September, 2009 | Outboard Motor Oil - Part 2

Seeking Thrills and Making Plans

waverunner

Earlier this summer, my family bought some beachfront property on the western shore of Lake Huron. I took my wife for a number of sailing excursions on our catamaran, and sometimes we’d even strap a life jacket onto the dog and let him join in the fun. But now that fall is here, I’m beginning to think about buying a new toy for next year. The sailboat provides a relaxing experience, but I’m looking for some adventure.

One of my friends recommended that I look into the personal water craft market. I’ve ridden waverunners in the past, but only at parties. Come to think of it, I’ve never really had a bad time zipping through the surf on a personal water craft. I’m going to wait until spring to make the purchase – that way I can save on storage costs – but in the meantime I’ve already started preparing myself mentally.

For instance, I found some information online about proper safety procedures onboard a waverunner in addition to some maintenance tips. It seems that keeping the craft well lubricated with Yamaha 2w oil is among the top priorities. Beyond that, I’ve also let the kids know that they’re in for a real surprise when spring comes. I can’t wait to see their faces when I suddenly appear, bursting through the waves on a personal water craft.

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Don’t Let that Fuel System Corrode in the Offseason

boat-at-dock

You’ve done everything right so far. When it came time to winterize your boat, you followed every solid piece of advice, from flushing the outboard engine with fresh water to disconnecting the fuel hose and changing the gear oil. Unfortunately, there’s one minor detail you may have overlooked, and it’s a doozie. It’s just as important to care for your engine and its components during the offseason as it is during the height of summer.

While your boat is still being used regularly, you’re always diligent about replenishing the supply of bulk oil, so don’t skimp on the essentials during winter. You’ll need to implement a fuel additive – a stabilizer specifically – to ensure that the fuel system doesn’t corrode from disuse. During the summer, most of the varnish and other assorted buildup in the fuel system is flushed out as the engine is in regular use.

These additives keep the system well lubricated so that rust and corrosion don’t build up on the bare metal parts in the fuel system. Since it’s nearly impossible as well as unadvisable to drain all of the water out of your fuel system, additives keep excess water at bay, preventing varnish and sludge from depositing inside the injectors, carburetors and other vital parts of the engine.

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Mercury Marine’s Latest Offer

mercury-engine-oil

September is a bittersweet month for many boaters; when the cool winds begin to blow, we know it won’t be long before it’s time to take those small vessels out of the water and into storage for winterization. Unless you’re lucky enough to live in an area where there’s open water all year long, these same thoughts are probably running through your head. Mercury Marine, manufacturers of the two-cycle OptiMax engines, has timed its latest promotion with the end of the boating season in mind.

With its “Trade Up America” event, Mercury is offering sizable rebates – ranging from $300 to $1,000 – when boat owners upgrade to a fuel-efficient OptiMax outboard. According to one Mercury representative, the event has been timed to coincide with the start of the winterizing process, when boat owners are starting to think ahead about next year. The offer is valid through Halloween.

It wasn’t long ago that outboard motor manufacturers came under fire from the Environmental Protection Agency, inspiring them to up their fuel-efficiency standards. These days, Mercury engine oil is specially formulated to meet rigorous lubricity and viscosity guidelines. The net effect is that engines like the OptiMax can run with tremendous power and efficiency, all without taking a serious toll on the environment.

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Never Mess with a Biker’s Oil

bikers

My father’s motorcycle club is called the Black Bandits. A group of burly old men in their fifties, they wear – or should I say squeeze into – leather pants, jean jackets and colorful bandanas. They ride around our small town every Sunday, revving their engines, racing through the streets and howling like coyotes. All of this is actually embarrassing to admit, but it’s also something I need to vent about.

During the workweek they tune their bikes at Dale’s Greasy Garage down on Oleander Street. And as they work they are notorious for pulling pranks on each other. One day Curly Sue replaced Dad’s Mercury engine oil with olive oil, and that’s when all the drama unfolded. In retaliation, he filled Sue’s tailpipe with Cheetos and maple syrup. The chaos of it all went back and forth for weeks until one day Dad said, “Let’s make call it truce, only if you agree never to mess with my oil again, it’s just plain wrong!” And the rest is history.

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The Many Functions of Oil

yamaha-2w-oil

Last Christmas my family and I voyaged to the exciting land of Zimbabwe. It was our goal to focus on the true spirit of the season – loving and caring – instead of becoming caught up in presents and Santa Clause like the rest of the population. We figured it was about time to spend time with some people who were less fortunate than us, and strive to make a difference in their lives. Looking back now, it was them who inspired us.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the leader of the tribe, Mocco Umbaba. He showed us to our sleeping quarters, which were tents made out of burlap canvas and oil barrels. As it turns out, Zimbabwe can get rather windy from time to time and the weight of the oil containers keeps the cloth tents from collapsing. I was completely blown away by the simplicity and functionality of their solution. After returning to the United States, I purchased several gallons of Yamaha 2w oil – I knew its heavy-duty composition was right for the job – and began testing ways I could use my purchase for something other than its intended function.

