Volvo IPS gear lube alternatives - anyone using

Marinebitz · Sep 4, 2015

Hi there,
I have 2 x 5 year old Volvo IPS 600 drives. The drive units take 14 litres of SAE 75/90 API Synthetic oil. Volvo direct that their oil must be used in the drives. The spec in the handbook is as above and the same oil is generic to many Volvo outdrives. The oil cost is high. A drive service is pretty much an oil change grease a few things, change a filter, check sea cocks and change anodes. Oil & haul out is the big cost.

IPS drives are essentially gears, shafts bearings and 4 seals in the mid and lower sections and a hydraulic box with 2 sets of clutch packs, oil pump and more shafts, gears, Solenoids, Electronic power steering motor etc in the upper unit.

Volvo does not allow non dealers to access workshop manual data, pretty tight lipped. Volvo do not provide data sheets for their oil. It will not be made by Volvo, but could be made to their exact specification - Volvo oil does not seem to stop units from breaking or leaking.

I had thought to use Amsoil, but read a comparison that I did not like - Egg beater test - pretty interesting. Also read up on a Penrite marine gear oil. Anyone out there who is working on these older units using a lower cost oil with success?

Thanks in advance

cat843 · Sep 4, 2015

If Amsoil specs their gear oil for your drives then I would use it.

Mercury sells "premium" gear oil (80W90) but says to only use it for outboards up to 75 HP. Then they sell "high performance" (90W) for larger outboards and outdrives. So it appears there are differences.

Given how expensive your drives are and what a PIA it would be to have them break while on the water, I would use Volvo gear oil. It looks like you can order it from some discount marine places.

Marinebitz · Sep 5, 2015

Thanks for that.

One of these drives had been rebuilt at 2 years into service at 160 odd hours, and again 21 months later at 338 odd hours. The OE oil seems not to prolong service life. 14 litres per drive is around 600, 1200 for 2 and if you change oil 6 monthly as many do with stern drives the cost per year is way up there. If any is reading who has these drives, if U do nothing else, take oil samples regular. Easy to do and could save thousands.

philipp10 · Sep 5, 2015

what the bleeping is wrong with Volvo. Pretty much everything you stated, from the "special" gear oil to the secrecy and the fact the drives are not holding up well goes against how the rest of the world operates today.....no thank you.

DoubleWasp · Sep 6, 2015

Egg-beater test? That's a new one on me. What exactly does it test and what is it supposed to demonstrate?

Marinebitz · Sep 7, 2015

Read it on this site. Apparently when stirred with an egg beater the oil foamed and did not climb up the egg beater end - by comparison to another oil. Could be nonsense, but combined with Amsoil not being willing to confirm their marine GL5 gear oil is suited to this IPS drive, I lost interest.
There is a subject about marine gear lube versus auto and industrial gear lube. Very interesting and full of good data.

DeepFriar · Sep 7, 2015

Originally Posted By: Marinebitz
Hi there,

Volvo does not allow non dealers to access workshop manual data, pretty tight lipped. Volvo do not provide data sheets for their oil. It will not be made by Volvo, but could be made to their exact specification - Volvo oil does not seem to stop units from breaking or leaking.

Ring up or write to the NZ version of our EPA and/or OSHA or similar health authority to request a safety data (MSDS) compliance form for "Volvo oil". It's ridiculous that they refuse to provide it. If you are in a rare mood you can call up the health authorities just mentioned and tell them you "think" you may have seen them spilling it into Waitemata Harbor (or wherever)! They'll be digging out that non-existent MSDS with real alacrity.

DoubleWasp · Sep 8, 2015

Originally Posted By: Marinebitz
Read it on this site. Apparently when stirred with an egg beater the oil foamed and did not climb up the egg beater end - by comparison to another oil. Could be nonsense, but combined with Amsoil not being willing to confirm their marine GL5 gear oil is suited to this IPS drive, I lost interest.
There is a subject about marine gear lube versus auto and industrial gear lube. Very interesting and full of good data.

Test wouldn't seem to tell a whole heck of a lot about what either lube does when it's hot.

hattaresguy · Sep 9, 2015

I would use the Volvo oil when the drives are under warranty.

DoubleWasp · Sep 9, 2015

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I would use the Volvo oil when the drives are under warranty.

Given the cost of replacing those drives, absolutely. Marine companies are more notorious than most for trying to wiggle their way out of warranty claims.

Greasymechtech · Sep 9, 2015

VOA the new gear oil
UOA the old gear oil

The drive requires a 75w90 GL5 full synthetic. I would not use anything with LS additives. I would not fear non-Volvo full synthetic 75w90 GL5's... I would not fear full synthetic 80w90's either.

For example:
http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/gear-lube/universal-synthetic-marine-gear-lube/
http://lucasoil.com/products/marine-products/lucas-synthetic-sae-75w-90-m8-marine-gear-oil
http://www.royalpurpleconsumer.com/products/max-gear/
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/P...90_80W-140.aspx

Marinebitz · Sep 11, 2015

Thank you for the suggestions. I did finally get hold of a data sheet for "approved" OE oil. You are correct LS additives or friction modifiers for limited slip are out. Seems the marine gear oil does not have LS additives.

At the moment I am thinking to give Austrailian Penrite Marine SAE API 75/90 fully synthetic oil a go. The only concern is it's Viscosity index is 157 and the OE oil data sheet index is 173. The other specs are pretty much the same.

I actually do not know if this is relevant. The manufacturer says not - anyone know about this?

Many thanks to everyone for the thoughts.

doyall · Sep 16, 2015

Mobilube 1 SHC Fully Synthetic 75W-90 is recommended by VP as an alternative to their stuff in some literature.

Marinebitz · Sep 19, 2015

Hi there,
Mobil 1 SHC 75/90 full synthetic is not available here, it has seemingly been discontinued. Mobil Delvac 75/90 synthetic is and that has friction modifiers and is not suited.

Appreciate the thoughts.

doyall · Sep 19, 2015

Originally Posted By: Marinebitz
Hi there,
Mobil 1 SHC 75/90 full synthetic is not available here, it has seemingly been discontinued. Mobil Delvac 75/90 synthetic is and that has friction modifiers and is not suited.

Appreciate the thoughts.

In 2012 I emailed ExxonMobil and asked this:

"Volvo Penta recommends Mobilube SHC Full Synthetic 75W-90 for the outdrive in my boat. I cannot locate this product in the US and am searching for a direct replacement. One retailer suggests Mobil Delvac Synthetic 75W-90 is such a replacement. Can you confirm this?"

and received this response:

"That retailer was correct -- Delvac Syn Gear 75W-90 is the modern replacement for the old SHC 75W-90. Use it with confidence."

I have used the Delvac in my VP DPS-A outdrive ever since without the cone clutch slippage problems I experienced with Mobil1 75W-90 LS. Hopefully it doesn't have a boatload of friction modifiers in it because I have about three years of product left to use.

As I have no experience with the IPS system I can offer no user reports for you.

lars11 · Sep 20, 2015

Good info, I also run DP-S although I can still buy the SHC here.

But please be careful about those IPS, I don't think they are equally designed as the classic outdrives. They may or may not require other lubes, but I think we need more input.

Volvo IPS gear lube alternatives - anyone using

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