Mercury FOURSTROKE Synthetic Lubricating Oil

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Author Topic:   Mercury FOURSTROKE Synthetic Lubricating Oil

bloller posted 10-19-2008 11:07 AM ET (US)
I have a new Mercury FOURSTROKE outboard and will be changing my own oil on a regular basis since there are no Mercury dealers nearby. I plan on using only OEM Mercury oil filters. Right now I am using Mercury 10W-30 oil. I need some more since during my last oil change I did not have quite enough. My owner's manual recommends using Mercury synthetic 25W-40 and not to mix it with Mercury 10W-30. Is there any benefit to using the synthetic blend in the future?
If I can't get any Mercury 10W-30 oil soon, will it be alright to just go to West Marine and get the Quicksilver-branded oil and mix it with the Mercury?
Will it be OK to just top it off with any 10W-30 oil?
jimh posted 10-19-2008 11:12 AM ET (US)
I suggest you read this technical literature from Mercury Marine on the subject of lubricants and their ratings:
http://www.mercurymarine.com/_media/pdfs/otherproducts/ LubricantsArticle.pdf
glen e posted 10-19-2008 01:29 PM ET (US)
[T]he key word is [Mercury Marine] "recommends." Any oil that meets all their specifications listed in the owner's manual will work fine, and you will have no warranty [rejections of claims due to use of an improper lubricant]. Mercury does not own their own refinery; someone makes it for them. You can find stuff locally. If you still have questions, call [Mercury Marine] at 920 929-5040. Have [the serial number of your Mercury outboard motor] ready.
[Oils with similar ratings sold under the Mercury brand and the Quicksilver brand] are the same [oil]. Quicksilver is just the brand [name that Mercury Marine] sells to non authorized outlets like West Marine. Exact same stuff.
jimh posted 10-19-2008 06:02 PM ET (US)
Many products in the Mercury Marine line are sold under the Mercury name brand at Mercury dealers. At non-Mercury dealers you can find many similar products sold under the Quicksilver brand. This is not to say that there is always an identical product in the Quicksilver brand. My impression is that Mercury Marine likes to keep the Mercury brand as the premium brand, and the Quicksilver brand is relegated to the subordinate brand. In particular, they generally do not allow the Mercury-branded products to be sold at big-box retailers like WALMART. I imagine this is a way to offer their dealers an exclusive franchise on the Mercury branded products and save them from having to compete head-to-head with a discount retailer selling the exact same product.
As for whether the Mercury and Quicksilver products are really identical, that is a good topic for another discussion.
With lubricating oil there is a recognized rating system. If you use an oil of the appropriate rating, you will be following the recommendation. In the United States it is difficult for a manufacturer to insist that you only use their related products with the primary product because there is a prohibition against mandatory tie-in sales needed to maintain warranty coverage.
Tohsgib posted 10-20-2008 10:49 AM ET (US)
Mercury in the past used quicksilver as their brand name exclusively. It has only been in more recent years that they started using Mercury brand name. Look in any 1970-90's brochure and it shows the quicksilver name on all their products.
Yes you can just add some 10-30 to get you through until your next oil change. Then I would go to a 25-40w or equiv. I run 10-40 in my suzuki Royal Purple synthetic.
gss036 posted 10-20-2008 01:11 PM ET (US)
I have read in other posts and on differnt forums that one should not use synthetic oils in the four stroke engines as they tend to make oil. Any truth in that? I just put on a new 225 Honda and there is no mention of the use of synthetic oil in the engine.
Tohsgib posted 10-20-2008 01:53 PM ET (US)
I would break in the motor first and then start using after 100 service. My Suzuki manual states it can go 100 hours before oil changes or 200 w/synthetic. I go 100 with the synthetic whch is about once a year.
handn posted 10-27-2008 09:59 AM ET (US)
I use synthetic oil in my 2004 efi 4-stroke. I boat in Mexico and the synthetic Mercury 4-stroke oil is sky high in price. I use Mobil 1 but change at 150 hours rather than extend the interval further because of possible salt contamination.
I think synthetic oil is worth the price because my engine maintains higher oil pressure and extends this high pressure throughout the oil change interval. Regular oil tends to lose viscosity.
I have over 1200 hours on my engine. When my mechanic changed timing belts and valve chains, we observed no mechanical wear on the camshaft lobes, a place of constant metal to metal contact. I have replaced only one timing chain guide. The guide is coated with teflon and wears much more quickly than metal.
I change spark plugs every 300 hours because mine are a little worn by then. Never have they exibited any fouling which they would if the oil were contaminated.
Mobil 1 and Castrol synthetic are used in race cars which I suspect exceed to high speed use requirements of an outboard.
I take statements by the motor manufacturers with a grain of salt. There is a lot of profit to be made by relabling a generic comodity such as motor oil with the factory brand. In short, a manufacturer such as Mercury has a conflict of interest in recomending its own product. If it is a warranty requirement, I will use the factory product. Otherwise I will make my own choices.
My BMW Z-3 has a sticker on the engine stating the reqirement, Use BMW racing oil". I have done a little digging and found that it is made by Castrol and is identical to Castrol synthetic. Buy it in a BMW bottle at the BMW dealership and you will pay quite a bit more than buying the same product at Auto Zone in a Castrol bottle.

