1st oil change

[doug0446]

the owners manual says to do the first oil change between 10-20 hours but then it also says 25 hours in a chart. Is it better to do it near 10 hours or 20 hours or as long as you do it between these 2 times, does it matter?


Doug

[mobiusLSV05]

I was told by my dealer the change is not recommended for 25 hrs. He said to give the engine a little extra time to wear in all the parts. You'd think all the parts would already be worn in, but I guess thats why he's the mechanic and not me. Hope this helps.

[Buttafewcoe]

I had mine changed @ 15 hrs by the dealer. Kinda suprised sd2's took a week by the dearler (he said he dropped it off Mon picking up Fri.). Mine was ready for pickup the next day. The long and short of it was I split the middle.
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An interesting note..........
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My mechanic was telling me a little info regarding oil breakdown (an auto mechanic not boat). His thoughts were a boat is always pulling (like a car going uphill). The resistance of the boat against the water makes the engine work harder. He basically said that after the oil has started chainging color from the honey color to brown, it really should be changed. He suggested for boats 25 hour intervals instead of the 50 hr the book recommends. So, I am prolly going to follow that recommedation on the grounds that I want my Outback to last for years to come. I do believe its better to change early than late.
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If you are working your boat hard, you may want to consider more frequent changes. It's actually in your best interest to do so. The same with your tow vehicle.
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Most of you experienced fellows already know that. Some of you that are new to boating may not. My Outback is not my first boat, but it is my first NEW one. A little TLC now will pay off in the long run...........anyway......that's my 2 cents worth.
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Hope this helps
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Jim
North Carolina

[smokedog2]

Not sure if I could get 1 day turn around but Friday was what I wanted so the boat didn't have to sit in my driveway.

I will probably do 25 hr oil changes for the first 100 hours and then switch to synthetic.

I think 15 vs. 25 hours is measuring with a micrometer something marked with chalk. Mine was at 18 hours, I put another 10 hr on this weekend so I'm glad I got it done.

SD2

[Buttafewcoe]

sd2,
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about that synthetic.........you can take 2 quarts full synthetic and 3 quarts regular and get the virtually the same benefits as running 5 quarts full sythetic only. There is a common mis-conception that you can't mix syn and reg, but if your read the labels on the oil containers, the 2 are more than compatible. I'e been doing that for years and last year I had to put a pair of valve cover gaskets on. The inside was as clean and shiney as the day it was new. You can save a little $$$ on the cost of changes that way.
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Hope this helps
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Jim

[smokedog2]

Hmmm,

I will hazard to disagree based solely on hearsay. My description is not technically accurate but I think oil geeks will agree it is a good visualization.

I agree you can mix them. The first synthetics were so expensive they had to be a mix.

Think of oil as a lot of really slick pieces of rope that are much less slick at the ends, especially if the ends are frayed. Sometimes oil burns or gets dirty. This is a mechanical problem. Usually oil goes dark due to wear. The wear is the fraying of the ends of the oil molecules as they wear and break off reducing viscosity. This makes the oil darker as shorter and shorter molecules decrease the transparency of the oil.

Synthetic molecule chains are longer and stronger than oil with fewer ends that are harder to fray or rip off and when frayed, are smaller.

Changing oil often is nearly as effective as synthetic but I would prefer to change my oil less often. You can probably cut your oil but I think you would also have to cut the time between oil changes.

I’m waiting 100 hours to go to synthetic because I think the manual says to, but also to be sure everything is heated and seated.

After that I will change it every 50-70 hours or so.

That is my .02, worth what you paid for it.

Jeff

[clark]

I was at my dealership on Saturday and spoke to the service manager about what type of oil to use. I know the manual says Penzoil 15w-40 Marine oil. He says he personally uses Castrol 20w-50. it meets all the specs that are required by the manufacturer.

What are some other thoughts about "Marine" oil vs regular oil,,, whatever that really means.

Clark

[Buttafewcoe]

LMAO.............the great thing about a democracy is we can agree to disagree...........
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marine grade oil is supposed to have additives that automotive oil does not. Trailer Boats Magazine did an oil test on diff grades, both marine and auto..........the article made for interesting reading and seemed to make some sense.
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Again I'd like to point out that using other than recommended may affect your warranty
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Jim

[clark]

Thanks for the feedback Jim.

However, in the manual it does say that if you do not use the exact oil that they tell you to, they give specs and codes that are on the container of oil. As long as the oil you use is within those specs, the warranty should not be an issue.

I will try to find that article and will also see what Indmar says about it.

Clark

[Buttafewcoe]

No doubt a good grade of oil should suffice. I'm a Castrol 20w-50 fan myself. However, in reading some of these posts about warranty, service, and the factory seeming to be hesitant when the perception that maintenance instructions were not followed, how can one risk the heartbreak of finding out issues are not covered.
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I fall back on the issue I had with my stereo, although it's not an apples to apples comparison. Thought for sure I did nothing wrong. A little condensate in the wrong place causing a little water intrusion (emphasis on little), bada-bing, I'm shopping for a new stereo on my own dime.
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If I sound bitter, it's not meant to be so. Just a lesson learned. And, as a fellow boater, if I can pass on my experiences (good or bad) to help others, I want to do so.
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Jim
North Carolina

[clark]

Larry Engelbert from Indmar says

"We really like the 15W40 weight oil but 20W50 is acceptable as long as it meets the API specifications of SL, SJ, CG4, CH4, CI4. Castrol Oil should meet those specifications."

Clark

[Buttafewcoe]

Cool....Castrol is my brand of preference. I usually have a case of it around. Thanks, man.
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Jim
NC