Hydrocruiser

http://www.shoclub.com/lubrication-o...n-oilpart5.htm

fyi

Hydrocruiser

Your kind words are much appreciated. It's fun to dig into something with the help of everyone and get some answers.

Your suggestion to use a good filter magnet a couple of posts back is a wise thing as it's the tiny 2 and 3 micron metal particles that do all the damage if they are not trapped. They act like sandpaper on the bearings.

I think as a team we have taken the myths out of using synthetic oils and replaced them with facts. We know the oil filtration system and cooling system are equally if not more important than the oil and identified several good choices of oils and filters. We have found a rough and tough synthetic V-Twin oil available in 20W-50 and 10W-40 that is acclaimed worldwide as the gold standard. We have gotten positive feedback from those who have used it. There is more comfort in going the full recommended period before a change and perhaps a bit beyond. Changing filters in-between and topping off can be a good extra measure. Sending in a sample is a consideration for analysis and makes sense for some.

We took the fear out of going synthetic in gear-lubes and identified a few outstanding lubes. Pressure and/or vacuum checking of the drive system can prevent catastrophic problems later on. Although not easy, pulling the drives off and greasing the gimbal and aligning the drives seasonally is a consideration as well. The equipment can be purchased and used before every fill if you decide to perform pressure/vaccuum check testing. You will find leaks way before damage to the drive internals occurs.

I think those on the fence or those using a synthetic blend are getting better protection. We know how significant the benefits of a synthetic are in preventing dry-start, a major problem in boating as they sit in "storage" between usage compared to auto usage. V-Twin has a tremendous anti-corrosion additive package.

All in all a worthwhile project and the "closet users" of some of these products came out and shared their stories of how well these products have been working for them.

In closing, synthetic products are simply systhesized under more controlled conditions by chemists and the product is more molecularly uniform, pure and better designed to withstand the rigors of hard performing engines. We know ZDDP is a very good thing in terms of adding wear protection and we know most "auto" oils have very little of it in them anymore. You need to shop for ZDDP as it is present in large amounts in "racing, motorcycle and severe duty products". It seems like a lot of what Bob's site offered applies to marine engines. They really have more in common than differences these days compared to auto engines. The biggest concerns we have are the possibility of reversion in some engines with certain camshafts and gasoline blow-by from carb. flooding and high output blowers. These situations take some extra precautions and actions to prevent problems. The rest of us can relax a bit more.

FunHome

I've been looking for a M1-111 and can't find one. O'reilly's near me doesn'r carry it. I'm going to check Wal-Mart, or another auto parts stores.

Excalibur502mag

I only had luck finding the Mobil 1 products at AutoZone. I have never bought anything there before, but I guess they will get my oil and filter purchases from now on. Mobil1.com can usually locate the right place. Goodluck