Which 2-stroke oil...

Observer · 06 September 2004, 09:08

... for Yamaha 90?

I have always used Quicksilver but have 5 litres of Comma 2-stroke oil which is labelled:

"Low ash, monograde oil for 2 stoke petrol engines (motorcycles, mopeds, cars, chain saws, lawnmowers and small air cooled outboards etc.)
Helps prevent plug whiskering.

Service Classification: API TC CEC: TSC-3 SAE30"

Is this OK to use or should I stick with Quicksilver?

MeMe · 06 September 2004, 09:43

......you know. Although Quicksilver ain't cheap, it's bloody good stuff. How much is the other stuff ? I'm currently paying £19.99 for 5 litres although I've seen it at £21.99.

Nemo · 06 September 2004, 13:21

I have tried the comma two stroke oil and i have to say it aint as good as Quicksilver. I found that the performance was not as good and the plugs did foul up alot quicker so my conclusion is stick with the Quicksilver.

Plus

If you read the quicksilver packaging it says in is combustable which i asume it does not just lubricate it has some additive to make it burn with the petrol!

Nemo

Not the brightest bulb in the box

codprawn · 06 September 2004, 13:25

All oils burn! some just more so than others!!!

Richard B · 06 September 2004, 13:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Observer

I... have 5 litres of Comma 2-stroke oil... Is this OK to use or should I stick with Quicksilver?

Don't use it... it's not the correct stuff. Use only TCW-3 spec oil in marine outboards. I'm told that the Comma stuff will burn at a higher temperature.

codprawn · 06 September 2004, 18:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard B

Don't use it... it's not the correct stuff. Use only TCW-3 spec oil in marine outboards. I'm told that the Comma stuff will burn at a higher temperature.

Good point but remember a lot of the TCW-3 spec is for environmental reasons for boats using inland waters!

Tight Fart · 06 September 2004, 18:20

Motorcycle 2 strokes rev a lot higher than outboards and are higher tuned.
They do not use inferior oil, I would have thought the only difference would be for emmissions. With the exhaust exiting in the water the residue left from the oil is probably the difference.

Rogue Wave · 07 September 2004, 07:00

If you wanted to save money then I would buy shell Nautilus oil. Comma oil isn't famous in the Marine industry and you should use the right spec oil.

how much did your motor cost/is it worth?.

If you really want to save money and on the basis that all oil burns then I have a couple of thousand litres of Derv ,,,,come and help yourself to a Gallon or three!

Searider · 07 September 2004, 10:21

As it says above - the correct oil for conventional two stroke outboards is TCW-3. I believe that the W stands for water cooled. A water cooled engine will run much cooler than an air cooled engine and needs a different oil. This is probably to reduce plug fouling and gumming up of other parts but I am only assuming this.

Have just bought some Esso TCW-3 for £2.50 per litre in my local chandlery. However it is green rather than blue - does this mean that I will get green smoke?

Duncan

Observer · 07 September 2004, 11:29

Thanks for replies. I'm not looking to save money. Just happened to inherit this oil from a friend who I think used it for go-kart engines. I was a bit dubious about using it - thus this thread. Based on above, I'll stick with the Quicksilver.

Austen · 16 March 2005, 12:34

I know that I am adding this to an old thread….

I have recently got my engine back after a complete rebuild by one of Mr Yamaha’s best

I only had the thing for a few weeks before it broke.

Everything but the impellor has been replaced. I was quite happy just to purchase some Quicksilver Standard 2-Stroke TSW-3, add it to the 2” left in the boat and go, that was until I was out with a company the had recently taken over 4 2year old boats with 2-stroke Merc’s.

He told me how the managed to right off all 4 engines by mixing “standard” 2 sroke oil with QuickSilver oil, something about mixing mineral and synthetic and the oil curdling?

How can I check that I am not going to have the same problem?

Any advice would be welcome. It's a 250Hpdi

Austen…

thorper · 16 March 2005, 12:48

Austen - we've used exclusively quicksilver oil for the 180 hours on our 200 HPDI with no issues at all. Andy also used it on his old Yam V4 115 - its not that cheap (cheaper than Opti oil though!!) but does the job.

Ricky

Austen · 16 March 2005, 12:55

Thanks Thorper,

I do intend to use either Quicksilver or Yamaha.