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Exploring the Used Outboard Market

used-outboard-market

While some boat owners are beginning to think about winterizing their crafts, others are plotting well ahead for next spring. If your outboard engine has recently gone kaput, you might be tempted to look for a brand new motor. In fact, it may be a better plan to scan the market for used engines from such quality names as Yamaha, Evinrude and Mercury. These motors have proven dependable over the years, but of course they should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Magazines like Consumer Reports are especially helpful guides to evaluating an engine’s dependability, and you might also get some insight from online product reviews. Age and use are perhaps the two most important factors to consider, but they should not be confused. The age of the engine is only relevant insofar as you’ll need to know the proper formulation of oil to use. Most quality motors manufactured in the 1990s or later will use a TC-W3 formulation of two cycle outboard oil.

For obvious reasons, an engine will decrease in value as its use increases. Pay special attention to the number of hours run rather than miles. Although a well-worn motor might work out fine for a while, it will no doubt require frequent maintenance and there’s little guarantee it will run without incident.

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Ethanol Presents Unique Boating Quandary

ethanol-main

You might remember ethanol from chemistry class. The colorless fluid, derived from corn, is occasionally used for flammability demonstrations in American schools. Lately the substance has come under fire in a figurative sense as well, having the sparked the rage of some boating enthusiasts. Ethanol-based fuels, marketed as E10 or E15 depending on its actual blend, have been known to do serious damage to fuel tanks and lines.

But corn lobbyists, who are appealing to the Environmental Protection Agency about the dangers of standard outboard oil, would like to turn the ethanol debate into an environmental litmus test. Although their claims that ethanol reduces dependency on fossil fuels – however slightly – is true, this viewpoint fails to take the consequences into account. As a solvent, ethanol dissolves rubber and absorbs water, gumming up a boat’s fuel system.

While E10 is not necessarily detrimental to car fuel tanks, which are filled and emptied at a rapid clip, the same is not true for boat tanks. A boat might sit for weeks or even months at a time without use, and any dormant ethanol inside will eat away slowly at the fuel system. For the time being, most boaters agree that traditional marine engine oil still works best, especially since it has been reformulated for better efficiency and eco-friendliness.

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Summertime Fun on a Boat

boating

One of my favorite summertime activities is piling all of my friends and family on my neighbor’s beautiful Sea Ray boat. The Sun Devil II, as he calls it due to his stint at Arizona State University, is a sleeper boat clad with a mini kitchen and bathroom. Up top it sits about eight people comfortably, and 10 or more party style. It’s a great luxury to live next to the water, especially when you’re a boat lover like me. It seems that every holiday we’re gathered on the Sun Devil II once again, taking on a new adventure.

Of all my favorable memories on my neighbor’s boat, there was one unfortunate day of misfortune. It was an extremely hot and humid day, ideal conditions for boating. We had all jumped into the boat early in the day; we wanted to claim the best spot on the water. And after an hour of searching, we had found it. We casted our anchor and unpacked our lunch, relaxing in the summer sun. The trouble began when we went to start the boat up again. It made a horrible churning noise and began spouting black smoke. It turns out we had left one important thing back on shore, a sufficient amount of boat motor oil.

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Two-Stroke Engine Care with Yamalube

2strokeengine

Yamaha’s signature brand of oil is designed for the most grueling conditions both in and out of the water. Yamalube two-stroke engine oil is used in outboard motors, dirt bikes, lawnmowers, snowmobiles and several smaller gas powered appliances. Unlike other two-stroke engine oils, Yamalube oil is so potent that it can help to repair and prevent engine damage.

While all Yamalube oil is formulated for performance, the additive packages in different oil formulations are designed for specific stress loads. Each blend of Yamalube oil must accommodate the needs of the engine. For example, Yamalube two-stroke outboard oil needs to be able to lubricate the engine for hours of operation at full throttle and low throttle, while Yamalube two-stroke oil for dirt bikes needs to be able to stand up to frequent and intense acceleration.

For owners who want their two-stroke engine to operate at its best, Yamalube is the oil of choice. Those looking for a little extra kick would be wise to invest in Yamaha fuel additives, like the Yamaha Ring Free additive, which helps prevent ring stick and wear, while also cleaning carbon and varnish deposits from the engine.

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