deerfield
06-25-2010, 02:36 PM
The July 2010 issue of Powerboat magazine offers these three recommendations for proper care of a boat engine:
1) Warm the oil before getting on the throttle hard. This burns off moisture in the engine and brings the oil up to temperature where it flows better and is more effective at maintaining barrier between engine parts.
2) Change oil frequently and use good stuff. Oil suffers fuel dilution (unburned fuel going by the rings) in engines that have a lot of idling. The oil does not get hot enough to burn off the fuel, causing the dilution. Dilution reduces the oil's film strength and diminishes its ability to draw heat from engine parts.
3) If you can find it, fill the tank at that start of each season with leaded gas (race fuel). Lead is a lubricant that coats and gets embedded into engine parts, and does not go away right away. Then run the rest of the season on unleaded fuel, which is dry and has no lubricating qualities.
I do 1 and 2 above (oil warm up and change as recommended by Indmar). Can't do 3.
These recommendation are written with the "psycho-power" engine in mind. But the logic seems sound and could have application even to our boats and the environments in which we operate them. - Deerfield
1) Warm the oil before getting on the throttle hard. This burns off moisture in the engine and brings the oil up to temperature where it flows better and is more effective at maintaining barrier between engine parts.
2) Change oil frequently and use good stuff. Oil suffers fuel dilution (unburned fuel going by the rings) in engines that have a lot of idling. The oil does not get hot enough to burn off the fuel, causing the dilution. Dilution reduces the oil's film strength and diminishes its ability to draw heat from engine parts.
3) If you can find it, fill the tank at that start of each season with leaded gas (race fuel). Lead is a lubricant that coats and gets embedded into engine parts, and does not go away right away. Then run the rest of the season on unleaded fuel, which is dry and has no lubricating qualities.
I do 1 and 2 above (oil warm up and change as recommended by Indmar). Can't do 3.
These recommendation are written with the "psycho-power" engine in mind. But the logic seems sound and could have application even to our boats and the environments in which we operate them. - Deerfield