First Oil Change in Outboard

[willy13]

Yamaha recommends the first oil change to be at 20 hrs and then every 100 hrs from then on. What does the other manufactures recommend? I ask because I am at 20hrs now and I don't plan on taking the boat out of the water for another month and expect to be at 40 hrs by then. The theory is that the initial break in oil will likely have more particles in it, but isn't that what an oil filter is for.

[Bamaman]

Sometimes I don't ask questions of manufacturers. I changed my oil @ 18 hours at the end of last boating season.

What's funny about Yamaha is that they don't specify changing the oil filter on the first change. I would think that's when the filter's got as much metal shavings as it'll ever have.

Changing the oil and filter is just a little 20 minute job. Draining the lower unit was another 10 minutes. And these are not jobs that require taking the boat to a dealership. It's best to first raise the motor high and lower it to get as much oil as possible to drain into the dry sump. Doing the job myself was just over $30 for oil, filter and lower unit grease.

Something that's kept quiet about Yamaha's is the break in period. It's actually good to run the tee total stew out of the engine after the first few hours--to heat the engine up and properly seat the piston rings.

And when the oil's changed, it's best not to put as much oil in as the specifications say. Put enough oil to get halfway between the hi and lo marks on the dipstick. Then watch your oil levels closely to see if the level increases at all.

[CRF8]

my Yamaha 40 hp says 10 hours for first oil change, just did that and lower unit fluid.
All my previous boats, IO's, were 20 hrs. per the manual.

[hootowlhollow]

I am going to change the oil in my Yamaha 150 it's an inline 4. can I use a fully synthetic Mobil 1 engine oil. What do you guys think

[cwag911]

Wait till your second oil change before you go to synthetic. Let the rings seat well with dino oil for a season and then switch. I went a year on our Honda after the 20 hour service and then went to Pennsoil full synthetic. It's been fine.

[Bamaman]

Mobil 1 is not rated for marine use, but it's better oil than anything with marine ratings. Exxon/Mobil never took the time to jump thru laboratories to get the certification. Many use Mobil 1 in their 4 stroke boats. You might want to read in the marine section of BobisTheOilGuy.com--the #1 website about lubrication.

I'm running Shell Rotella diesel dino oil in my Yamaha F150. I've read that many ultra high hour offshore fishing boats use this and "universal" oil due the low cost. It's good in any gas engine without a catalytic converter.

I too may be changing to Mobil 1 in another oil change.

[BoatCop]

10 hours is the Marine standard for first oil change. The reason being is that the greatest amount of wear will occur during the first 10 hours as bearings, rings, etc. seat in. Although the oil filter will pick up most of the "chunks" from break in, microscopic metal particles too small for the filter will still circulate with the oil. These actually help the wear-in in those first hours, but will continue to wear on the parts if not removed, eventually ruining the engine.

It's also a chance for the tech (or trained eye) to see if there's unusual color, consistency, viscosity, etc. in the oil to identify a problem before it gets out of hand. This is one reason, even for us do-it-yourselfers, to have a certified shop do your first oil change. Plus the oil change will be recorded and make it easier if there are problems later and warranty work needs to be done. The manufacturer can't claim that proper maintenance wasn't done.

That time is the most critical in engine operation and should include cruising in all RPM ranges, limiting idling and occasional short runs of WOT operation.

[willy13]

I am going to have to use one of the oil extractors since my boat is buoyed. I'd rather not because it seems that it would be difficult to remove all the oil. But I don't have a choice.

[ROLAND]

Mobil 1 is not rated for marine use, but it's better oil than anything with marine ratings. Exxon/Mobil never took the time to jump thru laboratories to get the certification. Many use Mobil 1 in their 4 stroke boats. You might want to read in the marine section of BobisTheOilGuy.com--the #1 website about lubrication.

I'm running Shell Rotella diesel dino oil in my Yamaha F150. I've read that many ultra high hour offshore fishing boats use this and "universal" oil due the low cost. It's good in any gas engine without a catalytic converter.

I too may be changing to Mobil 1 in another oil change.

Bama... I've thought about switching over to Mobil 1 for awhile now, but didn't know if it was okay to use in an outboard. I"ve used Mobil 1 for many many years in my vehicles... Have always used the full synthetic 10w-30 in my avalon. What weight would be best for an outboard in a climate where it's really really hot and humid?

