Saildrive oil. What type

[Cobra750]

Dear all. Seen postings suggesting the oil in sail drives shouldn't be as per manuals that suggest engine oil. Can anyone please clarify what type of oil is the safest to use? Thanks

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[scarlett]

Volvo suggest engine oil for their older saildrives but later ones use synthetic. Mine [1999] has a little lable to that effect hidden at the end furthest from the engine. I've no idea why [ see below]. I suggest you ring Volvo with its serial number.

PS Volvo oil is twice the price. In Greece, it cost me nearly £50 to refill the leg.

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[starboard]

The same oil as in the engine. I have an old MD5b with S110 leg and use a single grade "Classic" moter oil SAE30 made by COMMA and costing £12 per 5 ltr in both engine and leg.If it is an old engine DO NOT use a modern oil, these were never designed for the older engines.

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[snowleopard]

hang on!

there isn't a generic saildrive oil, it depends on manufacturer and model (hint - fill in your profile for best advice).

for example on yanmar they fit the same model of saildrive to 1/2/3gm engines, for the 1gm they advise engine oil, for 2gm & 3gm it's 90 grade gear oil!

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[tom52]

Suggest you do a search. This has been extensively covered in the past.
At some point Volvo changed the oil spec for 120 SD. More recent are synthetic.
Dont switch if you are one of the older versions. Synthetic is much more expensive.
You can tell whats been used previously by the smell. Synthetic smells like BO

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[jackho]

My engine Volvo 2030 is 2 years old and the handbook spec. for the saildrive is the same as the engine SAE 15w - 40. I use the cheapest oil that matches the number ie. spec. outlined in the Volvo instruction book. Cost approx £10 for 5L.
Can't see any benefit in using Synthetic oil in a Saildrive as there's no high temperatures or sulpher deposits etc. etc. - only my opinion but the API web sites all seem to suggest the same.

Jackho

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[philwebb]

Hi Starboard, What boat do you have? My engine and drive setup is the same as yours
However I have been using Halfords Hypoy 80 or 90 gear oil in my saildrive for several
years now I will check my manual but surely this is a better oil to use in a gearbox
Regards Phil.


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[xcw]

I changed mine over the weekend - a Volvo 2020 engine on a Bav 36 built in 2002. According to the Volvo dealer there are three types of oil depending upon the saildrive; engine oil, synthetic and ATF (automatic transmission fluid - I think). Mine used ATF. I paid £24 for 2litres and an anode from the Volvo dealer which I didn't think was too bad.

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[chrisc]

Please check with Volvo
some of the dealers are not that well informed ,well i asked three and got
the wrong answer from all of them.My saildrive is a 120 se (fitted to Bav 34
in 2000) did about 250 hours after being filled with engine oil rather than hypoid.
then bang.

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