An alternative to Volvos liquid gold sterndrive oil?

CLB

CLB

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As proper volvo stuff now seems to be about £100, give or take, I wondered if there were any useful alternatives. volvos stuff is fully synthetic 75w90 to spec GL5. I found this http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pv-67629-...75w-90-full-synthetic-gear-oil-5-litres.aspx? which is also fully synthetic 75w90 to GL5 but for under £60. Any reason why I shouldn't use it instead. with two drives I need 5.4 litres which means with volvo stuff I have to add another £20 for a futher litre or buy two x 5 litres for £200 :eek: 2 x 5 litre of millers is under £120 so a decent saving. what do you all think.
 
CLB said:
As proper volvo stuff now seems to be about £100, give or take, I wondered if there were any useful alternatives. volvos stuff is fully synthetic 75w90 to spec GL5. I found this http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pv-67629-...75w-90-full-synthetic-gear-oil-5-litres.aspx? which is also fully synthetic 75w90 to GL5 but for under £60. Any reason why I shouldn't use it instead. with two drives I need 5.4 litres which means with volvo stuff I have to add another £20 for a futher litre or buy two x 5 litres for £200 :eek: 2 x 5 litre of millers is under £120 so a decent saving. what do you all think.
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It has been said many times before, Volvo do not make oil, however it is important to use the correct spec oil, if it is not clear if the Millers oil meets the requirements ask them about it,
 
I use the shell stuff 75/90 syn stuff from work, it only holds 2/3 litres so thats some expensive oil!
Its nothing special and is widely available.
 
I have used millers oils in the past for competition use, never had a problem.

After all most oils are refined into each product then sold on the various suppliers.

I trust millers oils in my Escort and it revs to 9500 !!
 
CLB said:
what do you all think.
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Go ahead with any good synth oil with the same specs. Aside from price, there's NOTHING special in manufacturer-branded oils.
With Mercury, actually the opposite is true, as discussed in this thread:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...ear-oil-on-a-mercruiser&p=3749196#post3749196
Not saying there's anything wrong also with VP oil - I just don't know.
But pretty sure that's just some stuff they buy from Exxon (or whoever). They don't even build their own propellers, go figure.... :)
 
MapisM said:
Blimey, that's well worth its own thread and pics. Tell us more!
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If you read my profile you will see I competed in rallying in the 80s and 90s at club level, then boats came along but returning to rallying has been on my bucket list for some time so I bought a car last week.

It's a mark 2 group 4 historic spec BDG engine as per the works escorts of the 70s and 80s when Ford ran there own team.

The car finished runner up in the 2013 british historic rally championship so it has a good pedigree, it will be the new driver that has to up the pace!
Thread drift I know but thanks for your interest.
 
Your local Shell distributor will be able to supply you with any oil for any piece of machinery. As will other companies, castrol, texaco, mobil etc etc. all the other companies are just buying oil from the oil majors and rebranding it. JCB engine oil for example is Shell Rimula in a JCB bottle. Volvo will be no different. The major oil companies will usually be cheaper than the motorsports specialists such as Millers.
 
Agreed with all and add to the arguments, that you will se no mentioning in warranty conditions about using specific brand of lube. Recommendations, yes, but no 'void if'

If manufacturers could they 110% sure would all force their own branded stuff on you.

Goes without saying that comparison must be apples to apples. Additives might be the key in differences, but they are a major ingredient and does define many parameters of the standards.
 
I can't find a reference to it but I have always understood the VP oil has additives in it to absorb water if it finds its way in, identical equivalent oils will meet the standard industry specs
but would fail if water is introduced. If your seals and bellows all remain intact then there will be no problems but if they fail and they will with a VP drive:( then using the VP oil is like having
insurance. I have had my VP drive seals fail due to picking up rope, fishing line etc.. and the first I know about is when the boat is lifted and the oil drained to find it has turned white with absorbed water, presumably it has allowed the drive to still function but not caused any catastrophic damage. Would another oil do this or would the water just separate out and destroy the drive? You
pays your money and make your choice.
 
Chris_d said:
I can't find a reference to it but I have always understood the VP oil has additives in it to absorb water if it finds its way in, identical equivalent oils will meet the standard industry specs
but would fail if water is introduced. If your seals and bellows all remain intact then there will be no problems but if they fail and they will with a VP drive:( then using the VP oil is like having
insurance. I have had my VP drive seals fail due to picking up rope, fishing line etc.. and the first I know about is when the boat is lifted and the oil drained to find it has turned white with absorbed water, presumably it has allowed the drive to still function but not caused any catastrophic damage. Would another oil do this or would the water just separate out and destroy the drive? You
pays your money and make your choice.
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If VP oil is marine specific it is because it has been picked from the marine range of an oil major. I refer to Shell as I'm quite familiar with it. Shell have a marine specific range which covers everything from container ship piston oil to wire rope dressing and everything in between. I have also worked with similar ranges from Texaco, Mobil and Castrol.
Volvo Penta quite often don't even make the engine these days and they certainly don't make the oil. If you call your local marine oil distributer with the spec then they will get you the exact same stuff or equivalent from other brands.
 
Chris_d said:
..I have always understood the VP oil has additives in it to absorb water if it finds its way in, identical equivalent oils will meet the standard industry specs
but would fail if water is introduced...then using the VP oil is like having insurance.
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Exactly what VP would like you to believe. Question is if that insurance ever cover anything once gone wrong? Doubt it, TBH. Not least because any added property to cope with water in oil will only do so for undefined (small) amounts.

And as mentioned, the marine oil that has a Volvo sticker on the bottle is no better than same oil with a different sticker.
 
Spi D said:
And as mentioned, the marine oil that has a Volvo sticker on the bottle is no better than same oil with a different sticker.
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Think that is obvious, but if another oil says API GL-5 75/90FS on the sticker is it the same thing? Its the same grade, yes, but does it have the same additives? I don't think VP are miss-leading anybody on this, a quick google found plenty of statements that VP oil contains water trapping additives.

If we were talking engine oils I wouldn't worry, but my engine isn't immersed in water all year round, I hope:)
 
As a GL oil is a trans oil and all trans oils suffer from water contamination one way or another, especially diffs, usually condensation or water ingress via the breather, I reckon they are one and the same thing.
 
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