Any Synthetic Oil Users Here?

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For me, the discussion ends there. While I'm sure the debate will continue, as far as I'm concerned, and for the engines we run (FL120s), Art's statement is the only one that bears remembering and adhering to.

Bob Smith told me a number of years ago that FL120s in service with the Washington State Ferry System ran in excess of 25,000 hours before needing a core overhaul. And that the same engine, operated, serviced, and maintained properly in recreational boat service is a 12,000 to 14,000 hour engine. In both cases, the engine earned this reputation on conventional oil if for no other reason than viable synthetics were not available back then.

I agree with Eric that while synthetics may have some advantages over conventional oils these advantages are in reality probably minimal to zip when it comes to the kinds of engines most of us run in our boats and the way we run them. Which means that using synthetics, while it may be technically advantageous in some tiny way, really makes no difference in reality other than to one's wallet.

A modern, high-reving, constantly-load-changing, close-tolerance engine in a vehicle is a different situation altogether. For the two new vehicles we own for which synthetic oil is specifically called for in the operators manual, we run the called-for synthetic and I would not put convernional oil in them for love nore money (although the Subaru manual states that conventional oils can be used "in an emergency and only for short periods" after which it must be replaced with the specified synthetic oil).

So while this thread seems to be a lively armchair discussion I think the only thing that's been said in it that's really worth heeding is Art's statement that I started this post with. That's my take on it all, anyway.

I could add, change filters more frequently. But I agree with that statement also.
 
OMG Art's a convert. What kind of religion was that Art? ......... oh yea synthetic oil. Interesting old 1976 PM article. It's true. It's true. There's more religion in oil than anchors. And the most religious anchor man has turned up his nose completely on synthetic oil. Next generation anchors are the true religion and next generation oil is like the religions of the middle east. All kidding aside ...........................................

Cgaig S,
Never heard of filter "by pass". Must be when a filter gets so full of stuff it won't flow enough oil so a pressure relief valve "by passes" the oil. What else could it be? I think you're telling us that a filter can get plugged w normal operation. Very hard to believe Craig. But I'm open ..... not to propaganda like Art though. At least he says he's going to do some research. That link you posted is pure commercial propaganda and as such may not even be appropriate on this forum. But they let boat brokers post commercial links so why not you?
I really am open and have bought into some of the most extreme products available and will use synthetic oil if I think it's best. But I'll have to thumb my nose at a very large and well established body of engineers, engine manufacturers and commercial users that have little tendency to buy into anything that isn't 100% objective and well proven. The military is an objective group that gets into many very extreme conditions that prompts them to use synthetic oil and since they started the whole thing w syn oil that should be believable.
There are some car manufacturers that use and recommend syn oil but that is 100% for the high temp of turbos and otherwise car manufacturers are 100% w dino oil.

Personally I need to find out about filter capacity and expected accumulation rates in diesel engines first before I research synthetic oil and even then I doubt if I'll see a need great enough to warrant time spent doing research for something I'm 95% sure I'll not be needing. I'll wait and hear what Art uncovers in his new travels as a research engineer for Trawler Forum.
 
OMG Art's a convert. What kind of religion was that Art? ......... oh yea synthetic oil.

I'll wait and hear what Art uncovers in his new travels as a research engineer for Trawler Forum.

GEEEEZZZ Eric - Talk bout being put on Da Spot! :facepalm: lol :D

Don't hold yer breath on my lube reports - I've been using HQ dino oil for decades, good additives too. And, although 75% ready to try syn oil... the last 25% could take years... may never reach 100%. I will however let cha know if I get more info worth a darn on dino - vs - syn... or God forbid, I take the plunge into syn at an early date! Would da big G consider that a sin! - LOL
 
