SteveB wrote:

Can someone give me the short answer on if this TC-WII Johnson oil is good
to use in my '89 Merc 4 cyl TWO STROKE motor?
Is there a discernable difference between TC-WII and TC-W3 oil?

Very Quickly then...

TCW = Two cycle water cooled. That means it's an 'ashless' oil and
should NEVER be run in PWC type engines. It also means you NEVER run a
lawnmower or chain saw oil in your outboard. I am NOT going to
entertain debate about what's hype what's crap etc. I will simply state
the following:

I have been inside engines for all of my adult life (and all my teens
too I guess) and can tell you there IS a difference. Just because an oil
meets the spec, doesn't mean it's the best oil you can buy. OEM oils
have more beneficial additives in them than straight spec non-OEM stuff.
Do they make their own oil? No, but they require the oil companies to
make their oil to their spec, and further prevent them from selling that
spec oil as aftermarket. Does it cost that much extra to make? Nope, but
there is no middle ground. You want their special additive packages that
costs an extra nickel, you get to pay through the nose - no argument there.

In final answer to your question, if you have TCW-2 oil, it's VERY old
and worth 50 cents less than you paid for it. ;-)

Now stop being so damn cheap and go enjoy your boat will ya? ;-)

--
Regards,
Dave Brown
Brown's Marina Ltd
http://brownsmarina.com/