I’m still running a 30 year old Yamaha 115 HP V-4. It occurred to me that no one manufactures two cycle boat engines unless there are some small engines made and sold in Asia. I wonder if TW3 marine two cycle oil will eventually disappear.
Will TW3 two cycle marine oil disappear?
- Thread starter Snagglefoot
- Start date
You can use marine 2 stroke in ope but not the other way around without having issues long term. I've been using marine 2 stroke in ope for over a decade just because it's the cheapest in gallon jugs and everything I have is still great. I'm sure there are also older 2 stroke marine engines still running that won't get swapped until they fail but even once everyone does switch I can't see why they can't keep dual advertising 2 stroke for marine and ope.
I've got a 2003 Mercury 25hp 2 stroke. I didn't really know it when I was buying it (used) that it was one of the last ones. Its a really good motor and I love the way a 2 stroke sounds at idle especially. I'm still shocked every time I ride on a 4 stroke boat at how quiet is. I think a 200hp 4 stroke yamaha is quieter at full throttle than my 25. And my Mercury 25 is far quieter than the 1975 25hp Johnson it replaced..
Not a bad idea.
You bet, but demand is headed in one direction. I guess we’ll see some brands drop off or convert to a multi-use product.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2022
- Messages
- 707
I was always under the impression that TCW3 was for cold running marine 2 strokes, unlike other 2 stroke OPE which would generally run very hot.
Correct my thinking, as I thought TCW3 was not appropriate for hotter running stuff.
Correct my thinking, as I thought TCW3 was not appropriate for hotter running stuff.
In generally you shouldn't run TC-W3 in a non-watercooled engine unless specified by the manufacturer, I think some of the later Lawnboys actually recommended TC-W3 if I recall correctly, but they specifically designed and tested their engines to run on it, in an air cooled engine you should typically use API TC.
Too true.
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2009
- Messages
- 9,101
Thus has been gone over several times on here. Apparently it's better to just use regular 2 stroke oil in outboards. That whole tcw-3 deal is just to keep from polluting the water
TCW3 is phosphate free, according Greta and Abby someone.
https://www.nmma.org
https://www.nmma.ca
www.oilspecifications.org search ISO-L-EGD JASO FD JASO FC and TCW3.
Some snowmobile two stroke engine oils are both FC and TCW3 approved.
Caution: Some snowmobiles and two stroke personnel watercraft require JASO FD or ISO-L-EGD which is the same thing.
Last edited:
Agreed! Pennzoil used to publish a document explaining the difference between water cooled engines, and air cooled engines. In my opinion, "all in one" two cycle oils should be avoided because they are a compromise. I just run what the engine manufacturer recommends.
I used quicksilver 2 stroke oil in my old cheap bolens trimmer and the piston top was really varnished.
Used the TC-W3 in 65HP Rotac water cooled motor powering a 2 seat Ultralight u see in my Avatar. This was long ago but that was also the standard for smaller air cooled motors in Ultralights.
When the correct stuff is no more the good old saying of "anything is better than nothing" will apply. 
My 1999 Polaris 2 stroke 4 wheeler recomments TC-W3 oddly enough.
It's air cooled and has a fan that blows, with no shroud, on the engine