Some tricks for diesel boat owners, Cold starts are hard on engines that sit between start ups, Most engine ware comes from the lack of lubrication on bearings and cylinder thrust surfaces on cold starts, The cold oil viscosity will open the oil filter by pass valve allowing un filtered oil thru the system, Not good... The use of engine block heaters even in warm temps helps a lot, This allows for filtered oil on start up and reduces engine idle time which causes carbon build up + helps with condensation on machined surfaces, You can reduce the load on dry engine surfaces 10x by holding the engine fuel stop and crank the engine with out it starting for 20 seconds, This pre lubes the main and rods bearings and in some engines may provide some cylinder wall lube, This is a time tested procedure and will extend engine efficiency and life span with little to no cost and will work with dino or synth oils, Some synth oils may provide some protection from cold starts but i have not gone thru all the data and they sell engine pre lube kits that work but there is a cost involved. My thoughts are you should save your money and clean your fuel system cause that's where the carbon comes from and carbon eats engines. :D
 
OMG Art's a convert. What kind of religion was that Art? ......... oh yea synthetic oil. Interesting old 1976 PM article. It's true. It's true. There's more religion in oil than anchors. And the most religious anchor man has turned up his nose completely on synthetic oil. Next generation anchors are the true religion and next generation oil is like the religions of the middle east. All kidding aside ...........................................

Cgaig S,
Never heard of filter "by pass". Must be when a filter gets so full of stuff it won't flow enough oil so a pressure relief valve "by passes" the oil. What else could it be? I think you're telling us that a filter can get plugged w normal operation. Very hard to believe Craig. But I'm open ..... not to propaganda like Art though. At least he says he's going to do some research. That link you posted is pure commercial propaganda and as such may not even be appropriate on this forum. But they let boat brokers post commercial links so why not you?
I really am open and have bought into some of the most extreme products available and will use synthetic oil if I think it's best. But I'll have to thumb my nose at a very large and well established body of engineers, engine manufacturers and commercial users that have little tendency to buy into anything that isn't 100% objective and well proven. The military is an objective group that gets into many very extreme conditions that prompts them to use synthetic oil and since they started the whole thing w syn oil that should be believable.
There are some car manufacturers that use and recommend syn oil but that is 100% for the high temp of turbos and otherwise car manufacturers are 100% w dino oil.

Personally I need to find out about filter capacity and expected accumulation rates in diesel engines first before I research synthetic oil and even then I doubt if I'll see a need great enough to warrant time spent doing research for something I'm 95% sure I'll not be needing. I'll wait and hear what Art uncovers in his new travels as a research engineer for Trawler Forum.



Eric, The oil filter by pass valve operates on a pressure differential or drop thru the filter, When the filter is clogged or the oil viscosity is high the valve opens allowing un filtered oil thru the engine, It is the lesser of too evils, dirty oil is better than no oil, oil filter capacity depends on size and media used. hope this helps.
 
You can reduce the load on dry engine surfaces 10x by holding the engine fuel stop and crank the engine with out it starting for 20 seconds, This pre lubes the main and rods bearings and in some engines may provide some cylinder wall lube, This is a time tested procedure and will extend engine efficiency and life span with little to no cost and will work with dino or synth oils. :D

Craig - I could not agree more! Thanks for posting that manner of engine wear reduction. Hands-Down It Really Works! :thumb:

There have been threads on TF - couple years ago before current forum owners - where I was basically called a nut that just wanted to ruin starters by using them too much for this type of bearing-pre-lube technique. What I can say is: I learned to do this from an expert marine mechanic in the late 1950's... as a kid on LI NY. And, I've replaced a few inexpensive starters in my time - BUT - I nearly never have had to replace or rebuild my engines after 100's K miles on the road or many 1000's hours of use on the water... because I use best lubes/filters, change lubes often... AND, before every start, pre lube internal surfaces by reaching oil pressure using starter only, before letting engine fire off and begin placing real loads on bearings etc! :D
 
Maybe sunchaser could shed more light on it. He seems to have a heavy equipment background

My big fleet experience spans over 45 years with the largest engines up to 4000 HP. I've had legions of lubrication engineers and the best of diesel designers walk me through decades of dyno testing and real lubrication progress as oil life has been extended way beyond what diesels of the 60s were using, largely due to better lub systems, filters, oils and lower sulfur fuels. Warranty adherence is essential rendering synthetic way too costly to use. Unless of course the warranty hours between rebuilds is extended to pay for the extra tens of thousands of dollars for syn use per engine during a 2 to 3 year life at 24/7.

