cheaper FC-W oil

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Thanks - my buddy has 3 x Yamaha F350 (more than my first mortgage) on his largest of 3 boats - will let him know.
 
Originally Posted By: Bluestream

I should use FC-W in my cars, because I drive through heavy rain storms all the time. Also sits outside 365 days a year, and I drive through slush in the winter. My boat on the other hand is only put in the water when used, never sees rain, and spends most of its life in a dry garage.

Whatever floats your boat!
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So this guy had valve train wear issues on "road oil" and a mechanic mind you - not the agency - did a demo (Post repair). He showed air on the dipstick with road oil and solid oil on the motor with NMMA oil. (Offshore twins)
Will this happen often ?- doubt it, but for $3/year delta I will run the recommended oil.
Corrosion data will always be subjective - for example the class action law suit Yamaha finally survives (ya reckon they can lawyer up) ... not saying exhaust corrosion can be impacted by a non marine lubricant - but again I don't need to be blamed for ? over $3/year ... one of my boats hangs in a lift on a brackish bayou going through temperature change - you know the look.
Finally the NMMA - well first off, I'm glad they have worked together and I have many choices. Do they all think exactly the same. Of course not - Merc offers some thicker 4S oils and they don't like VII (one example).
Some SME have come on here a said NMMA does not test ? Anyone who posts without spending decent time on the website should. Cats in new boats? - yes, EPA does impact lube specs, design, plant, and the chemicals they can use.
Sure, a dealer will want to sell his oil - but his second (and good) choice is an NMMA approved oil.
Better way than Chrysler's bull ... I only give up one cup of Starbucks a year to my 4 stroke - the OptiMax is getting OEM HP injection juice ...
 
Originally Posted By: MotoTribologist
Originally Posted By: Bluestream

I should use FC-W in my cars, because I drive through heavy rain storms all the time. Also sits outside 365 days a year, and I drive through slush in the winter. My boat on the other hand is only put in the water when used, never sees rain, and spends most of its life in a dry garage.

Whatever floats your boat!
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https://www.lubrizol.com/Lubricant-and-F...cle-Engine-Oils

I mean, what does Lubrizol know? They are only one of the largest lubricant additive suppliers in the world. Bluestream clearly has his PHD in chemistry and chemical/mechanical engineering right?
 
Lets leave the catalyst issue aside for now.

That video is misleading in many ways, however I dont begrudge Lubrizol the right to increase their revenues. The issue with FC-W is the claim to increased rust/corrosion prevention. Of course Marine engines are highly stressed, more so than automotive that goes without saying. Its is implied that only FC-W oil can meet those demands. That is just not true. Auto engines can also be stressed with stop & go driving, gravel roads, -30 Low temp start up, over due drain intervals. Marine engines dont usually have those conditions. Non FC-W oils also have corrosion inhibitors, but not enough for marine use? If that is true, why haven't all the marine engines rusted away that have not used these oils? Video shows a boat being towed in with engine failure supposedly because they did not use proper FC oil. In all my years of boating I have not seen a boat towed back from rusting engines, or corrosion failure. In all my years of going through marines service areas, I have never seen a rusted engine except one left outside in the elements in neglect.

For the past 100 years automotive oils have been fine, but now there no longer good enough? I will take a quality automotive or HDEO oil over a poor over priced FC-W oil any day. Many people here use a 15w40 or 5W40 HDEO in Marine engines and sleep well at night.
 
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I've been using NAPA 15-40 Universal Fleet in a Yamaha F115 for 5 years now and no trouble. My engine is a 2005 and there were no FW-C oils then and it says on the inner cowling 10-30 or 10-40 at 90 degrees or above. I use this oil here in S Fla and no problems at all. I have sent numerous samples to Blackstone and always comes back good. This is a diesel rated oil with all the extras that FW-C oils have. It also has 1300 PPM zinc which 4 stroke outboards need because they are flat tappet engines. Just about any good brand of diesel oil will work, NAPA does not have a 10-30 that I know of but Shell Rotella 10-30 is a good oil. If you want to use Synthetic a lot of Diesel oils are 5-40 and I wouldn't worry to much about the 5 because when the oil reaches about 100 degrees it is a 40. No I'm not that smart, I read that here on BITOG!
 
Interesting reading here. I bought a Lund powered by a 30 HP. Mercury 4 stroke back in 2003. The boat/motor/trailer combo was just a hair under $10,000.

I use the boat very little and change the oil every other year. The price difference between Mercury 10W-30 and flavor-of-the-month at Wally World comes out to be $6.72 per year. I don't worry about it.
 
Quicksilver is always good oil. One of the toughest and best known FC-W oils that can be had. Comes in all flavors and is orderable through Walmart, I think ... If not, certainly through Amazon
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Quicksilver
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Here you go ...
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Quicksilver-10W-30-4-Stroke-Marine-Oil-1-Quart/35792203

and here is the best of the best full marine synthetic at less then $6. a quart, plus, most likely they make all the other marine engine companies oil!

https://www.farmandfleet.com/produc...4-cycle-synthetic-marine-engine-oil.html

Think the 10/30 was replaced by the 10/40 - https://www.mystiklubes.com/do/product/663093002

https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/833398-mystik-4-cycle-full-synthetic-marine-engine-oil.html

Bottom line Mystik is a HUGE manufacturer or lubricants and they make a bunch of OEM manufacturer labeled oils. (translated, they are a real oil company and reseller)
 
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The whole FC-W thing is a mixed bag of nuts.

I've dealt with boats that had such moist engine bays (florida heat + wet bilge = sauna) that anything metal installed in the engine bay would whiten with corrosion in days. Yet, the engine internals were clean as a whistle of corrosion.

There are FC-W oils that shear to pieces despite having met FC-W's guidelines for shear resistance as well. There have been manufacturer FC-W oils that failed to protect the engine's components and had to be changed.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: FC-W is not a class or a formula of oil. It is a bar. Probably any halfway decent oil would pass FC-W. I would lay down big dollars in a gamble that almost all HDEO would completely blow FC-W away. HDEO has to meet standards that FC-W never even thought of. Diesel manufacturer standards are super tough, and cover all of the same ground.

FC-W's original intent was just to keep the riff-raff out. There is no rocket science going on there.

I haven't seen, and don't know anyone who has seen an engine that suffered any single issue as a result of non-FCW oil. If it's a gas marine engine, the end of its life is thousands of times more likely to come by way of external influence or an internal issue nobody could have ever stopped than an oil related issue.

Run it if it feels good. Nothing wrong with it. Run it for peace of mind. Why not? But let's not make non-FCW oils out to be automatic poison.
 
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