Oil change frequency?
 

I know this question has come up in years past but I'll ask it again.

My diesel (Volvo MD2B) now has about 200 hrs and I changed the oil at 50
hrs. I changed it again yesterday, just because it had been over a year
since the last oil change.

Beyond the 50 hr break-in oil change recommendation, I find no further
guidance in the owners manual.

What is the normal change frequency for a sail boat aux. engine when it is
in frequent use. (cruising with daily operation)??

FWIW. I'm using Shell Rotella-T 15w40 and change the filter each time.

Thanks,

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

I change once a year as a minimum. In addition, I try to change every
hundred hours, and its nice to do an extra change towards the end of
the season, so it sits over the winter with clean oil. The result of
all this for me is one change in the spring after launch, an usually
one in the fall when I return from my last trip.

IIRC, my manual advices every 150 hours.

Steve wrote:
I know this question has come up in years past but I'll ask it again.

My diesel (Volvo MD2B) now has about 200 hrs and I changed the oil at 50
hrs. I changed it again yesterday, just because it had been over a year
since the last oil change.

Beyond the 50 hr break-in oil change recommendation, I find no further
guidance in the owners manual.

What is the normal change frequency for a sail boat aux. engine when it is
in frequent use. (cruising with daily operation)??

FWIW. I'm using Shell Rotella-T 15w40 and change the filter each time.

Thanks,

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

In article ,
"Steve" wrote:

I know this question has come up in years past but I'll ask it again.

My diesel (Volvo MD2B) now has about 200 hrs and I changed the oil at 50
hrs. I changed it again yesterday, just because it had been over a year
since the last oil change.

Beyond the 50 hr break-in oil change recommendation, I find no further
guidance in the owners manual.

What is the normal change frequency for a sail boat aux. engine when it is
in frequent use. (cruising with daily operation)??

FWIW. I'm using Shell Rotella-T 15w40 and change the filter each time.

Thanks,

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

HI Steve, with most diesel engines that have presure oiling and oil
filters, the standard is 200 hours max for lubeoil and filter. Then
if you don't put 200 hurs on the engine in any one year, do an oil
change at the end of each season. This leaves fresh oil in the engine
during winter layup and no acid buildup from high sulfur fuel while
the engine just sits. With a non-pressure Lube system, and no oil
filter, then it is every 50 hours of operation, and a fresh oil change
at the end of the season in preperation for winter layup.


Bruce in alaska
--
add a 2 before @

Question Why does it matter if you store your boat with dirty oil??

Jeff wrote:

I change once a year as a minimum. In addition, I try to change every
hundred hours, and its nice to do an extra change towards the end of
the season, so it sits over the winter with clean oil. The result of
all this for me is one change in the spring after launch, an usually
one in the fall when I return from my last trip.

IIRC, my manual advices every 150 hours.

Steve wrote:
I know this question has come up in years past but I'll ask it again.

My diesel (Volvo MD2B) now has about 200 hrs and I changed the oil at 50
hrs. I changed it again yesterday, just because it had been over a year
since the last oil change.

Beyond the 50 hr break-in oil change recommendation, I find no further
guidance in the owners manual.

What is the normal change frequency for a sail boat aux. engine when it is
in frequent use. (cruising with daily operation)??

FWIW. I'm using Shell Rotella-T 15w40 and change the filter each time.

Thanks,

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Dry wrote in news:42AF52F5.C5E6A769
@ns.sympatico.ca:

Question Why does it matter if you store your boat with dirty oil??



I was told it contained acids that could damage your engine. Clean oil
sitting for long periods isn't supposed to do that. Kirk.

On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 06:34:31 -0700, "Steve" wrote:

I know this question has come up in years past but I'll ask it again.

My diesel (Volvo MD2B) now has about 200 hrs and I changed the oil at 50
hrs. I changed it again yesterday, just because it had been over a year
since the last oil change.

Beyond the 50 hr break-in oil change recommendation, I find no further
guidance in the owners manual.

What is the normal change frequency for a sail boat aux. engine when it is
in frequent use. (cruising with daily operation)??

FWIW. I'm using Shell Rotella-T 15w40 and change the filter each time.

Thanks,

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Each 100 hours, or on the eve of layup for winter would be sensible,
and not exceptionally expensive.

Brian Whatcott

That's relatively easy. Sulphur is a valuable extreme pressure
lubricant component, but an exceptionally unwelcome ingredient
in sump oil with water of combustion and condensation, for
the dilute acid which is evolved

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 21:57:57 GMT, Dry wrote:

Question Why does it matter if you store your boat with dirty oil??

