Does anyone use synthetic oil in their marine diesels? 2 boats ago I had a 1 cylinder Yanmar that I used synthetic oil in and didn't have any problems. I just bought a boat with a 2 cylinder Yanmar in it. Anyone have opinions?
Synthetic oil use.
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If it is I need to know too cause I bought this oil for my next change...
If it is I need to know too cause I bought this oil for my next change...
Mobil and Shell and Chevron all have excellent synthetic diesel engine oils. They also have excellent conventional oil as well.. Either can be used in the Yanmar. Usually the premium conventional oils are 15-40 and the synthetics are 5-40 The syn diesel oils are probably a little better for colder climates, but most likely overkill . The conventional diesel oils are excellent .. Shell Rotella T 15-40 is available at WalMart (and a lot of other places) at excellent prices. Conventional wisdom says that it is not a good idea to go to syn oil in an older diesel that has been on conventional all its life.
rotella is a synthetic blend, and is rated for diesel use..one of the most widely used as a matter of fact.
Synthetic NOT just for gas engines.
You need to read and understand the ratings and requirements for you engine and it's use...some require single weight, others multiweight, and you need to consider what has been used in the past.
Synthetic NOT just for gas engines.
You need to read and understand the ratings and requirements for you engine and it's use...some require single weight, others multiweight, and you need to consider what has been used in the past.
The vast majority of Rotella oil is NOT synthetic, including the Rotella T Triple that walmart sells, and many many boaters use. Synthetic oil is designed to withstand the temperatures generated at turbine bearings, so if you don't have a turbo-charged engine you are paying for protection you don't need. The real concern is contaminated oil - oil with acid condensates from too long lay ups, carbon sludges from long idling, poorly pitched props, and lugging engine speeds. So if you are running synthetic oil and extending your change intervals you are doing more harm than good. In fact, in their engine classes Mack Boring tells students to NOT use synthetic oil, and instead apply the savings to more frequent oil changes. Related: Our new Tohatsu 4 stroke specifically warned "no synthetic oil" - stating that the use of synthetic oil would prevent proper setting of the piston rings.
The confusion comes from the fact that Rotella comes in three flavors.. Conventional oil, blended synthetic, and pure synthetic. All are premium oils and can be used in diesel engines as well as gasoline engines. http://www.shell.com/home/content/rotella/products/
Mobil Delvac oil is also extremely good stuff:
http://www.mobil.us/USA-English-LCW/heavydutyengineoils_products_engine-oils.aspx
Mobil Delvac oil is also extremely good stuff:
http://www.mobil.us/USA-English-LCW/heavydutyengineoils_products_engine-oils.aspx
Be careful and double check before you try and use a synthetic (either gear lube or engine oil) in the transmission. In a marine transmission, the clutch plates or cones are usually of the wet type and do not always play well when bathed in slippery synthetic oils.
Synthetic will not change (lower) the oil change requirements. I have a 400 HP Cummins turbo diesel in a motor home and use Rotella 15W40...not synthetic.
Synthetic does cost more and some folks believe an engine will leak more or have higher oil consumption if synthetic is used. We have two years experience on a 10 year old Yanmar with low hours (500) and low usage (50/yr). It does not show increased consumption or leaks. May still be too soon to tell.
My approach is to not extend the period between oil changes, use the best oil filter available, and use a synthetic oil formulated for a diesel application. I think it will make a difference, but a lot of folks believe that dino oil, when changed at an appropriate frequency, will perform well enough for them. There are too many good running old engines, that never saw a synthetic product, to believe those folks are wrong. I just know this is the last boat I'm going to have and I do not want to repower her. YMMV
My approach is to not extend the period between oil changes, use the best oil filter available, and use a synthetic oil formulated for a diesel application. I think it will make a difference, but a lot of folks believe that dino oil, when changed at an appropriate frequency, will perform well enough for them. There are too many good running old engines, that never saw a synthetic product, to believe those folks are wrong. I just know this is the last boat I'm going to have and I do not want to repower her. YMMV
I have used synthetic oil in several vehicles over the years. The only vehicle that leak synthetic oil was a '84 Dodge Caravan using Mobil 1. I have being using Castrol Syntec in our '93 Mazda Miata which has about 190,000 miles on it. The engine doesn't use a drop of oil and the used oil comes out looking only slightly dirty after 5000 miles. I have used Mobil Delvac 1 in two Dodge pickups with Cummins diesels with about 185,000 miles on one and 85,000 on the other. No leaks and no oil consumption with either engine. Oil and filter changed every 7500 miles. Same story with the Subaru Forester at 112,000 miles. I live in Wisconsin and one of the reasons I use synthetic oil is for easier starting in the winter. As for using synthetic oil in my boat, given the low number of hours it is used in a season and no winter use, I'll stick to dino oil. As with any diesel, make sure that the oil used is rated for diesel engines. PO used Shell Rotella, so I have continued to use it.
I weighed the pro's and con's of synthetic oil when I got my first new vehicle (... a Jeep
) back in 1987. We all know that synthetic oil doesn't break down as fast... but the main reason for frequent oil changes was as above - contaminants and byproducts, not viscosity breakdown. So, because we don't drive alot of miles per year, I'm satisfied with conventional oil in our vehicles, changing it approx 3 times a year. If I was putting on more miles between oil changes, I would be more likely to go to synthetic.
Similarly, most of us change our boat engine oil once a year minimum (twice a year is better, depending on use), and for most users, I don't think the oil viscosity even begins to break down, so synthetic oil seems to be overkill.
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