So I've used Delvac & Rotella 40w in my old Detroits but the new (to me) Hatt 50c has MTU's. They also suggest 40w in the books. I was wondering if there is a preferred brand for the 12V183's. Any concrete evidence on a brand being superior to others? I was wondering what you guys thought. Thanks! David
If you're talking 2 stroke outboards, I just ran good quality 2 stroke oil. It's been a while since I've had a 2 stroke outboard. But I know people who only use synthetic in their 2 stroke land toys.
I sense some confusion here. Detroit Diesel = two stroke MTU = four stroke outboards = two stroke (but the rinnnnggg-ddinnnggg-dinnggg kind that has oil added to the gasoline) Dave, I'd call your local MTU rep to be sure, but Chevron (and others, certainly) offers an applications brochure that includes MTU high-speed (>1000rpm) marine diesels. Good luck! http://www.chevronmarineproducts.com/docs/StemToStern_Brochure_v0108.pdf
That is why I asked if he meant outboards or not. Amsoil makes a synthetic that works well in 2 stroke diesels. It's there "Synthetic 10W-30/SAE 30 Heavy Duty Diesel Oil (ACD)"
Hi, Those 183's are really an automotive engine that has been marinized. They are tough old roosters and take a lot to cause problems. My personal favourite when running 3520 Hp MTU 16V396TB94's was Exxon XD 3 40 Extra, I have also run it in CATS and experienced significantly reduced oil consumption as compared to a multi grade 15W 40.
Both my Grandfathers used to work heavy trucks from the 1920's and 30's (some of them Steam trucks with solid rubber and wooden wheels). Oils in the engines and gearboxes were changed seasonally depending on weather and temp. Lighter oils were used in winter and a heavier oil in summer, with different weight oils in gearboxes. If a heavy load was called upon a heavier grade oil was put into the gearbox for smoother changes. With the advent of multigrade oils in the 50's and 60's, this negated the seasonal changes of earlier years. The 'W' in multigrades means Winter Viscoscity. That covers most diesel engines in smaller pleasure boats (up to 1000hp) within the 15W/40 range of useage/temps. In a marine envirorment, where temps and humidity are mostly stable, a straight 40W with inhibitors, as suggested by K1W1, is an excellent choice.
I like the Chevron (formerly texaco) extra heavy duty 40w........ They're good engines overall, but smoky on startup and stinky at trolling speeds. If you ever yank the injectors, anel the copper washers (gaskets) before installing and you may be lucky to not have any fuel leaks but typically you have to reseal several injectors once they've been taken out to stop the fuel leaks. Parts are very expensive. The overflow sensor for the coolant was $383 (my cost 3 yrs ago) and is the size of a spark plug and just detects water on its copper probe.
You really need to use what the manufacturer says to use. For years MAN went back and forth on single weight versus multi-weight oil in the D28 engines. Some years they said use one, then they would change their mind and say use the other. In the D2842 engines I had, (which are pretty much identical to the MTU engines Dave has) I used the Texaco Ursa Super Plus. Which I dont think is manufactured anymore. But, it was on the list of approved fluids, which was most important in the bottom line.
Thanks for all the info! I see everyone has their favorites but very similar opinions. I'll give Johnson & Towers a call as they did the rebuild last spring. You know, out of all the hundreds of gallons of oil I've put into engines over the years, I never knew the "W stood for "winter". I thought it had to do with weight. Wooden wheels huh? Didn't they use a syrup/molasses mix for engine lubricant way back then? As far as the smoke on the 183s, I was a bit concerned when I was buying the boat (it was out of the water with one engine being rebuilt when I bought it). I found that as long as the block heaters are left on, there is minimal smoke on start up. In fact, the rebuilt 8v92s I've owned smoked more. Thanks for all the info! Dave
Chevron bought out Texaco, The Ursa Super Plus which I used exclusively in DD's is now branded Chevron extra heavy duty or super heavy duty (something along those lines)
I've alway's run straight 40 Wt in SoCal and Baja... either Rotella or Delo 100. Including MTU's. So many great days on the water began by blanketing the marina with 8v92 start-up smoke. I used to have to ask my neighbors if they were ready for it, warn them to close their doors and windows. To this day the smell of a Detroit Diesel triggers happy thoughts of good times.
I used to run a pair of very old MTU's with straight through exhausts. I too had to walk around my neighbours and ask them to shut all doors and windows before start up. The smoke was so thick, you could cut it with a knife and fork. Once I took my girlfriend to lunch up in the hills over looking the marina. Yep, the one thing you could see and hear was that bloody old boat on start-up from miles away.
I've always been a fan of Amsoil. We use it in many applications. Here is some fun (tech-head) reading on the topic, which may or may not apply to your specific case.
Thanks PB, thats really interesting. So in result form, does this mean a good semi-synthetic beats an old fashioned multi-grade? Do the inhibitors do anything for prevention of wear or do we just need to change it a bit more often? As for the '4 Ball test'. Nope, me neither but I once saw a stewardess do a similar test with lube.