As of yet, few if any major diesel engine mfrs allow a longer period between oil changes when using syn vs dino due to logging (detailed software programs) oil analysis for loading of sulfates, acids, particulates, metals, C (soot), water etc. Oil filtering systems are designed to trap the big particles while letting the submicron pass, which is why our oil turns black due to very fine and harmless "carbon black."

As Marin, Art and most others seem to agree, my advice is to go by the book and change oil and filters per recommendations, remembering that syn does not necessarily extend the hours between changes. Of course if you shorten your life by 25% by using "extended life" (says who?) syn this means you will rebuild your Lehman at 12,000 rather than 16,000 hours - so use your synthetic and feel good!

BTW, my 2003 Perkins Sabres/Cat 3056 engines have a 400 hour by the book oil change interval when using low sulfur fuels and 200 hours when using higher sulfur fuels. These higher hours as compared to say 30 years ago are due to engine oil passaage design and lots of oil filter capacity.
 
I'm on a serious search now to find out more about syn oil... before I actually try it out. Currently there is a 75% + chance that I will eventually try syn oil. Before this thread the chance was 10% -... Quite a turn in position! :socool:

I'm with you on this, Art. My chance of trying it on the next oil change is about 98%, however. I can see no downside in the experiment. Rest assured that I will photo/document things as they are now before changing to a synthetic.

For those who know me personally, it's projects, widgets, etc. like this that give me the biggest kick out of boating. (And besides, if I wreck my engine in the process, I'll be on Capthead's doorstep (swimstep?) with my lawyer. :whistling:)
 
I've got just a bit more time Craig S,

Not to be argumentative or overly critical Craig but I don't really think "cold starts" are bad at all. Heard it at least 100000000 times but never anything very scientific to support it. "cold oil will open the by-pass valve and cause unfiltered oil to flow into the engine" ........ never heard of such a thing.

The crank for 20 seconds to pre-lube is a great idea and have done that for years. Never crank for more than 10 seconds at a time though. I wait for about a minute between cranks.

Clean the fuel system? As in old fuel half gelled ect?

"carbon eats engines"? That's what I've been say'in but it's just what I've heard. But maybe I read it when I was a powerhouse operating engineer. Had lots of industry type magazines in the office. Re sunchaser's comments it seems the carbon goes through the filter and is harmless and not abrasive as I had thought. Perhaps it turns to sludge and sludge eats engines. In the powerhouse we had an in house oil "re-refiner" that filtered the used oil w a lot of heat, pressure and much filtration. It was cost effective as we were in the bush in western Alaska and it cost less to "re-refine" than to buy and ship.

So far what I've got out of this thread is to minimize even further the multi-vis oils I use and to consider getting a py-pass filter for Willy.
 
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I've got just a bit more time Craig S,

Not to be argumentative or overly critical Craig but I don't really think "cold starts" are bad at all. Heard it at least 100000000 times but never anything very scientific to support it. "cold oil will open the by-pass valve and cause unfiltered oil to flow into the engine" ........ never heard of such a thing.

The crank for 20 seconds to pre-lube is a great idea and have done that for years. Never crank for more than 10 seconds at a time though. I wait for about a minute between cranks.

Clean the fuel system? As in old fuel half gelled ect?

"carbon eats engines"? That's what I've been say'in but it's just what I've heard. But maybe I read it when I was a powerhouse operating engineer. Had lots of industry type magazines in the office. Re sunchaser's comments it seems the carbon goes through the filter and is harmless and not abrasive as I had thought. Perhaps it turns to sludge and sludge eats engines. In the powerhouse we had an in house oil "re-refiner" that filtered the used oil w a lot of heat, pressure and much filtration. It was cost effective as we were in the bush in western Alaska and it cost less to "re-refine" than to buy and ship.

