Put oil for petrol engine in diesel boat engine Should I be worried?

[neale]

If you don't know the specs, and only know that it was oil designed for a petrol engine, I would change it sooner rather than later. Diesel oils are designed with more detergents and are better equipped to deal with the higher level of contaminants that a diesel engine produces. While many petrol oils will also meet diesel engine specs, without the packaging you can't be sure so for the sake of a few quid I would change it.

 

[KellysEye]

Drain or pump out the oil you have put in and use the oil recommended for the engine, as said they are different oils designed for different engines.

 

[2Tizwoz]

In the olden days diesel engine oil and petrol engine oil was quite different.

The result of putting petrol engine oil in a diesel was that the oil acquired the consistency of jelly.

That's not going to happen now unless you go out of your way to find some traditional spec. oil intended for older petrol cars.

The recommended oil MIL-L-2104C is also suitable for modern turbo petrol engines.

Beta don't recommend using a higher spec. oil.

Confidence in your engine is important. Look at your dip stick and if the oil starts to become excessively black or no longer feels slippery between your fingers, change it.

Do you use the engine sufficiently that you usually need to change it more than once a year?

 

[Enya]

I have not previously changed it more than once a year. It is cleaner than my car oil. I would not let my boat oil get as dirty as the car oil gets between changes.

 

[timchapman]

Be very wary of any 'advice' you receive on these forums, whereas it's normally offered in good faith it is invariably given by people who don't really know what their talking about or only know a bit about what their talking about. I know that Vyv Cox has a great deal of knowledge about engine oils and has written about it, (somewhere), in the past.

 

[2Tizwoz]

I have not previously changed it more than once a year. It is cleaner than my car oil. I would not let my boat oil get as dirty as the car oil gets between changes.

You're not risking destroying your engine if you're running less than 150 hours per annum then.

Decades of little use and condensation rather than wear will probably be the eventual reason for overhaul.

Additives make the difference to oil suitability. Use the appropriate engine oil next year. You may well find when you read the small print that the 'petrol engine' oil you've used is what you're looking for.

 

[macd]

You may well find when you read the small print that the 'petrol engine' oil you've used is what you're looking for.

Jeez. The whole point of this thread is that he doesn't know for sure what the oil was and no longer has the container it came in.

 

[2Tizwoz]

Jeez. The whole point of this thread is that he doesn't know for sure what the oil was and no longer has the container it came in.

Sainsbury's petrol engine oil.

 

[lw395]

I think it's probably fine but,
If you care about the engine, spend £15 or £20 quid on whatever you consider to be the best oil for it.
If you intend to keep the boat and engine long term it may be worth it, if not it's fairly cheap peace of mind.

It's not like a car engine, which you will probably be shot of in 2 or 3 years.

Personally I prefer synthetic or semi synth oils for any engine I have any vested interest in, but it's a bit like the religion threads in the lounge.
(And if you think that's bad, google some of the oil threads on American motorbike forums....)

 

[theoldsalt]

Personally I prefer synthetic or semi synth oils for any engine I have any vested interest in..........

There are thousands of older engines out there for which your choice is quite unsuitable. Follow the engine manufacture's recommendations - not your preference.

 

[lw395]

There are thousands of older engines out there for which your choice is quite unsuitable. Follow the engine manufacture's recommendations - not your preference.

I wasn't looking for your advice, thanks.