My concern is that I don’t know for sure what is already in the oil tank, am I going to have problems if I start using Quicksilver etc?

Austen…

Richard B · 29 March 2005, 20:46

Austen, we've mixed several different brands of two-stroke for our 200 HPDI without problems - we've used Quicksilver Premium, Shell Nautilus and Repsol, all TCW-3.

However, we have very different engines - ours is the 2.6 litre and yours is the 3.3 litre I believe, and you need to take great care with how you run and maintain the 3.3 litre motors. I suggest that you give the Marine Section at Yamaha Motor UK a call on 01932 358045 (Darren Hall is very helpful, but they will all assist). I guess that they will recommend YamaLube RL, I wonder what they will say about mixing different oils?

I'm intrigued that "Everything but the impellor has been replaced" - after our incident with impeller failure failure last year: http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread....light=impeller

Austen · 30 March 2005, 14:35

Richard,

I have spent hours & hours getting to know things in the RYA Day Skipper etc, nobody told me that I had to be a Marine Engineer to own a boat!

To cut a very long story short :-

(3rd Trip out Dec 03) I was showing off my new boat (new to me) to the instructors at the RYA training centre, I had just passed over the helm when the boat slowed from a steady 38Kts to 28Kts, I thought that Terry had slowed on purpose.

The engine then just stopped.. dead! I got the normal “you have run out of fuel” & “who didn’t check the 2-stroke oil?”. After the initial piss taking, everything was checked and found to be in order.

The engine would turn-over, not a hint at trying to start!

At least I got a free lesion in towing & recovering a stranded boat!

The initial feeling was that the filters were blocked, fuel contamination. Towed the boat back home and then round to my local Yamaha dealer.

(March 04) Dealer confirms no problem with the filters….. metal around the base of the spark plugs on the top 3 cylinders!

Yamaha inspect the engine block…. and wrote it off! Over heating issues on the top cylinders…. No warning, no alarms… nothing.. just stopped

After a lot of phone calls and visits…… I get a phone call from the yard suggesting that while the gearbox is off, they should replace the impeller as this is the ONLY component that was not replaced under warranty, I also got them to replace the gearbox seals.

Got the boat back (Oct 04), haven’t been around much to use the boat, until now!

I am a little concerned that all I can do is trust the dealer(s) have completed the work properly. I have now way of checking that the Over-heat is working or installed! It didn’t work last time and yet it was supplied by one of the biggest Yamaha dealers on the south coast!

Anyway, thanks for the advice about the oil, I will be calling Yamaha to ask there advice. Just out of curiosity, why does the 3.3Ltr take more looking after than the 2.6?

codprawn · 30 March 2005, 15:10

Looks like the people moaning about Yamaha engines and saying the powerheads were crap aren't far wrong???

Maybe this should have been posted as a seperate thread or in addition to the one about the 300hpdi not long ago!!!

Austen · 30 March 2005, 15:16

Quote:

Looks like the people moaning about Yamaha engines and saying the powerheads were crap aren't far wrong???

I never said that!..... did I?

codprawn · 30 March 2005, 17:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austen

I never said that!..... did I?

No but.....

At first when I read about people having problems with the big Yamahas I was rather sceptical but then more people started saying the same and then your post makes me think there maybe it is not just rumours after all.

Slaphead · 11 April 2005, 12:00

Thank God for Ribnet forums- I had bought 25lt of Comma 2 stroke oil a few years back thinking it would be okay to use it in my 3 year old Mariner 60.
Luckily I never got round to using it-yet!

codprawn · 11 April 2005, 12:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaphead

Thank God for Ribnet forums- I had bought 25lt of Comma 2 stroke oil a few years back thinking it would be okay to use it in my 3 year old Mariner 60.
Luckily I never got round to using it-yet!

Why what is wrong with it? Depends on the spec. Remember some oils are not advised for outboards because they aren't environmently friendly!!!

Some oils aren't suitable for outboards because they lack corrosion inhibitors etc which are needed AFTER use. In fact such oils are mentioned as being ok if the engine is raced as it will be treated properly after use.

I am sure if that comma oil(which is prob made in the same factory as duckhams/castrol) is ok to use in a high performance motorbike it will be in your old tech mariner.