Gear oil for Mercruiser alpha one?

[MapisM]

I'd prefer to have manufacturer gear in there rather than open up the possibility of accusations of drive failure due to using something other than their gear. just not worth it

I can understand that during the warranty period, but after that, what do you mean by "not worth it"?
Good 100% synthetic oils aren't cheaper than the Merc stuff, and they're indeed better in all respects/specs, not just in avoiding muddy residuals.
Remember, there's no such thing on earth as an engine manufacturer who produces oils. Otoh, most of them SELL oils.
And when you sell something, more often than not, your focus is on buying low and selling high...

 

[oGaryo]

I can understand that during the warranty period, but after that, what do you mean by "not worth it"?
...

I'm a big believer that come resale time, if I can show I've used manufacturer recommended gear, for the vast majority of prospective buyers, I'll get a better chance of a sale rather than trying to convince them that the drive hasn't been buggered by using 'none standard' stuff... why risk someone walking away from the sale for a few quid saving during ownership and hope that they'll take you seriously when you say the alternatives are better for the drive? If it were me as the buyer, I'd trust the manufacturers recommendation rather than Mapism's preferences.

 

[MapisM]

If it were me as the buyer, I'd trust the manufacturers recommendation rather than Mapism's preferences.

This is the point, they are NOT my own preferences/opinions.
Here in EU, the experience on Merc outdrives is only a tiny fraction of what you can find over the Pond, where almost nobody among those who stretch the outdrives to their limits would even consider putting Merc oil inside them, including the most reputable engine shops - and this is a fact.
You're free to make different choices of course, but not to pretend that I'm simply airing opinions.
I could have done that on the other OP thread re. cooling water, 'cause I have an idea also about that, but I refrained because in that case I'm neither 100% sure, nor I have any first hand experience. Whilst the exact opposite is true, in this case.

 

[oGaryo]

This is the point, they are NOT my own preferences/opinions.
Here in EU, the experience on Merc outdrives is only a tiny fraction of what you can find over the Pond, where almost nobody among those who stretch the outdrives to their limits would even consider putting Merc oil inside them, including the most reputable engine shops - and this is a fact.
You're free to make different choices of course, but not to pretend that I'm simply airing opinions.
I could have done that on the other OP thread re. cooling water, 'cause I have an idea also about that, but I refrained because in that case I'm neither 100% sure, nor I have any first hand experience. Whilst the exact opposite is true, in this case.

hear what you're saying and respect that opinion but the fact is not every boater is as savvy as you nor reads up on stuff as I do via forums such as this before making a decision. In reality, I'd probably make the purchase after some investigation but there are others out there that will simply look at the manual and say nope, ain't touching it as it's been fed lube that's not listed in the manufacturers bible

 

[MapisM]

Fairenuff.
That's an entirely different point compared to saying that "it's not worth the attempting to save a few quid for an essential part of keeping an Alpha One drive worth a couple of £K working correctly", though.
My reply was exactly along the lines of keeping the drive healthy, nothing else.

 

[AndieMac]

You mean the original Merc oil, AKA "green death"?
Beware! In this specific case, using something else is not a matter of saving a few quids, but rather of saving the outdrive.
We discussed that in this previous thread:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?330662
...and you can find much more about that in the offshoreonly US forum, if you're interested.

I experienced the accumulated dark crud/jelly recently on a two year old, eighty hour outfit. Have seen it before in the bottom of an external reservoir in the old Alpha one set-up as well.

Never thought too much about it previously M to be honest, but thanks for the heads up, I'll check the Yankee forums and consider a change after keeping a closer eye on it....cheers!

 

[MapisM]

Hi C, sorry to hear that you also experienced first hand the inverse relationship between the cost and the quality of Merc oil...
But in fairness, unless you had any leak which went unnoticed due to the mud on the reservoir bottom, you should be fine.
Alpha drives are rarely used hard enough to require the higher specs of some other oils, as the higher resistance to overheating for instance.
That said, imho switching to something better one minute after the warranty is expired remains a cheap insurance, and that's what I'd do if I still had a Merc outdrive.
Fwiw, in the US most folks agree that Mobil 1 and Amsoil (both fully synthetic) are the better choices.