gareth harris
Sustaining Member
I recommend the A4 manual you can get from www.moyermarine.com. He charges $50 or so which may seem a lot, and it can be hard for the engine ignorant (such as myself) to understand at times, but it covers pretty much everything.
I will have to check my notes (somewhere in storage) to answer your question directly, but be aware that how much oil you add after a change can depend significantly on how you pumped it out. I will get back to you if nobody else beats me to it.
Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972
I will have to check my notes (somewhere in storage) to answer your question directly, but be aware that how much oil you add after a change can depend significantly on how you pumped it out. I will get back to you if nobody else beats me to it.
Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972
Davis Modlin
Inactive Member
The oil that you should use is 30w, And yes be aware of the level.
Also you might want to put some Marvel Mystery Oil in also, Not to much thou, anywhere from a half, To a full quart.
Davis
Also you might want to put some Marvel Mystery Oil in also, Not to much thou, anywhere from a half, To a full quart.
Davis
Why just SAE 30?
Questions: Why not a multigrade oil? Like 20W-50? And... given that there's no catalytic converter, what about oils usually designed for motorcycles? (I had a VF500F and put in a "blend" of synthetic and mineral and the engine was noticeably smoother... and the idle had to be turned down.)
I don't _have_ an inboard so I may be considered impudent, but has anyone ever sat down to research and write down what criteria there are for choosing lubricating oil? (Gawd I feel stupid sometimes...)
Davis Modlin said:
Questions: Why not a multigrade oil? Like 20W-50? And... given that there's no catalytic converter, what about oils usually designed for motorcycles? (I had a VF500F and put in a "blend" of synthetic and mineral and the engine was noticeably smoother... and the idle had to be turned down.)
I don't _have_ an inboard so I may be considered impudent, but has anyone ever sat down to research and write down what criteria there are for choosing lubricating oil? (Gawd I feel stupid sometimes...)
Davis Modlin
Inactive Member
John,
The main reason for using a single grade oil is that the reversing gear uses the same oil as the engine. Also multigrade is made for the changing conditions that cars go through.( changes in altitude, temp, etc...). I don't think that a boat will have to go throgh these changes during any single season. As for motorcycle oil, the only thing that I can come up with is that motorcycles run at a much higher rpms than the A4. So the oil may not be suitable for a much slower engine.
Davis
The main reason for using a single grade oil is that the reversing gear uses the same oil as the engine. Also multigrade is made for the changing conditions that cars go through.( changes in altitude, temp, etc...). I don't think that a boat will have to go throgh these changes during any single season. As for motorcycle oil, the only thing that I can come up with is that motorcycles run at a much higher rpms than the A4. So the oil may not be suitable for a much slower engine.
Davis
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The "Mysteries of Lubrication" -- all ears.
This makes enough sense... but I think you'd want to pay close attention to the "detergent" qualities of the oil. There was a whole explanation of lubrication in the John Muir "Compleat Idiot" book that comes to mind.
Now under normal circumstances a marine engine _should_ operate in a far more thermally benign environment on a boat but the issues of cooling failures can provoke some anxiety.
Well, oils designed for motorcycles have the mixed demand-- transmission *and* engine-- (though I think there are some older Harleys that had a seperate transmission) so they'd fit the application; however, my VF500F was water cooled (with an electric motor to drive the radiator fan) and so the temp extremes weren't there.
As for RPMs and wear-and-tear... I *do* know that the most stressful part of an engines operation is the low RPM end since that's the end with the poorest oil pressure with the same valve loading on the camshaft... but motorcycles (especially the overhead camshaft varieties) are *especially* sensitive to lubrication failure.
In other words, I don't know... but I'm not sure anyone else really does either.
I now suspect that there's a lot of conservatism in boat owners, mostly driven to avoid an "experimental failure" given the high costs to replace, say, a "smoked" A4.
So perhaps a set of "advisories" (based on some kind of testing, even if done w/ dismounted engines) for oil selection (to fit various engines) would be of use... along with a fairly in-depth consideration of clean-up.
Right now I've only got an 8HP 2-stroke O/B which, well, bothers me at times. Granted, it doesn't sound like the Yamaha RD-350 it likely should (the ring-ding-ding-ding-ding sound being made underwater) but the cloud of smoke _does_ provide some discomfort. I eventually (i.e. "when I can afford it") be looking for a 4-stroke to cut down on my anxiety.
Davis Modlin said:
This makes enough sense... but I think you'd want to pay close attention to the "detergent" qualities of the oil. There was a whole explanation of lubrication in the John Muir "Compleat Idiot" book that comes to mind.
Now under normal circumstances a marine engine _should_ operate in a far more thermally benign environment on a boat but the issues of cooling failures can provoke some anxiety.
Davis Modlin said:
Well, oils designed for motorcycles have the mixed demand-- transmission *and* engine-- (though I think there are some older Harleys that had a seperate transmission) so they'd fit the application; however, my VF500F was water cooled (with an electric motor to drive the radiator fan) and so the temp extremes weren't there.
As for RPMs and wear-and-tear... I *do* know that the most stressful part of an engines operation is the low RPM end since that's the end with the poorest oil pressure with the same valve loading on the camshaft... but motorcycles (especially the overhead camshaft varieties) are *especially* sensitive to lubrication failure.
In other words, I don't know... but I'm not sure anyone else really does either.
I now suspect that there's a lot of conservatism in boat owners, mostly driven to avoid an "experimental failure" given the high costs to replace, say, a "smoked" A4.
So perhaps a set of "advisories" (based on some kind of testing, even if done w/ dismounted engines) for oil selection (to fit various engines) would be of use... along with a fairly in-depth consideration of clean-up.
Right now I've only got an 8HP 2-stroke O/B which, well, bothers me at times. Granted, it doesn't sound like the Yamaha RD-350 it likely should (the ring-ding-ding-ding-ding sound being made underwater) but the cloud of smoke _does_ provide some discomfort. I eventually (i.e. "when I can afford it") be looking for a 4-stroke to cut down on my anxiety.
Davis Modlin
Inactive Member
The A4 is designed for 40lbs at 2000rpm. What I can remember about my old Kawasaki Bikes is that they run at a much higher rpm. But at the same time they run about 40lbs to 60lbs. On a Motorcycle 2000rpm is cruising at 40mph in 5th or 6th gear. Also Motorcycles (H2O cooled) like a car, I believe they run at about 210 degrees rather than the A4 180 in salt and about 200 in fresh. We must remember that the A4 is at a minimum 25 years old. I personaly don't feel comfortable in experimenting on such an old engine and finding out that I was wrong 5 hours out.
You might want to check Moyer Marine.com. They would have a more diffinitive answer on this subject.
Davis
E29
#226
Holy Guacamole
You might want to check Moyer Marine.com. They would have a more diffinitive answer on this subject.
Davis
E29
#226
Holy Guacamole
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