Oil Leaks in Outboard Motors

When you turn on your outboard motor in or out of the water, you might notice a small amount of oil dripping out. Despite the implications of a busted engine, this doesn’t often spell disaster. When you haven’t used your outboard motor for a few months, or throughout an entire season like winter, there will often be a few drips of Evinrude outboard oil, or whatever brand you happen to use. It should stop dripping after running your outboard motor a couple times. If the problem persists, it could be an indication of a real problem.

Though the diagnosis can differ, your problem could be a leaking gearcase, or it’s possible that another essential component has a leak. Unless you’re comfortable with maintenance, it’s best to take the outboard motor to a professional at that point.

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Automobile Oil Filters for Outboard Motors

Though it’s not a widely known fact, it is possible to use an automobile oil filter in your outboard engine. Marinas and outboard motor manufacturers will suggest the use specialized outboard oil filters, however these are often more expensive, and unnecessary. If your engine uses standard two cycle outboard oil, just find an automotive filter that has the same thread and diameter. Installing it is the same as you would expect from a filter, but remember to rub a small amount of oil on the bottom of the filter before installation, as this will help to lubricate it and prevent it from sticking.

It’s also best to avoid filters with Teflon built in, or a Teflon additive. Oil filters also have an expiration date, so ensure you don’t go beyond the date or you will risk having a broken filter and engine problems.

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Fun Outdoor Snow Activities

With the winter season comes frigid weather and snow, as well as all the fun snow activities. Here are a few ideas for enjoying the colder weather:

~Skiing/Snowboarding – you can either rent ski and snowboard equipment or purchase it from a sporting goods store. These activities are most fun on the mountain slopes, but an area with a bit of a downhill slope will work well too.

~Snowmobiling – most people would rather rent a snowmobile than purchase one, but you will want to ensure to check all the engine fluids just like a car. Snowmobiles use different kinds of gasoline and oil, for example, older models will use Yamaha 2S oil, but this won’t work in newer models that have 4 stroke engines.

~Inner tubing – those same old rubber inner tubes you use in the water are great for sliding down a downhill slope; excellent for kids!

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Switching from Conventional to Synthetic

Evinrude-Johnson-oil When switching from conventional to synthetic oil in your outboard motor, there are a few potential issues of which you should be aware. First, recognize that once you start to use a synthetic oil, it’s near impossible to go back to a conventional oil. This is because synthetic oils swap themselves with the plasticizers in the seals; should the synthetic oil come out, the seals will shrink and crack because the plasticizers are gone. Depending on the type of outboard motor you own, using a full synthetic, like evinrude XD-100, can be better than a partial synthetic like evinrude XD-50. You should always be mindful to check with the manufacturer or consult an expert before switching.

Amongst synthetic oils, evinrude oil is one of the most renowned brands, with a proven track record of successes, and much preferred by outboard motor owners.

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Lawn Mower Carburetor Oil Problems

Every so often, I will hear about a problem with a person having oil in their lawn mower engine carburetor. This is a sign that something is amiss; however, it may or may not be serious. The most common reason oil finds its way into the carburetor is if the lawnmower has been tipped over, whether by accident, through storage, or to sharpen the blades. If this has happened, try taking the carburetor off the engine and cleaning it extensively. Replace the carburetor, but do not start the engine. First replace the air filter, and then it’s also a good idea to replace the sparkplug. Drain the oil out of the engine, and then replace the oil with your standard 2 cycle oil or whatever your lawn mower uses.

This is the most common issue and the most common fix, however it could be an incorrect diagnosis, and should this situation happen again, consult a mechanic.

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Premixing Oil for Garden Power Tools

Though several garden tools such as chainsaws and weed eaters will have oil injectors, sometimes premixed gas and oil is necessary. Newer garden tool models will often not require premixed gasoline, however older models, and sometimes due to size, weight, or cost it is better to use a gasoline/oil mixture. In general there will be a recommended ratio of gasoline to two cycle oil, and it differs depending on the machine you are using. Check online before you mix gasoline and oil to ensure there will be no permanent damage to your equipment.

