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Change to synthetic oil?

S

seth0687

Member
Hey guys,
As you know the boat is a '93 check convincor 251 with a carbed Mercruiser 502ci and a bravo 1. I was wondering if I can/should switch the motor over to synthetic oil. I was talking to the local parts guy at the marine shop and he said not to switch to synthetic since the motor is old. The motor was rebuilt about 110 hrs ago, I just wanted to get a second opinion from you guys.
Thanks again,
Seth
 
well, i can only speak from personal experiance, but when dad bought the sea ray in 02, the first thing i did was switch over to Amsoil synthetic. never had a problem and the boat gets a lot of use over the summer, being a 4cyl in an 18 footer, i thought the engine needed all the help it could get. the boat is a 1986.

big fan of the amsoil product after seeing the differance in the power valves of arctic cat f7 engines one running amsoil the other arctic cat oil.
 
Ok guys, so I went to exhange my regular oil for synthetic, and the Merc Tech asked why and I said that I was switching over to synthetic and he about had a heart attack?!?!?!?

He told me not to switch over, mercury doesn't recommend it, blah blah blah. Could someone please shed a little bit of light as to why I should switch to synthetic, what the benefits are, and why or why it won't hurt the motor.

I have always run synthetic in cars, but it seems as though I am getting a lot of conflicting advice for my boat.

Again, '93 convincor, mercruiser carbed 502....118 hrs since engine rebuild.

THanks,

Seth
 
How old is your Merc Tech. Sounds like he is stuck in the past and has old school ways. Synthetic oils offer better protection and lubrication period. It is never too late to switch to synthetic and against the rumors you can switch back and forth with no harm. Maybe I am missing something when it comes to marine applications but I can't see any reason not to run synthetic.
 
I cant imagine why he would say that either, maybe he is not familiar with their products.

Synthetic Blend MerCruiser (25W-40) Engine Oil

blend-mercruiser.jpg
Buy at Parts Express
Specifically formulated and developed to meet the needs of:
High-output sterndrive and inboard engines.
  • Developed for the rigors of the marine environment.
  • Industry-leading corrosion protection.
  • Features premium-grade synthetic and mineral-based stocks with specially designed marine grade additives not required in automotive oils.
  • Outstanding lubricity for internal engine components to reduce wear, scuffing and scoring.
  • Eliminates thermal breakdown under extreme RPM, temperature and heavy-load conditions.
  • Rigorously tested to guarantee warranty protection for MerCruiser Sterndrive and Inboard engines.
Available container sizes: Quart, Gallon, 55 Gallon

http://www.mercurymarine.com/parts-...erview/precision-lubricants/blend-mercruiser/
 
scratching my head too, volvo recommends synthetic only for their engines and drives. volvo uses the same engine blocks as merc does.

put the synthetic in it.

now....someone correct me if i'm wrong (i've been out of the boat biz for 6 wonderful years now) but....when synthetics were coming online they were multi grade only (ie. 10w30). multi grades don't perform well in marine engines, apparently they froth or something.

the marina i worked at sold amsoil synthetics, we had a rep come by who told us that their 15w40 marine engine oil was actually designed as a straight 40 oil, but it's flow characteristics in cold weather allowed them to use the 15 rating. that's why we used it over other brands (we were a merc dealer too).

merc's oil is a mix of 25 and 40 weights, not a true multigrade more like a 33 weight.

we did have a service bulletin about not using synthetics, but when we found volvo recommending the use of synthetics in the same engine blocks, we filed that bulletin in the trash (my boss was a big fan of synthetics).
 
Another vote for synthetic here. If your wallet allows for it why notgo with a superior quality product? The stories of not switching or bad things will happen are old wive's tales.
 
I have switched to synthetic in everything I own. I am now an Amsoil dealer and after reading some of there literiture and talking with people who actually use there products, I can't see myself ever using anything else. Aside from all of the extra protection, fuel savings, longer change periods, it helps the US be less dependant on foreign oil. I truly don't understand why anyone would try to talk you out ofprotecting your engine with a far better product. And for the record, I will sell any member any Amsoil product they want at my cost+the ride.
 
You run $15/QT oil through a $5.99 filter!:sssh:

LOL:D

J/K. I couldn't resist that one!

HD



boatman4021 said:
I have switched to synthetic in everything I own. I am now an Amsoil dealer and after reading some of there literiture and talking with people who actually use there products, I can't see myself ever using anything else. Aside from all of the extra protection, fuel savings, longer change periods, it helps the US be less dependant on foreign oil. I truly don't understand why anyone would try to talk you out ofprotecting your engine with a far better product. And for the record, I will sell any member any Amsoil product they want at my cost+the ride.
Click to expand...
 
My dads 08 four winns with a Volvo 350 and uses SAE 30 full synthetic never had a problem with it ....
 
hotdaddy27 said:
You run $15/QT oil through a $5.99 filter!:sssh:

LOL:D

J/K. I couldn't resist that one!

HD
Click to expand...

Remember, I said I bought a high dollar filter because of you? I just switched my truck and my wife's Jeep to Amsoil and used the Amsoil 25,000 mile filter that cost me $14 each. Now I don't have to touch it for 25,000 miles. The 2 oil changes cost me a total of $140. To change them both evry 5,000 miles with conventional oil and cheap filters would cost me over $200 for 25,000 miles.
 
boatman4021 said:
Remember, I said I bought a high dollar filter because of you? I just switched my truck and my wife's Jeep to Amsoil and used the Amsoil 25,000 mile filter that cost me $14 each. Now I don't have to touch it for 25,000 miles. The 2 oil changes cost me a total of $140. To change them both evry 5,000 miles with conventional oil and cheap filters would cost me over $200 for 25,000 miles.
Click to expand...

one of the big reasons i switched to amsoil was the extended oil change intervals.
 
Last edited:
Oil

I have recently become a Checkmate owner and have a beautiful 2000 280 ZT with a 454 385hp in it. I have had several inboards before and have run everything from Castrol racing oil to Royal Purple. Recently a fellow boater told me he was using Rotella full synthetic in his 502. Anyone have any experience or info on using Rotella? I've used it in my sportbike and my Vmax streetbike, but never a boat. SP
 
There are several threads about oil over on OSO. Recently there was one where several members just mentioned they had stopped using Rotella because it is not well suited for marine applications, but I can't remember why. I will try to find the thread and link it.
 
oil

Thanks, everybody has something to say about oil and with soooo many opinions about it and soooo many claims, it's hard to sort the real answers without a consensus vote. SP
 
Found this site a few years ago. Everything you ever wanted to know about oil. It's where I found out most synthetics oils aren't ALL synthetic, even if they don't say "blended". Several have changed their formulas over the years (such as Mobil 1).

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/
 
JSmitty said:
...
Click to expand...

To me it's a no-brainer. Synthetic regardless of waht they say.

It's also one of the very first questions I ask when buying either boats or used vehicles... If it's run synthetic it's a sign the owner cares about using the best lubrication for the item, and chances are they maintained it that way better then the average Joe..
 
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