Oil Change!!

[AngryJosh]

Its time to change the oil in my boat, and this is the first time since I have only owned it for one month. The original owner used Mobile one 15-40. Is this OK, or does anyone want to share what they use? Its a BBF 460.
Oh yeah- I ran the boat last weekend and checked the oil. There was a little spot of white milkshake on the dipstick. I popped the oil breather and there was some white froth on it. I pulled the dipstick again and found that the oil was fine. It wasn't white and frothy, just that little spot. Any thoughts?

[roostwear]

Sounds like condensation, that's all. Warm up your engine real well before draining the oil. I use Quaker State 40wt synthetic/dyno blend in my 460. Personal preference........

[Danhercules]

I also use 40wt.
After a long run, 30 min or so, all that moisture should be gone. Try to get a 30 min run, but no WOT passes, just cruise. I noticed, untill I got my temp settings right, I would jet a touch of water in the oil from WOT passes.
Make sure you get all the water out, then make a WOT pass, to see if you are gettin any in that way.

[HalletDave]

Josh,
With logs and snail shells I seriously doubt the moisture came from the exhaust. The advice that Dan is giving is good. I'm leaning towards what Mike said, just condensation. We need to get the temp up on that motor. It is running way to cold my friend.

[AngryJosh]

Cool, thanks for the input guys. So, I'm thinking maybe I'll switch to a straight 40wt oil. YES/NO?
Dave, this coming weekend at Mead I'll mess with the valve setting to bring up the temperature. If I dont figure it out, then well mess with it @ Isabella.

[HalletDave]

Originally posted by AngryJosh
Cool, thanks for the input guys. So, I'm thinking maybe I'll switch to a straight 40wt oil. YES/NO?
Dave, this coming weekend at Mead I'll mess with the valve setting to bring up the temperature. If I dont figure it out, then well mess with it @ Isabella.
I'm for the 40wt, it should be fine.
I am sure you will figure it out.

[riverbound]

I also run 40wt on my 460.

[FOURQ]

im running 50 wt kendal in my 468

[HammerDown]

Kendall GT40...always.
However I did think about mobil synthetic 15/50...once.

[DICK THORPE]

Ok;
Just to be different I have used for a real long time Mobil 1 15/50 in my 455 olds and had no problems at all ever (well except for using gas but I think thats a different problem...........).
A number of years ago I think about 4 or 5, Hot Boat ran an article about "natural" oils compared to "synthetics" and it was a real wake up.........at least to me it was.
As to the milk in your motor I've hat the same problem and like they all said warm it up and it'l leave.
Dick Thorpe:D

[HammerDown]

Originally posted by DICK THORPE
A number of years ago I think about 4 or 5, Hot Boat ran an article about "natural" oils compared to "synthetics" and it was a real wake up.........at least to me it was.
If thats the same article I read...it was pro DINO straight wt.
I also read in Power Boat several tech articles from Bob Teague from Teague Marine... he was also stating they have seen undesirable results with Synthetics:eek: He also suggest straight 40 or 50 wt Dino.

[FOURQ]

well i have tried the synthetic in a few race cars and i havent been to happy with the results..i run 50 wt kendal in a 850 hp alcohol injected sbc and we have had GREAT results little bearing wear and VERY few oil related problems this season so far..{now i have to keep my fingers crossed} thats why i run 50 wt kendal in my boat :D... just my .02
4Q

[HammerDown]

WHICH OIL?
Question: I have 1968 Fairliner 27' cruiser with a single 270-hp Crusader 350. After I bought it used, I changed the oil to Mobil 1 10W-40 synthetic because I felt it offered better protection when sitting for extended periods and start up. Lately I saw an article that said these oils are not recommended for marine use due to lack of shear strength at wide-open throttle or high temperatures associated with marine engines. I usually run at 3,000-3,200 rpm. Do I need special marine oil? Also, what about Delo 400 15W-40 oil as a possible alternative?
(name removed)
Answer: There are a lot of good synthetic oils out there for most automotive and some racing applications. But it is commonly felt that *petroleum-based straight-grade oils are more desirable for marine engines*. Marine engines tend to contaminate oil more quickly than automotive engines. This is because of the presence of moisture and a tendency to have more fuel contamination in the crankcase. The problem is related to the effect of the additive package than the base oil itself. Multiviscosity oils that rely on chemical reaction to simulate a more viscous oil when hot can lose their ability to perform well, and may get too thin for the extreme loads and elevated temperatures.
I recommend using a good quality straight grade engine oil, either SAE 30 or 40 depending on the climate and what clearances exist in your engine. If you notice that the oil pressure drops quite a bit while idling after the engine is hot, select a heavier weight oil.
So there ya have it.
;)

