MARINE 4 STROKE ZINC ? FC-W CERT?

[NWOHIO]

I understand many oil mfgs do not submit for the FC-W rating simply due to costs, yet their oils
may well exceed any requirements. If we have a very high quality racing oil, that contains a higher level of zinc, it seems that this would be ideal. What is the comparable FC-W rating zinc level with that of some of the racing oils? My oil is a blend, VI = 154, flash pt 444f, zinc 1700 - 2300ppm, Schaeffer 7000 10w30 racing. Thoughts?

 

[CT8]

Are you running a race type engine?

 

[DoubleWasp]

With marine engines, it's not the engines that are race-type. It's the operation. Sustained high-load/high-rpm operation.

Many marine lubes have about 1700ppm of zinc. I use a racing oil, myself in my marine engines. Valvoline VR-1.

Lots of people run a good HDEO instead, with no penalties. My last 100+ hour UOA with RT6 beat the 48 hour Universal Averages for wear metals and still had a TBN of 6.

 

[NWOHIO]

My latest VR1 oil analysis on new oil is zinc 1482 on 20w50 and zinc 1162 on 60 weight both lower any ideas what if any bad things that might happen on significantly higher levels of zinc? we run fast, hard, for long periods. The penetro and micro moly usually result in 40 - 50 degrees cooler, but my question is the high zinc levels-- any ideas or experiences?

 

[DoubleWasp]

There's a lot more to an oil than simply zinc content, but I think in any situation, nearly 1500ppm of zinc would hardly be considered insufficient for anything.

RT6 has "only" 1257ppm of zinc, and my engine suffered nothing from using it.

I moved back to VR1 after a fellow hot rodder showed me the results of wear protection laboratory testing, which showed VR1 to take 35,000 psi more loading before showing wear scars in testing. I had already been seeing amazing UOA's stack up in air-cooled Harleys that eat RT6 and many other engine oils for breakfast, so I made a change.

I'm very tempted to slide down to VR1 10/30 after seeing a lot of persuasive UOA's from racing big block engines in the 400-500HP range. VR1 is no ordinary engine oil.

I know a lot of guys running a very stout Penrite oil and also the Schaeffer's MicronMoly, but I don't feel my engines (nearly stock Mercruiser 7.4 Magnums) dish out enough abuse to step up to something as exotic as that.

One way or another, testing indicates that wear protection is more about the oil not running out of zinc in operation than always having a truckload in the oil in the first place.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Sorry, I misinterpreted your question. Having higher zinc levels on its own should not come with any penalties. But the total package is going to determine what your results will be.

Your Schaeffer 7000 will be fine. If anything, I think it will seriously outperform most of the approved marine oils out there.

There's no mysterious hoodoo that goes into engineering a marine engine that a good racing oil is going to start blowing things up or anything. In the case of my 7.4's, it's the same thing GM stuck in the cars and trucks, with a few differences to allow the cooling system to survive circulating salt water, and a different ignition system.

Run your 7000 and sleep easy.

 

[rokwldr]

Almost and CI rated oil (compression ignition) will do good in a four stroke outboard. They all compare to FW-c oils. I have been using NAPA Universal Fleet 15-40 for 4 years now in a yamaha F115. Blackstone says no problem. If you want synthetic then I would use M1 turbo diesel or Rotella syn.