Engine Oil

[jorgefife]

What engine oil should I use on my Yanmar 2GM, H33, 1982?
Owners of similar boats, please tell me if the area where one lives determines what kind of oil. I live in Houston, where one day of snow sent everyone into hysterics on Friday (first time I saw snow, myself included)
Generally nice weather, with a few cold days
What have you found to be adequate?
Thanks for helping

 

[Pat McCartin]

15w40
Shell Rotella T
Chevron Delo 400
Mobil Delvac

 

[kloudie1]

Pat is correct.. Those are all premium diesel oils.. I think all are available at Wal Mart .. I know the Shell Rotella T 15-40 and the Rotella Synthetic are ..

 

[petersea]

My chioce is Shell Rotella also. Wal mart and NAPA both stock it. Just my opinion I would not use the synthetic.....

 

[Shell]

Any C rated oil with the weight specified by yanmar.
"C" rated is for diesel engines while "S" rated is for gas.
I use Mobil One synthetic in my Universal since I bought it 10 years ago and it is used every day in season.

 

[jorgefife]

Thank you all
Today I bought Rotella T, from Shell, 15w 40
Looking at the instructions on the small packs, it shows apicture of a large truck, a small truck, a caterpillr and a tractor.
No picture of a boat, though, but it says there that it is for use in diesel engines
So I bought the bigger, 1 gallon bottle, which says nothing about "diesel" at all!
But it is the same, correct?
I would have liked to see the word "diesel" somewhere, please re-assure me all is OK!
Jorge Fife

 

[Steve Dion]

Jorge: You may or may not notice that there is a type on the bottle. It is probably some like CE or CF. The first character indicates that the oil is suitable for "Compression/Diesel" engines. The second character indicates that it meets specific engineering standards.

 

[jorgefife]

Thank you Steve
It appears as I have the right oil: it is exactly what you good people recommended...unless of course you want me to sink, and stop bothering you any more.
Seriously now, I appreciate you all taking time and responding to all my enquiries
I will do all of you proud, when I get this fine boat back from the dead

 

[Pat McCartin]

Jorge: You may or may not notice that there is a type on the bottle. It is probably some like CE or CF. The first character indicates that the oil is suitable for "Compression/Diesel" engines. The second character indicates that it meets specific engineering standards.

it's up to CJ-4 now

 

[J Hunter]

I don't doubt that the multi-weight 15w-40 is in this engines manual if all you guys are in agreement, but lots and lots of motor heads (and me being a marine diesel head) shun multi-weights. The viscosity improving additives in multi-weights are essential for cold weather frequent starting (they let a thin oil act like itself when cold, but like the engine specified viscosity at operating temps), great for daily winter commuters in Vermont, but they have their draw backs. They can break down from shear and cause sludging more than straight weight oils, and worse if they are left to run for long periods after they breakdown, the viscosity at operating temperature is lower than required for optimal lubrication. That's why I run Mobil 1 PAO synthetic in my cars.

A Yanmar on a sailboat in Houston, I think the multi weight is over kill - doesn't get that cold, and the well designed oil pump gets the oil to the moving parts instantaneously even when the oil is at start-up temps. That being said, Yanmar builds the things so well that on a sailboat application the motor would probably never run fast and hard enough to breakdown the VI additives you don't need.

If you're a Scotsman, you'd probably go with the straight weight - a little cheaper.