Once you have discovered the recommended ratio, simply apply the ratio to the total amount of gasoline, and determine the amount of two cycle oil needed. For example, if your chainsaw has a 16:1 recommended ratio, and a one gallon tank, you will want to use a half pint of two cycle oil.

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What Happens to Used Motor Oil?

Most outboard motor users know the benefits of recycling their used 2 stroke oil, but not everyone knows where that recycled oil goes afterwards. The primary use for used oil is to re-refine it into a base stock for lubricating oil. The process is similar to refining crude oil, and the result is a re-refined oil the same quality of a refined oil. Used oil is also utilized for energy. Some industrial plants will have boilers which can burn used oil with minimum pollution. In addition, some used oil is burned in heaters designed to provide space heating for small offices.

It’s important to recycle oil to help keep harmful toxins out of the environment, and to do your part to fund renewable energy sources.

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Benefits of Purchasing Bulk Oil

When you own an outboard motor, or any kind of engine, your motor will require regular oil changes to keep it in top condition. Most outboard motor owners will change the oil themselves, and instead of purchasing new oil in individual containers before each change, it is wise to stock up on bulk outboard motor oil when it is available at a much lower cost. This will save time and money, and often you will find bulk oil for sale at a bargain price; allowing for several future oil changes. If you intend to use your outboard for a long time, there is no reason not to purchase in bulk.

Bulk outboard motor oil is available for purchase online, and the internet can also be used as a tool to locate local dealers that sell oil in bulk at their physical store.

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Vegetable-Based Motor Oil

bulk motor oil With the whole world going green, scientists have been hard at work developing synthetic forms of oil. One such oil scientists have been working on for some time is a vegetable oil similar to the stuff many people used to cook their food. This vegetable based chemical oil promises a cleaner more renewable alternative to petroleum-based motor oil. In addition, it is possible that this oil could be produced cheaper, and offer a number of performance enhancing benefits such as preventing engines from overheating, protection from corrosion, and better lubrication.

Though bulk motor oil from vegetables is not viable for the near future, it is possible that in as little as five years there will be more options available.

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Used Motor Oil for Heating

I’ve been asked a couple times now by different persons whether it’s possible to burn used motor oil in a home furnace. The answer is that it is possible, however you wouldn’t want to do it. Take your leftover Mercury engine oil from an outboard motor for example, now you could pour it in your home heating oil tank in place of kerosene, or mixed with kerosene, but this will cause a lot of pollution and an awful smell. Used motor oil contains a lot of dirt and grit particles that when burned up, cause environmental damage and will coat surfaces with a black residue.

There are furnaces designed to be run on used motor oil, but these often contain special filters to remove the dirt and grit, and even then are banned in most states for causing unnecessary pollution.

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Proper Disposal of Oil

When changing the oil in your car, motorcycle, outboard motor, or any kind of engine, it is important that the used oil is disposed of properly. The oil from a single oil change can ruin the taste and quality of a million gallons of drinking water; enough to supply more than fifty people for a year. Whenever changing oil, make sure to drain the used oil into a container. There are special containers designed for oil changes that can make this process easier. Once you have changed the oil several times, you can empty the container for free at several locations. Hardware stores commonly accept used oil, as do boatyards, and automobile repair shops.

For bulk oil, you may have to call around looking for a recycling plant or other location capable of accepting large quantities of used oil.

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Geological Origins of Petroleum

Oil, the substance used to power or lubricate a majority of modern machines, is produced in nature by heating and compression of ancient organisms. Petroleum, also called crude oil, is formed from the prehistoric remains of plankton and algae. Over the course of several thousand years these deceased organisms sink into the ground, covered by layers of mud and sediment, and can form into crude oil when specific conditions of heat and pressure are met. Those which do not form into oil form natural gas pockets or into a waxy substance called kerogen.

Once a crude oil pocket is located, it can be drilled and pumped out of the ground, then refined into gasoline, motor oil, diesel fuel, outboard motor oil, jet fuel, kerosene and hundreds of other useful products.

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