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Author	Topic: Mercury FOURSTROKE Synthetic Lubricating Oil
bloller	posted 10-19-2008 11:07 AM ET (US) I have a new Mercury FOURSTROKE outboard and will be changing my own oil on a regular basis since there are no Mercury dealers nearby. I plan on using only OEM Mercury oil filters. Right now I am using Mercury 10W-30 oil. I need some more since during my last oil change I did not have quite enough. My owner's manual recommends using Mercury synthetic 25W-40 and not to mix it with Mercury 10W-30. Is there any benefit to using the synthetic blend in the future? If I can't get any Mercury 10W-30 oil soon, will it be alright to just go to West Marine and get the Quicksilver-branded oil and mix it with the Mercury? Will it be OK to just top it off with any 10W-30 oil?
jimh	posted 10-19-2008 11:12 AM ET (US) I suggest you read this technical literature from Mercury Marine on the subject of lubricants and their ratings: http://www.mercurymarine.com/_media/pdfs/otherproducts/ LubricantsArticle.pdf
glen e	posted 10-19-2008 01:29 PM ET (US) [T]he key word is [Mercury Marine] "recommends." Any oil that meets all their specifications listed in the owner's manual will work fine, and you will have no warranty [rejections of claims due to use of an improper lubricant]. Mercury does not own their own refinery; someone makes it for them. You can find stuff locally. If you still have questions, call [Mercury Marine] at 920 929-5040. Have [the serial number of your Mercury outboard motor] ready. [Oils with similar ratings sold under the Mercury brand and the Quicksilver brand] are the same [oil]. Quicksilver is just the brand [name that Mercury Marine] sells to non authorized outlets like West Marine. Exact same stuff.
jimh	posted 10-19-2008 06:02 PM ET (US) Many products in the Mercury Marine line are sold under the Mercury name brand at Mercury dealers. At non-Mercury dealers you can find many similar products sold under the Quicksilver brand. This is not to say that there is always an identical product in the Quicksilver brand. My impression is that Mercury Marine likes to keep the Mercury brand as the premium brand, and the Quicksilver brand is relegated to the subordinate brand. In particular, they generally do not allow the Mercury-branded products to be sold at big-box retailers like WALMART. I imagine this is a way to offer their dealers an exclusive franchise on the Mercury branded products and save them from having to compete head-to-head with a discount retailer selling the exact same product. As for whether the Mercury and Quicksilver products are really identical, that is a good topic for another discussion. With lubricating oil there is a recognized rating system. If you use an oil of the appropriate rating, you will be following the recommendation. In the United States it is difficult for a manufacturer to insist that you only use their related products with the primary product because there is a prohibition against mandatory tie-in sales needed to maintain warranty coverage.
Tohsgib	posted 10-20-2008 10:49 AM ET (US) Mercury in the past used quicksilver as their brand name exclusively. It has only been in more recent years that they started using Mercury brand name. Look in any 1970-90's brochure and it shows the quicksilver name on all their products. Yes you can just add some 10-30 to get you through until your next oil change. Then I would go to a 25-40w or equiv. I run 10-40 in my suzuki Royal Purple synthetic.
gss036	posted 10-20-2008 01:11 PM ET (US) I have read in other posts and on differnt forums that one should not use synthetic oils in the four stroke engines as they tend to make oil. Any truth in that? I just put on a new 225 Honda and there is no mention of the use of synthetic oil in the engine.
Tohsgib	posted 10-20-2008 01:53 PM ET (US) I would break in the motor first and then start using after 100 service. My Suzuki manual states it can go 100 hours before oil changes or 200 w/synthetic. I go 100 with the synthetic whch is about once a year.
handn	posted 10-27-2008 09:59 AM ET (US) I use synthetic oil in my 2004 efi 4-stroke. I boat in Mexico and the synthetic Mercury 4-stroke oil is sky high in price. I use Mobil 1 but change at 150 hours rather than extend the interval further because of possible salt contamination. I think synthetic oil is worth the price because my engine maintains higher oil pressure and extends this high pressure throughout the oil change interval. Regular oil tends to lose viscosity. I have over 1200 hours on my engine. When my mechanic changed timing belts and valve chains, we observed no mechanical wear on the camshaft lobes, a place of constant metal to metal contact. I have replaced only one timing chain guide. The guide is coated with teflon and wears much more quickly than metal. I change spark plugs every 300 hours because mine are a little worn by then. Never have they exibited any fouling which they would if the oil were contaminated. Mobil 1 and Castrol synthetic are used in race cars which I suspect exceed to high speed use requirements of an outboard. I take statements by the motor manufacturers with a grain of salt. There is a lot of profit to be made by relabling a generic comodity such as motor oil with the factory brand. In short, a manufacturer such as Mercury has a conflict of interest in recomending its own product. If it is a warranty requirement, I will use the factory product. Otherwise I will make my own choices. My BMW Z-3 has a sticker on the engine stating the reqirement, Use BMW racing oil". I have done a little digging and found that it is made by Castrol and is identical to Castrol synthetic. Buy it in a BMW bottle at the BMW dealership and you will pay quite a bit more than buying the same product at Auto Zone in a Castrol bottle.