Oil and filtering for a Ford351 EFI in a boat

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waterskier

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I am a new member and spent quite a while researching this and then I found your site.
I just installed a new 351 EFI in my boat. I have gone through the 25 hr break in period and want to switch over to a synthetic oil. The manufacturer recomends a 40W40 above 50 degrees F, 30W30 between 32 and 50 degrees, or multi weight for colder conditions. I have operate the boat from 32 - 90 degree temps during the season. Now the big question. What oil should I be using? I would like to use an oil that is easilly available like M1 , PP etc. I would like to get through the season without an oil change. I may add bypass filtration (Baldwin 1305 and B50) or should I just look for a high quality full flow filter and be done?
 
I would and have run in my boat when I had it Delo 400 , Rotella .Delvac 1300. If you want to run syn oil Amsoil 15w/40 Diesel Marine oil would be a top choice. I am not sure a bypass is necessary ,probably depends on the hours used per year.
 
I don't really understand why a straight weight is suggested for most applications; anyone know why? Further, why such a range on the ambient temps? Are you running it as a charter, rescue craft or what? Most people don't willingly hit the water when it's 40 deg!

What of the cooling system? Is it open or closed loop? That might explain some of the temp variation. Still - it's a LC engine, so temps shouldn't vary THAT much.

I would think that a HDEO would be perfect; depending on hours of total for the season either 15w40 for the whole period, or if an OCI is needed, perhaps 10w-30 in the cold and 15w40 in the warm?

Presuming the 351 is a Windsor based engine, it's got a fairly good oil system; no known significant weaknesses. I would think that reasonable OCI's and a quality FF filter would do fine.
 
dnewton3, It is a Windsor, Fresh water cooled, 170 thermostat. My fishing season starts about now and goes into December (striper mostly). No charter just recrational. The oil is exposed to the high Summer temps and last fall I shoveled snow out of the boat to go out. All one OCI 100 hrs if I can stretch it that much.
 
I would think a good quality brand name HDEO (Rotella, Delo, Delvac, etc.) would be fit for trial. There are many other good brands, but those seem to be the "big three" in HDEO.

Some of the joy of being a BITOGER is living vicariously through others. Perhaps you can run 50 hours on a dino HDEO, then pull a UOA and see how it's performing? I read your post on the BP system. Sounds like it would be easy for you to set up a oil sample port.

If you're going to do UOA's, you'll be better served with choosing one oil brand for a while and sticking with it. Swapping oil brands is not at all bad for an engine; it's hard to get consistent UOA results due to some of the chemistry interation between brands.

How much of the engine operation time is spent idling versus running up on plane? If you're trolling, I'd keep an eye out for fuel dilution as well, in the UOA.

Boat motors are a bit different because of corrosion concerns, and not so much by operational design. Running a boat once up on plane is not really any harder on the engine than a light duty truck pulling a 12K pound 5th wheel into a headwind at 65 mph; in fact, I'd say it's easier, but sometimes more bumpy.

Since you're in a marine enviroment, general corrosion is a greater concern. In that regard, perhaps a CI-4+ over a CJ-4, only because the higher TBN of the former might help a tad in the "wetter" environment?
 
dnewton3, I follow so far,remember I am new here. What if I wanted to go with synthetic? (Delvac1, or a Mobil1). The reason I ask is... I am at the point of selecting the correct prop. The correct pitch so the engine turns up to it's rated RPM. While talking with the prop manufacturer, they spoke of some testing that was done a while back, the tests indicated the same engine run with synthetic would turn 100-150 RPM more at wide open throttle. I do not know what oils were tested at the time but they said the Mobil 1 resulted in the highest RPM increase.

Most of the time I run around 2800-3000 RPM Not much trolling except when I am looking at the bottom for fish or structure. And it can get bumpy.
 
Straight weight oils are recommended due to the "lack " of viscosity improvers which can in long periods of steady state rpm promote ring sticking.. Also they "protect" better under the high loads of marine use. The later HDEOS stand up well in the marine use. That is why The Amsoil diesel Marine is the way to go if a syn oil is used "no viscosity improvers".





















'.
 
As was mentioned a good HDEO like Delo, RTS, Delvac, etc. are great oils for the money. When I still used the boat I rain 40wt HDEO in the two 460's. The problem I've had with multi-weight oils is if you have an application where you need high power all the time the skirts will scuff terribly when the engine is cold. My boat is fairly heavy and you can't really run low enough power while it's warming up. The other thing to consider is that a boat spends the majority of it's time at operating temps, boats typically don't get short tripped like a car engine so cold wear is not as significant.

In most pleasure boat gas engine applications a 5/15w40 diesel oil will work great, just take it easy while it's warming up.
 
So far it sounds like this. Delvac1300 15W40. May still add bypass since it would be an easy install and I can get the Baldwin filters dirt cheap. OCI at 50 hrs. Why does no one recomend synthetic other than Amsiol?
 
What is neat about Amsoil Diesel Marine 15w/40 is there are no viscosity improvers in it,the 15w/40 is done by the base oil blend. if I were to run a syn in a boat the Diesel Marine is the oil I would use. Though any HDEO would work. I recommended syn again.
 
Redline and Royal Purple also make SAE 15w40 synthetic diesel oils.

Most other companies make 5w40 synthetic diesel oils, which need some VII in them.
 
With the money you have already laid out, I would wonder why anyone would recommend you short change the oil. Amsoil has the base stocks and add pack that justifies the recommendation.
 
Originally Posted By: artificialist
Redline and Royal Purple also make SAE 15w40 synthetic diesel oils.

Most other companies make 5w40 synthetic diesel oils, which need some VII in them.
You want a H.D.E.O. not a diesel oil.
 
Originally Posted By: JackFish
Changing the oil in a boat is a pain in the butt.
I'd go with the Amsoil just for the longest OCI possible.
It is not hard at all if done correctly.
 
Originally Posted By: waterskier
I am a new member and spent quite a while researching this and then I found your site.
I just installed a new 351 EFI in my boat. I have gone through the 25 hr break in period and want to switch over to a synthetic oil. The manufacturer recomends a 40W40 above 50 degrees F, 30W30 between 32 and 50 degrees, or multi weight for colder conditions. I have operate the boat from 32 - 90 degree temps during the season. Now the big question. What oil should I be using? I would like to use an oil that is easilly available like M1 , PP etc. I would like to get through the season without an oil change. I may add bypass filtration (Baldwin 1305 and B50) or should I just look for a high quality full flow filter and be done?



I have a 351 W in my truck (not quite the same environment). For your application I would look at Amsoil ACD 10W-30 / SAE 30 and an Amsoil EaO-15 oil filter. This setup should last you a whole season.
 
Mercury Marine, while they use Chevrolet engines, discourage the use of synthetic oils. Perhaps from concerns about corrosion; were some synthetics don't do well.
They do offer a 'blend' under their own brand name. 25W-40 IIRC.
So I would suggest a 15w40 or 15W-50 of either conventional or synthetic. And keep an eye out for any possible corrosion if your on the salt water at all.
 
Originally Posted By: Steve S
Originally Posted By: artificialist
Redline and Royal Purple also make SAE 15w40 synthetic diesel oils.

Most other companies make 5w40 synthetic diesel oils, which need some VII in them.
You want a H.D.E.O. not a diesel oil.


I would probably state that as "mixed fleet" and not just the "C" spec.
 
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