Oil selection for VP D1-30

[Quandary]

I know this is engine oil again but I have just read the 'Which Oil' article by Vyv Cox in Y.M. concise and easily understood advice and clear explanation (though a full page pic. of a filler funnel looked a bit like padding).
However it has left me a little confused regarding what I should use in my nearly new VP D1-30 because of the conflict with the advice in the Volvo owners manual.
For years with a VP 2003 (on advice in PBO about 15 years ago) I used to buy Halfords basic mineral oil (in the red containers) but the spec. for the D1-30 from Volvo is VDS-2 or 3 (Volvos own designations) or API CH4. However Vyv seems to imply that Volvo tends to specify higher performance oil than desirable for their low powered yacht auxiliaries. I had bought Halfords API CF-4 (for non-turbo diesels)for the next change, which I thought was suitably low tech. but he says that while it is now the official replacement for the obsolete API-CD, it may encourage bore polishing. This is exacerbated as keeping the boat in the Crinan canal with locks and speed limits means a lot of low load running and once at sea, I like to cruise at only 2000 revs. because it gives about 6.5 kts.at 2 litres/hr. though every now and again I do give her a blast at over 3,000 for an hour or so, (but consumption is then about 7 litres/hr.) The engine has now done about 200 hrs. on two changes of Volvo own brand oil which I understand is synthetic. I tend to keep boats for a long time and this is likely to be the last one so I want to avoid the need to hone the bores, ever!!!
The D1-30 seems to be significantly more powerful than the 2003 but does this mean that it is a higher performance engine requiring a higher spec. oil.(anyone know what this engine is based on)
I am reluctant to accept the Volvo recommendation that a fully or semi. synthetic oil is best for this engine as I suspect that they may base the one oil spec. on their high performance diesels.
Any recommendations for a solution which is good quality, available, and will not mean honing the bores in 5 yrs.

 

[vyv_cox]

The comment in the article about Volvo conceding that a lower grade would be more appropriate for their smaller engines was obtained by YM, not by me. Volvo seem to have aimed their advice at users of their bigger, turbo engines and adopted a one size fits all policy.

I agree your concerns and would buy a good quality CF-4 for this engine. I suspect that if you could speak to the right person at Volvo they would agree. As I wrote in the article, I believe that a base number of 3 or 4 is just about right for infrequently used, slow running auxiliary engines. CF-4's TBN of 9 is OK for modern non-turbo cars but we are such a small market that there is no call for CD. Shell dropped their Rimula C, to API CD, between the time I wrote the article and its being printed.

I agree about the photo - I only supplied the text and diagrams!

 

[pvb]

[ QUOTE ]
I am reluctant to accept the Volvo recommendation that a fully or semi. synthetic oil is best for this engine as I suspect that they may base the one oil spec. on their high performance diesels.
Any recommendations for a solution which is good quality, available, and will not mean honing the bores in 5 yrs.

[/ QUOTE ]I'm amazed that you'd spend a small fortune on a boat and then not follow the engine manufacturer's guidelines. You can rest assured that Volvo Penta have a much better idea of what's good for their engines than YM do. Just buy Volvo VDS2 oil - if you go to a truck outlet you'll get it fairly cheaply. In this thread, someone posted "I just bought 20 litres of Volvo VDS2 oil for our KAD32's from our local Volvo Truck Centre £59.69 including VAT". In this other thread, someone else posted "From Volvo Truck Centre 20 Litres 15W40 VDS2 oil Volvo part no 1161975 £43.85". Use the correct oil - you won't get bore polishing, and your engine might outlast you.

 

[Skylark]

This seems jolly good advice. In my last job, for 15 years I was a Tier 1 component supplier to engines made by Volvo Car, Truck, Construction Equipment & Penta. Wise words indeed by pvb.

David

 

[Quandary]

Vyv,
Thanks for taking the time to consider and respond to my post, I am inclined to accept your advice on this subject because I am impressed by your article and the logical and clear exposition of the issues around bore polishing. I hope you got a decent fee for the article, I had not been convinced by the manual because it conflicted with all the advice I had been given by the guy who used to rebuild boat engines for me, he was a agriculture/ construction engineer with years of experience working on engines of dumpers, mixers etc. in his small workshop, he did not regard my marine engines as much different and always warned against buying fancy oil for them.
I have held a little scepticism of VPs advice to customers since about 1980 when I purchased a VP badged hybrid petrol engine from them, (basically a a Honda outboard bolted to a saildrive) this combination was a disaster and VP abandoned the idea almost immediately and also abandoned the customers who had bought it. Fortunately Honda whose name was not even on the product took a responsible attitude to protecting their reputation and there are still some of these in use.
I later had a Sigma 38 with a 2003, which fortunately, did not suffer the drive problems which plagued Westerly owners, anyone who worships VP might want to research their responses when they made that mistake.
I am not saying that VP engines are inferior to others, just that they don't give a toss about customer relations. It is handy for them to market a one size fits all oil product and sell it at a premium, it will keep the low powered yacht engines going fine until the warranty expires.
Cost is definitely not the issue, the boat only needs about 3.5 litres of oil once or twice a year.

 

[pvb]

[ QUOTE ]
I am not saying that VP engines are inferior to others, just that they don't give a toss about customer relations. It is handy for them to market a one size fits all oil product and sell it at a premium, it will keep the low powered yacht engines going fine until the warranty expires.

[/ QUOTE ]What a sad post. I don't think that 3 quid a litre is "selling it at a premium" - you ought to visit a BMW or Merc dealership and see what they charge for oil! If you hate VP that much, why buy a boat with a VP engine?

You said that "The D1-30 seems to be significantly more powerful than the 2003...." Do you realise it's actually less powerful? I wonder whether you have much mechanical sympathy.

 

[Quandary]

tosser

 

[pvb]

[ QUOTE ]
tosser

[/ QUOTE ]Sadly, your login seems apposite.

 

[jackho]

This is a Volvo badged Perkins (at least on my boat) Should the question of oil spec. not be directed to Perkins?

 

[Slowtack]

Up to now my 2016 built D1 30 hasbeen getting VP 4.5 VDS supplied by the VP agent. Very expensive. Looking for a cheaper alternative I can find many 15W40 mineral oils at about one third the VP price that are stated to be VDS spec... But no number listed. Does the number matter much?...

 

[vyv_cox]

Since this very elderly thread was posted there have been significant changes to oil and fuel. Reductions in sulfur levels in fuel have been met by reductions in TBN by oil manufacturers and blenders. I suggest you look for an oil from a major manufacturer to API CI-4, which seems to me to be ideal for our use.