First oil change on small engine.

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Hello All,
My first post. Are there any potential issues with using Amsoil Four Stroke Formula oil for my first oil change on my Kawasaki FR 730V mower engine? It's a new engine, just 9 hours.
Thanks.
 
Just your Wallet
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bmon, use something cheap and change the oil frequently until the used oil runs out clean (no visible glitter). THEN consider a premium oil like the Amsoil 4-Stroke Formula and run it longer (25-50 hour intervals).
 
I love this forum and the way someone ask if it's OK to use Amsoil, and everyone tries to talk them out of it.......

I'm pretty sure he is aware of the price, and it's not a problem.

If it's pretty much broke in it should work great. I have used Amsoil for 16 years and it works great in small engines.
 
Originally Posted By: oilboy123
I love this forum and the way someone ask if it's OK to use Amsoil, and everyone tries to talk them out of it.......

I'm pretty sure he is aware of the price, and it's not a problem.

If it's pretty much broke in it should work great. I have used Amsoil for 16 years and it works great in small engines.

I would have to agree here. So what if he wants to use Amsoil, why do people try to talk others out of it? Im using Amsoil HDD in my push mower and it works great.
 
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Originally Posted By: oilboy123
I love this forum and the way someone ask if it's OK to use Amsoil, and everyone tries to talk them out of it.......

I'm pretty sure he is aware of the price, and it's not a problem.

If it's pretty much broke in it should work great. I have used Amsoil for 16 years and it works great in small engines.



Right.

Use the Amsoil. Have it in mine. Also went to Amsoil SSO (now AZO) in my new, now 3 years old, Toro 10HP Snowlauncher after 4 hours of use.

Use with high confidence!
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key is multiple short interval first changes to get all of the crâp out first. metal filings aplenty (though my yamaha genset drained clean the first time? compared to my honda which looked like a kids snow globe....?).

I like syn in my OPE. very consistent performance all season long. one yearly OC.

M
 
"I love this forum and the way someone ask if it's OK to use Amsoil, and everyone tries to talk them out of it. I'm pretty sure he is aware of the price, and it's not a problem. If it's pretty much broke in it should work great."

But it's NOT broken in ... it's the first oil change ... so unless he gets a perfect drain, he'll still have some of that break-in metal swimming around the motor for the next 10-20+ hours.

Synthetics are great ... but don't put them in and leave them in for a long time with all the break in debris (glitter) in a brand new machine. That's NOT a good idea. I guess most of you ('cept OilNerd and Meep) missed that.
 
At my workplace, when we received our new Exmark commercial z-turn mower with Kawasaki engine, Exmark still recommended not going to synthetic oil until you had some hours on it (over 100 or more).

That's just their opinion and it goes against BITOG opinions, but in the end, whose to say which opinion is better?

Just opening up another can of worms. I always love the explanation: "Well, they put synthetic in Corvettes right from the factory, so it must be o.k. to do this in my lawn mower too".

This pretty much sums up my opinion on what the OP should do.
 
While there are many GREAT OTC products that will work just as good as Amsoil for 1/3 of the price...IE rotella. EVERYONE here knows amsoil doesn't equal less wear on an engine but instead the benefit is longer drains. Now the question is should this engine have longer drains? When you consider the cost+ shipping why not just use T-6 or something equal and pick it up from walmart?

I believe the best practice for small engine is frequent drain and fills with a decent product is key to logevity. Besides it's simple procedure, not expensive and requires little time.

If Amsoil is what the OP want then thats fine it's entirely his choice. I to beleieve you have an awefully longtime left before that kawi is considered broken in.
 
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I bought my mower with the Honda 160 on it back in 2000. I used the furnished 30W oil for the recommended 5 hours, and then changed it to Mobil 1 5W30, and have changed the oil annually for the last 11 years. I have always had one of those hour use meters (they only last about 6 or 7 Years) on it. I've been averaging about 60 hours a year; it now has a little over 650 hours on it. Never, in 11 years has it ever burned more than a sixteenth of an inch of oil off the dip stick in a one year, 60 hour OCI.

IMHO, it is a waste of oil and time to perform multiple oil changes at short intervals when new.
 
Originally Posted By: Smokefan1977
While there are many GREAT OTC products that will work just as good as Amsoil for 1/3 of the price...IE rotella. EVERYONE here knows amsoil doesn't equal less wear on an engine but instead the benefit is longer drains. Now the question is should this engine have longer drains? When you consider the cost+ shipping why not just use T-6 or something equal and pick it up from walmart?

I believe the best practice for small engine is frequent drain and fills with a decent product is key to logevity. Besides it's simple procedure, not expensive and requires little time.

If Amsoil is what the OP want then thats fine it's entirely his choice. I to beleieve you have an awefully longtime left before that kawi is considered broken in.



