Yanmar engine oil vs generic

[lockie]

Next step in my life-long quest to avoid paying through the nose for brand names.........

I'm sure I don't need to use Yanmar oilin my 2GM, but I'd like to hear from people who've successfully used non-Yanmar branded oils for a while.

lockie

[capngeo]

I have THOUSANDS of commercial hours on two 4LH-DTE running Rotella T, DELO, and as of late AMSOIL. Yanmar doesn't make oil, they just re-package!

[Jim Cate]

G'Day lockie,

Your instinct is correct. Have a look on the Yanmar oil container, or in the owners manual for the rating of the required oil. I suspect that if your Yannie isn't turbo charged anything rated "CD" or better will work just fine. If you do the changes at the recommended intervals you should have no difficulties even with oil you buy at Repco or K-mart on sale (as we have done for many years, albeit with non-Yanmar engines).

Do a search on this forum as well. There have been recent threads which have gone into great detail about these things, including how to interpret the oil ratings.

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Towlers Bay, NSW, Oz

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

G'Day lockie,

Your instinct is correct. Have a look on the Yanmar oil container, or in the owners manual for the rating of the required oil. I suspect that if your Yannie isn't turbo charged anything rated "CD" or better will work just fine. If you do the changes at the recommended intervals you should have no difficulties even with oil you buy at Repco or K-mart on sale (as we have done for many years, albeit with non-Yanmar engines).

Do a search on this forum as well. There have been recent threads which have gone into great detail about these things, including how to interpret the oil ratings.

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Towlers Bay, NSW, Oz

Be very careful with the "generic" oils. Most are cheaper for a reason, they usually don't have the cleaning and corrosion additives the more expensive oil have. Why does your manufacture have recommended oil changes? Because the additives in the oil get used up over time. If you start out with little or no additives in your oil, you leave your engine unprotected.

Your best bet is ALWAYS a synthetic oil as every reputable brand will be MUCH, MUCH cleaner than ANY mineral oil. I know it seems silly, but new mineral oil out of a bottle will be "dirty", and dirty oils cause wear. Synthetics also generally have better heat carrying capacity, so your engine will run cooler, thus increasing the life of the bearings and other rear surfaces.

Spend a few extra bucks and do your engine and yourself a favor.

[four winds]

The Yanmar factory manual for my 3gm fresh water lists several brands of oil that are acceptable. This includes the Shell Rotella that was stored in the cockpit locker of my Pearson when I bought it last year.

I'll continue to use that brand even though it's an old manual that may not take into account improvements in newer brands, until I learn more about the newer stuff.

[sabray]

fan of amsoil. my oil though still changed at near 100 hours use is much cleaner. near the way it was when i put it in. impressed with the noticable difference.

[four winds]

Which Amsoil are you using, capngeo and sabray?

What are the noticeable differences you observe, sabray? ... edit.... Oh, I see stated that it is clean after 100 hours.

I'm a lifelong gear head, but have never sprung for synthetic so far.

[capngeo]

Originally Posted by four winds

Which Amsoil are you using, capngeo and sabray?

What are the noticeable differences you observe, sabray? ... edit.... Oh, I see stated that it is clean after 100 hours.

I'm a lifelong gear head, but have never sprung for synthetic so far.

[four winds]

Thanks, that looks like the pictures I was looking at on the website.

I took a look at the manual again and I see all straight weight oils recommended. They vary by temp, 68-95 degrees F. says 30 or 40w. One exception is the Mobil brand at cooler temps calls for 20-40w.

So then I go take a look in the locker and I find Rotella 15-40w. If I go synthetic I'll use 15-40W I suppose. I've always used multi-weight oils.

Takes a while to put 100 hours on the engine so the extra cost wouldn't be too much of an issue. I need this engine to last as long as possible and I have put just under a hundred hours on the engine. It's time to figure out what route to take on the issue, hence my interest in this thread.

[never monday]

Originally Posted by four winds

Thanks, that looked like the pictures I was looking at on the website.

I took a look at the manual again and I see all straight weight oils recommended. They vary by temp, 68-95 degrees F. says 30 or 40w. One exception is the Mobil brand at cooler temps calls for 20-40w.

So then I go take a look in the locker and I find Rotella 15-40w. If I go synthetic I'll use 15-40W I suppose. I've always used multi-weight oils.

Takes a while to put 100 hours on the engine so the extra cost wouldn't be too much of an issue. I need this engine to last as long as possible and I have put just under a hundred hours on the engine. It's time to figure out what route to take on the issue, hence my interest in this thread.

synthetics are a waste of money. Delo 400, Rotella, Delvac. 15w40 works well in the south east.
CHANGING THE OIL REGULARLY, will be worth more then the perceived "benefit" of synthetics.

[four winds]

Yes, I've shared that opinion in the past, never monday. Always changed regularly with appropriate weight Castrol. Usually 20-50 in bikes and autos, and lately 10-30 or 5-30 in newer autos.

This is my first diesel so I'm re-evaluating my opinions as a result.

Here's a 15-40 Amsoil for diesels specifically. They seem to have a blend for all types of vehicles and engine types.

http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/dme.aspx

[zeehag]

i use delo or rotella 30 wt. works great. both my yanmar and my perkins. my yannie dealer/distributor sed 30 wt.

[sabray]

Im wasting my money on amsoil 15w-40 diesel and marine 12 tbn. Its a small amount to waste given the benefits.Nothing wrong with good grade oil The synthetics are better I can afford it. My choice is to use Amsoil Im betting that my engine will out last the ones that use traditional oil. Any one want to wager. we could check back in say 20 years and see who still has the same engine and compare service work.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by sabray

Im wasting my money on amsoil 15w-40 diesel and marine 12 tbn. Its a small amount to waste given the benefits.Nothing wrong with good grade oil The synthetics are better I can afford it. My choice is to use Amsoil Im betting that my engine will out last the ones that use traditional oil. Any one want to wager. we could check back in say 20 years and see who still has the same engine and compare service work.

Well, here's some real life data: BMW D-35, over 6000 hours, no problems attributable to lubrication. Raw water cooled engine, some problems with sclerosis of the cooling passages, everything else running fine. Not twenty years, but damn close at 19 years when we sold the boat. All this on various brands of cd rated oils, mostly 20-50 grade, some 15-30, some 30. Even used Mexican oil when there, and I could hardly read the label... but it said CD and 30!

I really think that you guys are jerking yourselves around worrying about these details, but if it pleases you, have at it.

Cheers,

Jim

[Kettlewell]

Here's another vote for using Rotella, Delo, or Delvac, which is the exact same stuff used by millions of over the road trucks and other commercial vehicles. Yanmar oil is nothing special--just rebottled from one of the oil companies. In fact, it might very well be Rotella, Delo, or Delvac, but we will never know. Take a look at what is available at any truck stop and you can't go wrong, though I purchase it at Walmart where it is cheap and easy to get. Your user manual will tell you what oil to use in what temperatures, etc. Probably 15W-40 will be fine in almost any marine diesel, unless you are operating in a very hot climate where it might be worth it to go to a heavy single weight.