Ski-doo's new E-Tech 800 snowmobile oil recommends

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OK, what do you think? my little brother just bought one of these sleds, real impressive? I ask him what oil he was going to run, he is brain washed with Bombardier's oil only. Is there any truth to running this expensive oil. I have to say his owners manual is real convincing. At $15. bucks a quart, I'm not sure though. I told him he could run Amsoil Interceptor or Klotz for much less money. I just wonder who fills Bombardier oil bottle?
 
Not sure about the oil, I know it needs something special. I drove one of those things last year, and it is an absolute Beast. I hope he is a mature rider, cause that sled could be a Widow-maker real easy...
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Those brand specific oils are a joke and over priced gouged,no magical fairy dust in them that makes them any better, any good brand oil like amsoil,klotz etc..will do the job just fine,I've been running interceptor in my Yamaha's for YEARS,great oil very clean innards upon tear downs for freshening up with new rings,piston skirts ALWAYS within tolerance and very little blow by.
 
I think there has been a few posts here on the bombardier oil. Unless he can identify the special specs that this oil meets, and then find another oil that is tested to those specs and bombardier accepts as equivalent, its cheap insurance to keep his warranty by buying the bombarier oil. Its not like its mixed 32:1 either, so a quart should go a long way.
 
LOL!..Those sleds are wicked; Scary fast. I told him the same. His last sled was a Rev 600, some close calls but never wrecked that one. Thanks for the warning, I will pass it along to him.
 
Bombardier oil is bottled by Castrol, and in my Ski Doo's I have been running Castrol's act evo snow 2t. Its a syn blend and I don't know if its the same as the Bombardier syn blend or not, but I'm sure its close enough, atleast for me.

If you look around you can find it for less than 7 dollars a liter.
 
Ski-Doo's oil used to be made by Castrol but I don't believe that is the case anymore. I seem to recall it is now the same company that does the oil for Cat (and Polaris?).

In so far as oil requirements, the E-TEC engine uses very little oil and is a hotter running engine than a typical two-stroke. I had a lengthy chat with one of the head engineers a couple of years ago and, as one would expect, he elaborated on the E-TEC engine's special needs. He stated that Ski-Doo and Rotax spent a lot of money developing spacial oils for these engines. At the time (as the 600 E-TEC was just being introduced), they were pushing their then-new semi-synth, saying it was superior to their full synth. He did say that they had begun work on a new full synth that would be better yet.

Your safest bet may be to get the BRP oil as they call for, but buying in bulk by splitting with friends. There are certainly other oils that can do the job but I suspect anyone not using BRP oil (particularly during the warranty period) may have to fight for warranty claims.

Finally, the 800 E-TEC is a very nice engine package. It pulls like gangbusters, starts immediately, idles with a smoothness that rivals (indeed exceeds) four-strokes, is very economical and virtually smoke-free. The only issue I have heard related to this engine (actually, all 800s in the REV-X chassis) relates to belt durability issues (the problem apparently due to the engine flexing too much in the mounts) Tell him to keep a close eye on his engine alignment.
 
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Mik, you seem to know what your are talking about with the Rotax engines...

I am interested in the reason why BRP does not recommend synthetic oil for SDI engines. According to what I have read, synthetic oil is prone to washing off the piston more than semi-synthetic oil or mineral oil.

Can anyone say for sure why BRP is making the recommendation of no synthetic oil for SDI engines?
 
Regrettably, I don't have the answer to that question (and have no desire to make one up; honesty is "my thing"...). I would have to ask an engineer next time I cross one and see what he says.

I do recall a few years back when the 800R engine first came out (MY2007) that one of their head engineers stated that the recommended oil for it was the XPS mineral oil (odd as you would think they would try to steer people towards the more expensive oils).

Back to the E-TECs (notably the 800), after asking around, I have been told that the recommended BRP oil (specially designed oil for a definitely non-conventional two-stroke engine) is a wise and prudent investment if one plans to keep the sled for a long time ..... a word to the wise.....
 
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So, who makes the oil for BRP?

I doubt that an oil company stops production to prepare a few 45 gallon drums of oil just for BRP or anyone else for that matter.

I'd venture to say, they likely run a blend of premium two cycle oil that's identical in specifications and sell it under a few brand names.

Don't underestimate the power of economics.
 
Interesting article on BRP's XPS oil and the E-TEC engine's lubrication needs in the latest issue (Jan 2012) of American Snowmobiler magazine.

FWIW, I have never visited the said lab but the article basically repeats what I have heard from the mouths of a few different engineers at BRP in recent years.

I am a sceptic by nature when it comes to the whole "special needs" [censored] that typically comes from the mouths of manufacturers, but given how the E-TEC operates and uses so little oil, I tend to believe the BRP folks on this one....
 
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Here is the link to an intersting article about E-TEC technology:
http://www.fcmq.qc.ca/userfiles/file/Workshop/Workshop_2005_12.pdf

BTW, this article predates the E-TEC engine's introduction in snowmobile applications (in 2009). However, it was obvious from teh outset (in 2005) that this technology would end up there at some point, hence the article in a sled magazine.

Let's just say I know the author very well......
 
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