Jeff wrote:

I change once a year as a minimum. In addition, I try to change every
hundred hours, and its nice to do an extra change towards the end of
the season, so it sits over the winter with clean oil. The result of
all this for me is one change in the spring after launch, an usually
one in the fall when I return from my last trip.

IIRC, my manual advices every 150 hours.

Steve wrote:
I know this question has come up in years past but I'll ask it again.

My diesel (Volvo MD2B) now has about 200 hrs and I changed the oil at 50
hrs. I changed it again yesterday, just because it had been over a year
since the last oil change.

Beyond the 50 hr break-in oil change recommendation, I find no further
guidance in the owners manual.

What is the normal change frequency for a sail boat aux. engine when it is
in frequent use. (cruising with daily operation)??

FWIW. I'm using Shell Rotella-T 15w40 and change the filter each time.

Thanks,

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Dave wrote:
On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 12:05:31 -0400, Jeff said:


so it sits over the winter with clean oil. The result of
all this for me is one change in the spring after launch, an usually
one in the fall when I return from my last trip.


Let me get this straight. You put in that nice clean oil in the fall, and
then drain that nice clean oil and replace it in the spring? What am I
missing here?

I guess you're missing out on proper maintenance of a diesel engine.

So what's your point? That I'm wasting $4 on two extra quarts of oil
a year? Are you claiming my engines are "too clean"? I'll admit that
this is a "belt and braces" approach, but I'd rather err on the being
more conservative when it comes to oil changes. Diesels push a lot of
carbon into the oil, and this is reduces the efficiency of the oil,
not breakdown. So it seems to me it hard to have an engine that's too
clean.

And if you let your engine sit all winter with dirty oil, you're
really doing it a real disservice. The sulfur in the fuel turns into
sulphuric acid, which should not be left to eat away the bearings.

Actually, my habit of both spring and fall changes is because I've
been used to doing changes in the spring on gas engines. When I
realized the special need of diesels, it was easy to add to the
routine than change it.

I just got one posting from this tread so my questions may have already been
answered.
I have hear of this practice being done.
What grade and viscosity of oil are you using? Is the oil filter replaced
every season or after x number of running hours?

"Dave" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 19:08:22 -0400, Jeff said:

Let me get this straight. You put in that nice clean oil in the fall,
and
then drain that nice clean oil and replace it in the spring? What am I
missing here?

I guess you're missing out on proper maintenance of a diesel engine.

So what's your point? That I'm wasting $4 on two extra quarts of oil
a year? Are you claiming my engines are "too clean"? I'll admit that
this is a "belt and braces" approach, but I'd rather err on the being
more conservative when it comes to oil changes. Diesels push a lot of
carbon into the oil, and this is reduces the efficiency of the oil,
not breakdown. So it seems to me it hard to have an engine that's too
clean.

The point should be obvious with a moment of thought. Just how much carbon
does that diesel create while sitting idle over the winter filled with
clean
oil? Your theory is that filling the engine with clean oil in the fall,
draining that clean oil in the spring and refilling with clean oil is
giving
the engine an oil bath? And that this annual oil bath is essential to
proper
maintenance of a diesel engine? A novel theory. Do you do the same thing
with your car? Change the oil, and then immediately change the oil again
so
as to give the engine a bath?

Silly argument. Oil is cheap. Engines are not. To err on the side of excess
does no harm and may do some good.

Besides, when you change the oil in spring that you put in in the fall you
must first run the enine and bring it up to operating temperature to reduce
the viscosity of the oil so you can get it out. This serves several purposes.
The engine doesn't just sit there over the winter. It aspirates and water
condenses inside it. Because you have clean oil in there that water does not
form bearing-eating acid. The additives in the clean oil neutralize the acids.
Then running the engine with the fall oil flushes all operating parts. The
spring oil works fine over the summer because the engine is often at operating
temperature and condensation is little problem.

And yes, I have indeed chnaged the oil and then immnediatley chnaged it again.
Can't quite remember why but it certainly did no harm at small expense.

As for my car, it's a diesel too. It works very, very hard and I let my
mechanic look after it.

To repeat: Oil is cheap. Engines are not.

As for grade, Castrol Heavy Duty SAE 30. No multi-viscosity. That's for the
car. Why? Car engine runs from 800 RPM to 4,000 RPM and back over and over.
Boat engine, except when idling, runs a constant 2,100 RPM.