I agree whole heatedly with the above post. There are excellent HDEO available at a fraction of the cost that will do the job as well as any high priced synthetics. As stated, the only advantage of expensive synthetics is extended OCIs and extreme operating conditions.

I have an air cooled Kawasaki twin in my Husqvarna riding mower. It's ten years old and has never seen synthetic oil. It has over 500 hrs on the engine and does not consume one drop of oil in an entire season. Oil get's changed annually. It is presently running on Formula Shell 10W40. I also have an air cooled Honda twin in my riding mower I keep at camp that gets the same treatment. No oil consumption there either.

It appears that when someone offers sensible low cost/high benefit solutions to participants, the "oil brand addicts" take objection to it. Why? Do they have shares in Amsoil?

Regarding the oil change on the new Kawasaki. Do the change as per engine manual. Use any inexpensive off the shelf oil of correct viscosity. When you drop that oil, put in Rotella T 15W40 or T6 and save yourself a few bucks.
 
Originally Posted By: bmon
Hello All,
My first post. Are there any potential issues with using Amsoil Four Stroke Formula oil for my first oil change on my Kawasaki FR 730V mower engine? It's a new engine, just 9 hours.
Thanks.


As other people have stated. If the engine hasn't been broken in yet, just buy a cheap SAE30 Dino oil and change out a few times after a few hours of use until you no longer see the small metallic shavings that you would see with a new engine. after that go ahead and use the Amsoil 4-stroke, its a GREAT OIL. I use it myself and love it and so does my OPE, it is more expensive than others but I still like it. You can't go wrong with Amsoil.
 
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Originally Posted By: oilboy123
I love this forum and the way someone ask if it's OK to use Amsoil, and everyone tries to talk them out of it.......

I'm pretty sure he is aware of the price, and it's not a problem.

If it's pretty much broke in it should work great. I have used Amsoil for 16 years and it works great in small engines.



For sure this happens on this site. It's really odd. That said this was not Bror's intent in the least. I agree with him. Especially with no filter, engine breaking in - change oil 2-3 times first, then go with one of Amsoil's excellent small engine or HDEO's. They are great for long drains, but they are great for cold starts, burning hot days, or just keeping the engine very clean maxing out the recommended OCI.
 
Multiple short duration oil changes for break in purposes is a waste of effort and oil and is not required. Follow the manufacturers instructions and the engine will be fine. I've bought a few brand new machines with four stroke engines on them within the last five years. Two liquid cooled ATVs, a riding mower with an air cooled V twin, a pressure washer with a Mitsubishi 6 h.p. engine and a generator with a 6 h.p. Chonda to mention a few. Not one of them showed excessive filings or other machining debris. I ran the hot oil from the machines through a paper coffee filter to take a good look at what the oil was carrying. All of them were very clean at the first oil change.

Modern engine manufacturing does not leave nearly as much debris in them. Dump the oil and run it through a filter. See for yourself.

Recommending multiple initial oil changes is not good advice. It's not required. It's an unnecessary waste of oil. The only people benefiting from this practice would be the oil companies and those selling the products.
 
Not good advice? You can have your opinions, others can have their own.

2-3 changes at the recommended OCI, or even a bit less is not excessive. Interesting that all the small engines I've had recently have has some level of debris. My 6 HP Chonda had a TON of debris. My Honda power washer engine was worse, believe it or not. I doubt Pennzoil, Valvoline, etc will see highly increased revenue from just a couple extra quarts of oil.
 
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Not good advice? You can have your opinions, others can have their own.

2-3 changes at the recommended OCI, or even a bit less is not excessive. Interesting that all the small engines I've had recently have has some level of debris. My 6 HP Chonda had a TON of debris. My Honda power washer engine was worse, believe it or not. I doubt Pennzoil, Valvoline, etc will see highly increased revenue from just a couple extra quarts of oil.


It's obvious that we will have opposing views. You sell oil. I don't. Nothing in it for me. Plenty in it for you.

Accordingly, who's opinion is least biased?
 
Originally Posted By: boraticus
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Not good advice? You can have your opinions, others can have their own.

2-3 changes at the recommended OCI, or even a bit less is not excessive. Interesting that all the small engines I've had recently have has some level of debris. My 6 HP Chonda had a TON of debris. My Honda power washer engine was worse, believe it or not. I doubt Pennzoil, Valvoline, etc will see highly increased revenue from just a couple extra quarts of oil.


It's obvious that we will have opposing views. You sell oil. I don't. Nothing in it for me. Plenty in it for you.

Accordingly, who's opinion is least biased?



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OK you win.
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Originally Posted By: meep
metal filings aplenty (though my yamaha genset drained clean the first time? compared to my honda which looked like a kids snow globe....?).


My fathers Honda 3000i first oil change also glittered like a snow globe. He just did the second Oil change and no more glitter.
 
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