September, 2008 | Outboard Motor Oil - Part 2

Is Ethanol Cleaner Than Traditional Gas?

two-cycle oil

Q: What are the exhaust emissions of straight gasoline, and how do they compare to those from gas with ethanol?

A: Ethanol is being used to reduce the amounts of tailpipe emissions and therefore plays a role in controlling air pollution. And though ethanol is being promoted by the Environmental Protection Agency as a cleaner-burning fuel choice, its actual impact on the environment is still largely unknown.

Gasoline containing as low as 10 percent ethanol can drop fuel mileage in cars, and can also harm engines that use two-cycle oil, such as chainsaws and weed-whackers.

However, evidence shows that ethanol evaporates more rapidly than gasoline, thus making it more volatile. The result of this chemical reaction is an increase in compounds that lead to the formation of smog, among other things.

Still, scientists disagree on the clean-burning effects of ethanol. Even the process of turning corn into ethanol takes energy that releases carbon monoxide into the atmosphere, even after the EPA ordered factories to install pollution-control equipment in 2002.

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Crude Prices Show Steep Decline

bulk oil

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the price of oil took another hit today, stemmed by weakening demand and declining inventories.

A huge factor in this sudden drop-off is of course Hurricane Gustav’s impact on the Gulf Coast, home of 26 percent of the nation’s bulk oil production, and is further complicated with the imminent threat of Hurricane Ike. Ike is headed toward Texas now, and poses a danger to refineries in the Corpus Christi area.

Currently, oil prices are trading at their lowest price in five months, and look to fall below $100 a barrel in the foreseeable future. Experts remain divided on what this will mean for what long-term effects the market will suffer, but reports continue to show a sharp decline in demand for oil.

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The Mercury Trailer Boat at Rest

The Mercury Trailer Boat at Rest

If your Mercury boat takes you into salt water, it is recommended that you park with the outdrive in the down position. This prevents barnacle formation on the bellows; if barnacles form, they can cut into the bellows and ultimately sink the boat. There have been many recent instances in the Midwest where beavers have eaten enough boat bellows to sink the craft and render it useless. If your Mercury outboard is stored in the sun with the outdrive down, it will also alleviate the effects of dry rot on the bellows.

Bellows should not have to be replaced more than once every five or six years, barring formation of a leak or hole. When performing preventative maintenance on the bellows, you may have more success with Mercury parts-they have a bellows kit-the Mercury shop manual, and/or Mercury’s Master-certified mechanics. There are special tools, a thread lock and a certain adhesive you will need for bellow replacement. Once all this is done and it’s time to go out on the water again, stock up on Mercury engine oil and happy boating!

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How Do You Dispose of Used Oil?

How Do You Dispose of Used Oil?

If all the used oil from people in the United States alone who changed their own oil were re-used and recycled, there would be enough motor oil from that population alone to power 50 million automobiles each year. The used oil from just one oil change can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water-a year’s supply of drinking water for fifty people.

During normal use of marine engine oil, impurities such as dirt, toxic chemicals, and heavy metal scrapings can mix in with the oil, causing it not to perform as well as it once did. Used oil must be replaced periodically to help machines run their smoothest. Used motor oil is slow to degrade, adheres to everything from bird feathers to beach sand, and is a major contaminant in waterways and is a potential pollutant of drinking water sources. On average, 4 million people reuse motor oil for other equipment or take it to a facility with recycling capabilities. Used motor oil from automobiles, motorcycles, farm equipment, and landscaping equipment, as well as boats, can be recycled. Recycled used motor oil can be reinvented as new oil, processed into fuel oils, and serve as raw materials for the petroleum industry. One gallon of used motor oil produces the same 2.5 quarts of lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude oil can.

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Yamalube Outboard Motor Oil

Yamalube Outboard Motor Oil

Yamalube outboard motor oil, including Yamalube 2m oil and the company’s entire outboard motor oil product line, has been designed to withstand the most strenuous conditions your outboard can take.

Each Yamalube oil is made from components specific for the application-Yamalube oil for outboard motors is very different from the Yamalube oil for motocross motorcycles, even if both have a liquid-cooled 2-stroke engine. Each of these engines has a different stress load and the appropriate oil for each machine has a different lubrication formula.

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Outboard Motor

An outboard motor for boats is a development that is supposed to be a self-contained device that has an engine component, subsidiary systems and a propeller. It is designed to be mounted at the rear of the boat. The most common type of boat that you will find an outboard motor on is a smaller vessel, though there are outboard motors on sizeable sailboats to help propel them out of bays and through calm waters. As well as the ability to propel a boat, an outboard motor with the aid of outboard motor oil, is designed to help steer the vessel as well.

