I find any water in the drive gear oil...I take the drive to the shop for them to re-seal it over the winter...in the spring I put in a new impeller...spark plugs...tune it up (points n condenser no less!) and then she's ready to go.....

_________________
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've always wanted to do it myself and follow your routine - it's the best IMO of any DIY winterizing routines I've seen - but it seems like there's always something else the boat needs to go in to the shop for anyway, and then there's the issue of what to do with the anti-freeze in the spring. Also, although my boat has better engine access than many, it's not what I'd call great, especially if you have a bad back like I do.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Also keep in mind that if you DIY your insurance won't cover a cracked block (atleast mine won't) It has to be done by a professional shop. Probably not worth the risk for an expensive boat but the older ones...... what the hell. FYI, I winterize my own.

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Yes, that enters into my equation also. On the other hand, so does the 2-hour round trip drive and a tank of gas to get the boat to the shop, and another to pick it up a week later.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

How about the economics of closed cooling even for freshwater boats compared to many hours/ miles driving the boats to and from dealers over say 4 years of ownership?

Hotter thermostat so the engine lasts longer because it's working at the design temperature
Use the Antifreeze/ water mix that you'd use in your car in your area ( which has corrosion inhibiters in it, as well as MEG or PPG)
Pull out the anode and the raw water side of the heat exchanger drains
Remove the impellor (which you'd do anyhow for the Winter)
Remove the exhaust manifold plugs
(I run an antifreeze mix through the outdrive/ pump/ heat exchanger/ exhaust manifolds, but it's probably not essential)

"Easy" ( as the amusing UK "compare the Meerkat" advert says; it's probably on Youtube somewhere)

And as for VP (and Mercury) oils, they buy all of them from someone else. A clue from someone working in the chemical industry; their synthetic gear oil smells Exactly like the Mobil version (= horrible!)

Graham

Graham for sure if I ever repowered this boat I'd put in closed cooling...even though if I stick with the Cobra system I can't include the manifolds still the engine would be full of AF which means the only things you have to drain are the manifolds...heat exchanger...raw water intake hose and impeller (basically the impeller on a Cobra is self draining like an outboard but I pour AF down the raw water intake and that takes care of any water that did not drain...I see it come out the water intakes).

And as far as doing your own work...well let's say I've been at this a long time....I started doing my own oil changes tune ups and brake jobs in 1972....learned on classic easy to repair American engine designs...small block Chevies...Fords and Mopars...even a couple of air cooled flat 4 VWs...and with every vehicle I've had I've gotten a factory service manual...did the same with the boat and had no problems winterizing it....just followed the directions...I am going to continue this with the Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi...even though it's a much more complex machine than my old Jeep 4.0 Six...I'll get the shop manual....my OBD-II scanner and tools are ready......

_________________
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

There's absolutely nothing wrong with AMSOIL to be sure.

But it is a really expensive oil to put in a boat IMHO, that gets changed every year (and it should be changed every year at the end of the season)

It gets back to several of the original oil arguments.....Marine engines rarely wear out. They usually die due to owner neglect. My last boat (a 1966 Mark Twain that dad bought new) had every type and brand oil you can name (except expensive syn) in it's 39 years that my dad and I had it. It never had an oil related problem.....


I'm with LouC. I use 15W40 (any name.....cheapest at Wally World)


Usually the people who REALLY push Amsoil are the people (when you can beat it out of them) that sell it!


Cheers,


Rick

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1987 Four Winns Liberator 211, formerly OMC 460 King Kobra powered, replaced in 2006 by a 1997 Mercruiser 454/Bravo III

Honestly the lube requirements for a marine engine don't really require syn oil...because the oil never gets that hot under most operational conditions if the cooling system is in good shape...what you need is an oil that will not break down in viscosity at high revs...extremes of hot and cold are were synthetics excel...but in a boat you usually don't have low temp starting issues (unless you wait to long to winterize!) and with a properly operating cooling system your coolant temps are 160 or so...I have checked my oil after a good run...idling in the no wake zone and the dipstick is certainly not as hot as in an auto application...because the engine is running close to 40 degrees cooler. I think that single vis oils have been specified because tests show that the VI improvers break down and the resulting shear causes a drop in viscosity....but syn oils can be multi vis without VI improvers...so there is some advantage...but any single weight heavy duty oil (Delo...Rotella...Pennzoil Marine) will do just fine....
If you are under warantee you can use the OE Stuff to avoid problems but after that do what you are comfortable with....my 07 Hemi takes the new 5W-20 stuff and that takes some getting used to.....

_________________
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

Lou,

I think you must be almost as or even older than I am ! And there's nothing wrong with that ( unless you ask my 18 year old daughter ; my god, she's of to University in 4 days!).

My first tuned engine; in 1975, was a 1.6 litre Ford OHV that would take the 4 door car ( + 5 occupants) to 6500 rpm/ 110 mph ! It impressed my American cousins no end when they came over for the Summer. Shame the bottom end couldn't take it long term.

Now I drive a boring 3.0 litre 230 bhp car with a top speed of 150 mph; a big engine/ fast car by average European standards. Nowhere as much fun.

Graham