Engine Oil

[Johnboy2004]

i am giving my new honda bf5 outboard its first service (20hr) the manual says to use
10W30 oil, but i cant seem to find it...... i went to a shop that services outboard engines and they say that 10W40 oil will do ok ....

is this correct....?

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[charles_reed]

Probably

but 10W40 will be semi-synthetic and 10W30 straight oil.

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[tgalea]

I would then to agree.

Modern multi grade oils are of superior quality and 10-40 instead of 10-30 will offer a wider range of possibilities for the oil itself inside the engine.

Nevertheless.. wait for a few more posts. The more opinions the better.

Regards
Tyrone.




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[Johnboy2004]

Re: Probably

hi i just rang honda on 0845 2008000 and they said that 10w 40 would do fine..
interesting... i was quoted a price of €75 euros by a dealer to carry out the first 20 hr service ,,,, expensive or what.... thats why i decided to do it myself.....

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[AndCur]

Re: Probably

Hi

I used to have a Honda 5hp 10/40 if fine. From memory the engine holds 1/2 a litre. I would use a good car engine oil of this spec and keep at least a 1 ltr onboard as back up. Its also worth keeps 2 or 3 spare spark plugs and shear pins and split pins for the prop and a spare pull cord for starting. The water pump impellor lasts about 2/3 seasons before needing replaced.

If you need any more info PM me

Andrew

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[Trevor_swfyc]

Re: Probably

Charles,

A 10W/40 oil will have more Viscosity Index improver (which is a long chain Polymer) than the 10W/30. It will not necessarly be semi synthetic and it certainly would not be worth buying a semi synthetic oil for the outboard. Once you get down to the 5W/30 or even lower you are into semi synthetic blends and you will be paying £20 - £30 per gallon.

All the best Trevor.

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[richardandtracy]

I motorcycled across Canada one year on a Honda CX500. The recommended oil was 20W50, but in the Yukon & Alaska I could only get 10W30. The engine worked perfectly - apart from an oil leak that sprayed a light mist of oil onto my leg. When I got further south again & could buy 20W50 once more, the leak disappeared.

My conclusion was that if you're not pushing the engine hard, the grade doesn't make a blind bit of difference EXCEPT that you get better fuel consumption with lighter grade oil (it was worth about 3mpg even though the dirt roads in northern Canada soak up more fuel).

Regards

Richard.


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[Johnboy2004]

Re: Probably

hi there..... so what do you mean by this post? not to use the 10w 40??

cheers

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[extravert]

I use 10W40 in my Yamaha and my Honda 4-stroke engines. They seem happy enough.

<hr width=100% size=1>Summer is what you expect - rain is what you get.

 

[Johnboy2004]

hi,, well i just serviced the engine, used 10w 40 oil... but encountered some problems.

the sump nut was so tight, that it wouldnt open, i used the size 12 spanner that came with the honda tool kit and it fitted fine but the nut wouldnt open, i kinda wrung the sump nut a bit.. the metal it was made of seemed a little soft.... so i ended up turning the engine on its side and draining away the oil that way,......then refilling it as normal.. ... was a tad bit messy....


i suppose the sump nut can wait until the end of the season where i can get the dealer to remove it and fit a new one........ the gear box oil change went perfect.....



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[MedMan]

Be very, very careful turning an outboard onto its side. Horizontal is OK, but never lift the prop higher than the engine. If you do, cooling water (salty) can make its way into the cylinder, rust the rings and sieze the engine. I know - I've done it!

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yachtretreat.com>http://www.yachtretreat.com</A>

 

[Johnboy2004]

hi yea knew that,, i had the engine running for 15 mins in a barrel of tap water to warm the engine before i changed the oil .... it was a bummer that the sump nut woulnt open
perhaps i should have used a socket set .....instead of spanner...

anyways...when i had the oil changed, i ran the engine for a further 10 mins just to make sure all was ok.........it will get me by now until the end of the season when i can leave it in to a honda dealer for a full service,,,

you can see the wrung nut on the engine at www.skynet-irl.com/bung1.jpg and
www.skynet-irl.com/bung2.jpg

thanks for the info... how long did it take your engine to cease up?




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[ex-Gladys]

Despite a reputation for so called quality my experience with years of Jap motorcycles is that many fasteners are made of chocolate. ALWAYS use good quality and relatively new sockets or at worst ring spanners, correct size highest quality Philips screw drivers, and most times start with an impact driver until you know how tight stuff is done up. Your engine will probably have been asembled and then painted. Assembly will have used pre-set power tools

<hr width=100% size=1>Larry Botheras

Anderson 26 "Amber"

 

[extravert]

It doesn't look too badly chewed. With good access you should be able to get a socket on an impact driver to get that loose.

It's probably better to have sump drains done up tightly and have to replace them every so often because they get mangled than have one vibrate loose when the engine is running.

<hr width=100% size=1>Summer is what you expect - rain is what you get.

 

[Trevor_swfyc]

Re: Probably

As you have confirmed 10W 40 is ok particularly as you are using the engine in the summer! The cranking resistance is the 10w part which is the same for both oils the 30 & 40 relate to the high temperature viscosity, which in the lab is measured at 100 centigrade.

The point I was making is it would not be worth spending out on top grade semi synthetic oil for a 4 stroke outboard. Not to be confused with your multigrade which is recommended and should only cost about £12 a gallon.

Trevor

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[Rick]

Impact driver + single hex socket would be your best option.

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[quaelgeist2]

@richardand tracy

If I understand it correctly, you used an oil with a low temp spec (10W30) in an engine that asked for a high temp spec (20W50).

As a result, your oil gets hotter and thus thinner - finding the leaks (and potenitally not as stable a lubricating film if you push the negine).

Th equestion here was one about broadening the range - apart from farilry old diesels which develop hickups with low visco / high spec synth (5W50 etc), yu should not do any harm by extending the recommended temp range.

chris

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[richardandtracy]

Yes I know - I did say about not pushing the engine.

However, I did around 4000 miles with this thin oil and had no noticeable ill effects - and the oil filter was clean when I changed it just prior to re-filling with heavier grade oil, no tell tale metal flakes or anything. I think that manufacturers are a little on the pessimistic side in specifying only one grade of oil for an engine.

Regards

Richard.


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[Birdseye]

dont understand why you think the oil temp would be any different. 10W30 simply means sae 10 at the lower standard measuring temperature and sae 30 at the higher. usually achieved by using and sae 10 base oil and viscosity extenders to achieve the sae 40 bit. so 20W50 is a base 20 oil and with a similar formulation is likely to be a bit thicker at all temperatures.

my guess would be that the engine in the plastic pig would run slightly cooler if anything with the 10w40 oil in it because the viscous drag would be lower.

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.

 

[quaelgeist2]

...missing words in my post.... (thanks birdseye)

The 10W30 oil gets hotter THAN IT'S SPEC -> tehrefore thinner

hope it is clear now

chris

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