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Hurricane Gustav

Hurricane Gustav is approaching New Orleans, according to the New York Times and the Associated Press. This is the first evacuation warning that the bereaved citizens of New Orleans are receiving since the internationally watched evacuation during the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. This time the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, is not taking things lightly. According to him, Hurricane Gustav will be the “storm of the century,” unrivaled by the incredible power seen in Hurricane Katrina. Although his warnings are far more extravagant than the ones issued by the National Hurricane Center, they are meant to warn jaded residents who feel like they could just ride out the storm. People are taking the warning seriously and the evacuation is taking the form of hundreds of thousand New Orleans residents leaving their homes for safer pastures. The Gulf of Mexico is responsible for producing a large percentage of US bulk oil and this production will be deeply affected by the storm.

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How to Change Your Outboard Motor Oil and Filter, Part 2

How to Change Your Outboard Motor Oil and Filter, Part 2

The oil filter will need to be changed every time the outboard motor oil is changed. Be sure and place a couple of rags or absorbent pads under the filter cap to collect potential oil or debris. Try to loosen the cap, using the appropriate wrench. You may have to clean the filter cap with an absorbent pad; if this doesn’t work, get a screwdriver and hammer and tap the screwdriver tip down into the cap, rotating the existing oil filter until it loosens enough to be removed.
Before you replace the old oil filter with a new one, dip your finger into the old oil and rub a bead of oil around the edge of the new oil filter’s gasket o-ring, which will ease the future removal of the new filter when it needs to be replaced with the next oil change. If you will be boating in a hot climate that stays above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, use 25W-40 motor oil; in a cooler climate, use a 10W-30. Screw the new oil filter into position. Tighten the new oil filter by hand, ensuring it is snug with an additional ¾ to 1 full turn. Once the oil filter is in place and the drain plug is secured tightly, remove the plug for the fill and add the new oil using a funnel. Check your manufacturer’s manual for specifications regarding the amount of oil to use. Finally, check your dipstick to make sure there is enough oil. For environmental purposes, please dispose of discarded outboard engine oil at an approved hazardous materials collection center. Happy boating!

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How to Change Your Outboard Motor Oil and Filter, Part 1

How to Change Your Outboard Motor Oil and Filter, Part 1

With a four-stroke outboard motor, you will need to change the boat motor oil at frequent intervals. (A traditional two-stroke outboard motor doesn’t require engine oil because the oil and gasoline mix provides lubrication for the motor.) For a four-stroke outboard engine, it is generally recommended that the oil is changed once a year or every 100 hours of running time in fresh water, whichever comes sooner. For saltwater usage or if the four-stroke motor is run hard, the oil should be changed twice as often-for every 50 hours of running time and or twice a year if you are a frequent boater. A tip before you begin: have plenty of rags or absorbent pads ready to use during and after the oil change.

Pull the boat out of the water onto dry land and remove the engine cover (which usually is secured with one or two latches), setting it off to the side so that its surface does not become scratched. The top section of the outboard engine is called “the power head” and below it is the lower gearcase. Pull out the dip stick to assess the condition of the oil inside the crankcase. The drain plug is in the midsection of the outboard engine, and it will need to be loosened in order to drain the oil.

A table can be helpful to provide some leverage for the draining process. One technique is to turn the steering wheel so that the drain plug on the motor is facing inward, placing an oil pan on the table and under the drain plug to catch the existing oil. Back the drain plug out with the appropriate socket wrench, having a pan ready to catch the oil, because it will flow freely. Once all of the oil has drained, wipe up excess oil. Replace the drain plug, making sure it is secured.

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Expect Fickle, Fluctuating Oil Prices This Week

Expect Fickle, Fluctuating Oil Prices This Week

Oil futures are trading higher today than expected after Hurricane Gustav moved through Louisiana, though they did fall to about $108 a barrel this morning. The majority of New Orleans levees held strong and the hurricane missed vital areas where oil refineries are located, though it did pass through a zone where many oil and gas-producing rigs are located and the LOOP (Louisiana Offshore Oil Port), which is an important facility where ships deliver crude oil, heating oil and gasoline. There has been some visual damage to the facilities, but the extent of the damage is not yet known. (LOOP’s website indicates that it is not operating at this time in a message posted on August 30.) At the present time, 25% of United States crude oil production has ceased and inventory levels are expected to decline until production can be brought back to typical levels.

With two new hurricanes suddenly in the mix, this week’s bulk oil prices look more uncertain. Hurricane Hanna looks to be headed toward the East Coast of the U.S., while Hurricane Ike may be headed toward the Gulf. The best-case scenario is that both hurricanes will reduce the number of ships heading toward LOOP. The worst-case scenario is that Hurricane Ike could delay repair from Gustav’s effects and postpone normal oil production. At any rate, oil and gas prices are bound to be erratic and hard to predict this week.

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