[HammerDown]

WHAT ABOUT SYNTHETIC OIL?
Question: I would like to know if it is okay to run synthetic oil in a boat engine? I have read many different answers to this question, but would appreciate your professional opinion. I am running a stock 502 Magnum MPI and have always used Mercury's oil in it. I use Valvoline SynPower synthetic in my tow vehicle, but don't want to put synthetic oil in my boat without knowing if it is okay. If it is okay, what brand do you recommend?
(name removed)
Answer: This is a widely debated topic. Of course, the synthetic oil manufacturers would want you to believe that their products are going to increase your engine life. I have used a few synthetic oils with pretty good success, including Red Line, Mobil 1, and Amsoil to name a few.
In racing applications, I have done testing by using two different types of oil in each engine in the same boat. After the race, when the engine was disassembled, there was evidence that the synthetic oil was slightly superior in the competition environment. The same results have not been observed in the recreational marine engines, though.
More recently, I have noticed that engines with roller lifters used in the pleasure-boat environment have exhibited undesirable wear patterns when synthetic oil is used. Specifically, because the oil is more "slippery," it appears that the rollers are sliding on the cam instead of rolling. This results in flat spots on the rollers and increased wear on the cam lobe. This problem only seems to present itself with lower valve-spring tension applications typically used with hydraulic roller cams. In race applications, with solid roller setups where 250 or more pounds of spring pressure exists when the valve is on the seat, there seems to be enough pressure to keep the roller on the lifter rolling on the cam instead of sliding.
Depending on your climate and the water temperature you typically operate your boat in, the viscosity of your oil should be selected accordingly. I believe that a straight grade SAE 40 oil is the most suitable for the majority of the performance marine engines. SAE 30 would be better for cooler climates. For extreme performance and supercharged engines, SAE 50 is suggested. Most synthetics are a multi-viscosity oil. Fuel dilution of the oil and contamination as a result of increased moisture in the crankcase seems to affect the multi-viscosity oils faster.
The most important thing is that you change your engine oil regularly and use a good quality oil. I think an oil change every 25 to 50 hours is a good idea. The higher performance your engine is, the more often the oil and filter should be changed. I use Kendall SAE 40 in all the pleasure boats in our Southern California
Whooow, did he say "Kendall";) :cool:

[Mike Schmidt]

Kendall straight 50 in my 511 Chevy. Never had a problem, I add Lucas oil stabilizer after about 5hrs and change my oil on a regular bases. Oil is cheap motors are not.

[bp]

i've run royal purple 5w30 for the last three years with no problems. this is a solid roller engine that requires pretty decent lubrication. we've only made a few trips to the lake in that time, but the boat has over 220 passes down the quarter mile. performance is still there.
in my old hydraulic liftered bbc, i ran 20-50 castrol. anything lighter and the lifters wanted to collapse after an extended run.
i'm not suggesting any one thing over the other, but we've seen very good results with the purple in several different engines that just keep on running with no problems.

[LVjetboy]

Hammer, interesting info thanks for posting. Notice all the exceptions and qualifiers.
"In racing applications...there was evidence that the synthetic oil was slightly superior in the competition environment...More recently, I have noticed that engines with roller lifters used in the pleasure-boat environment have exhibited undesirable wear patterns when synthetic oil is used."
Which begs the question, by what measure "slightly superior?" And in the pleasure boat environment, whatever that loading schedule is? How does undesirable cam wear compare to other or overall engine wear characteristics?
"Multiviscosity oils that rely on chemical reaction to simulate a more viscous oil when hot can lose their ability to perform well, and may get too thin for the extreme loads and elevated temperatures."
Sounds reasonable to me. Especially when multi-viscosity may not be needed on the lake. But what of those elevated oil temperatures in a boat and their effect on dino oil vs synthetic oil break down (neglecting multi-viscosity effects)? With a dino oil, are we trading single viscosity for weak additives when the base oil is suspect at elevated temperature? There's apparently some data supporting the claim synthetics resist temperature breakdown better than dino.
Recently, I replaced my oil temp gage (needle fell off!) and got a good running temp...
Air: 105 F
Cooling: 130 F
Oil: 220-230 @ on plane to low cruise
Oil: 270-280 @ 60-70+ mph
A bit different than a car. I also measured these on my old 454 and got even higher oil temps at 60-70 mph...about 300-350++ F on a hot day in the desert if I remember right. So to me, the obvious question is, do multi-viscosity additives breaking down with temperature drive wear or the base oil? Synthetics are known for resisting breakdown with extreme high temperature...something our jets run.
The bottom line...
"The most important thing is that you change your engine oil regularly..."
On that, I'd agree.
jer