[Bamaman]

Roland: You might want to read about marine oils in BobIsTheOilGuy.com. It's a pretty interesting site. Motor oil is the most studied fluid on earth, and there are some engineers on that website that have good advice. There is a marine section.

I have read Mobil 1 Extended Performance oil (not regular Mobile 1) is what to use in boats.

It's hard to say whether there is any benefit to synthetic oils over dino oils--if motor oil is changed often. And on boats, few people really put very many hours on their boats to use the full lifespan of that oil.

Many people use synthetics in cars for extended lifespans of maybe 15,000 miles while changing filters every 5,000 miles.

My son in law once tore down a Z06 Corvette engine with 25,000 miles that had been running Mobil 1, and he swore it looked like a brand new 0 hour engine.

I do think that if I had a Yamaha SHO outboard, I might be inclined to spend $25 get a Blackstone Oil Analysis after the engine's well broken in.

[tms0425]

Roland: You might want to read about marine oils in BobIsTheOilGuy.com. It's a pretty interesting site. Motor oil is the most studied fluid on earth, and there are some engineers on that website that have good advice. There is a marine section.

I have read Mobil 1 Extended Performance oil (not regular Mobile 1) is what to use in boats.

It's hard to say whether there is any benefit to synthetic oils over dino oils--if motor oil is changed often. And on boats, few people really put very many hours on their boats to use the full lifespan of that oil.

Many people use synthetics in cars for extended lifespans of maybe 15,000 miles while changing filters every 5,000 miles.

My son in law once tore down a Z06 Corvette engine with 25,000 miles that had been running Mobil 1, and he swore it looked like a brand new 0 hour engine.

I do think that if I had a Yamaha SHO outboard, I might be inclined to spend $25 get a Blackstone Oil Analysis after the engine's well broken in.

This is all great advice. I've used Blackstone Labs for years on my vehicles, as they are local to me, and the information is invaluable, especially if you can baseline it and then do it regularly. They deal with a lot of truck fleets, as well as diesel offshore sportfishing boats, where they run for hours on end at full loads. With rec boats you sort of get one end or the other - they've been run hard, put away wet or they sit idle for weeks/months with no oil circulation, gathering moisture and corrosion. Everything else in between is probably not that hard on the oil.

Mercury doesn't require an oil change for Verado's until the 100 hour checkup, but it's a good idea to do one anyway ~50 hrs if you idle/troll a lot. I change mine at the end of each season regardless of hours because I'm just conservative with my equipment. I'll be a bit over 50 hours at the end of this season, so I'll change it and get a baseline test report from Blackstone at that time.

BTW, I used their report once to confirm that a car dealer, who I had paid for a very expensive synthetic oil change on an import, had not even touched the oil. I had also marked the OF's change date with a Sharpee, so it was doubly obvious. Even if you don't change your own oil (I generally do), Blackstone is definitely money well spent.

[Diamondjim]

I am not wanting to make an issue out of it but I was told by a marine mechanic the reason to run marine grade oil is because of foaming. Marine engines turn such higher rpm's than automotive engines that regular oil will foam up thus reducing it's ability to properly lubricate the engine. I am a huge fan of Mobil 1 and run it in all my other vehicles but I am running Yamalube in my 115 hp Yamaha outboard. It makes sense to me. Jim

[ROLAND]

Roland: You might want to read about marine oils in BobIsTheOilGuy.com. It's a pretty interesting site.

Thanks Bama... I'll check it out... appreciate the link..

[cwarends]

I have a new Yamaha 250 HP with a 6 year warranty. Since this is a $20,000 + investment (motor only) I am using the recommended Yamaha oil to insure the warranty is maintained. The added oil expense is minimal compared to the initial boat/motor expense and the monthly cost of gas we use our boat 3/4 days a week.
Just my thoughts.

[willy13]

What a surprise! I was able to pull out all of the oil with a vacuum oil extractor. I pulled out 3.75 qts, the same amount I put in a month ago. Yamaha promotes the use of oil extractors in the owners manual. I wonder if the oil reservoir tank is designed with a low spot for the hose, because otherwise I just don't see how all the oil could get removed. I'll be changing my oil this way from now on.

Oh and I did this on a buoyed boat without dropping one drop of oil in the lake.

I did not change the oil filter because the Yamaha owners manual specifically states 100 hrs for the first change. Also because I probably would of dropped some oil into the water when pulling the filter. Though a rag under the filter probably would of soaked most of it up.

Back to boating....