So far what I've got out of this thread is to minimize even further the multi-vis oils I use and to consider getting a py-pass filter for Willy.


To start I think that argumentative and critical are good things in these posts, they only lead to more info :thumb: There is so much data on cold starts I wont go there now but remember boats are not cars and the length of time between starts if a major factor, Pre lubing on the starter motor has many variables as to the amount of time to turn the starter, It can take 30 seconds for some engines or 10 on others, engine design and oil gauge location play a large part, I have bleed 1000s of diesels where The starter had to turn for over 30 seconds and yes starter cool down is important. As well as stored cranking amps and voltage. Now the carbon thing, Did I mention that carbon eats engines.:D Lets start with black oil, That is mostly from soot from incomplete combustion from the FUEL that is burning in the cylinders, The soot gets there from blow by gasses that push past the piston rings and thru the ring end gaps, Soot is small and softer than carbon and for the most part just makes a mess, The soot is usually smaller than the micron rating of most oil filters so it just recirculates thru the engine, some soot will coagulate in the oil filter to block the pores in the filter media over time, some diesel oils add chemicals to aid the bonding of soot, Now for carbon, Carbon lives in all hydrocarbon fuels cant get around it, Carbon is some really cool stuff in fact its one of the hardest substances known to this planet given enough heat and pressure, Now here is where carbon is not real cool, When a diesel is new and clean fuel is injected into a engine cylinder the fuel is atomised into a very fine spray that that mixes with the hot air from compression ignition to start the burn to expand the fuel into a gas under very high pressure and push down on the piston to make power, Now we have some carbon and some heat and some pressure, Most of the carbon will be exhausted thru the exhaust valve but not all, providing we have good clean FUEL, enough clean air, good fuel injector spray patterns and good cylinder ring seal the engine will preform fairly efficiently for a long period of time or predicted volume of fuel, here is where things start to mess up, Dirty Fuel or old out of spec fuel will start to foul fuel injector tips messing up the spray pattern and the fuel burn will suffer from incomplete combustion, Incomplete combustion forms hard carbon on the piston crowns and ring lands, Small chunks of this carbon foul piston rings and get trapped between the piston and cylinder causing rapid ware and blow by , This is the start of problem, There are other factors that cause carbon from incomplete combustion, Restricted air to the cylinder, not too much of a problem on non turbo boats and LOAD. For the most part on marine diesels the load is controlled by the size of the prop, If the prop is too big or fouled the piston drop is too slow for the expansion rate of the fuel, This is when you see black smoke in your exhaust , another form of incomplete combustion and the black is.... carbon, Now when I say that carbon eats engines its up in the cylinders and rings that are most effected not so much the engine oil system however there is still hard carbon that will end up in the oil system and create ware and clog oil filters.
 
Hi, late to this party with nothing especially useful.

Of course I enjoy reading the debate amongst the usual suspects. I recall way back in 1970 buying a manual called the idiots guide to VW maintenance or some such, where the author, John Muir, recommended warming up the engine whilst rolling a cigarette and getting a good draw going before putting the vehicle in gear. A practice I still adhere to today.

Synth v. Dino? I dunno, I use synth in all my motorcycles, but those are high rev engines. I suspect we could lubricate our FL120's with YAK fat.

:)
 
............. You can reduce the load on dry engine surfaces 10x by holding the engine fuel stop and crank the engine with out it starting for 20 seconds, . ..............

Yes, but at the risk of filling the muffler with water and ingesting it into your engine.
 
Yes, but at the risk of filling the muffler with water and ingesting it into your engine.


That's a very good point on boats where the engine is close or below the water line < deep draft>, the water has to lift up to get out of the boat , At that point you would need to close the engine sea water valve to crank the engine, We use the rule never crank more than 3 / 20 second cranks with out closing the sea water valve or draining the lift muffler. On most small trawlers the exhaust elbow is well above the water line and the exhaust outlet is at or half way on the water line so a pre lube crank is safe , Its always smart to know the height of the exhaust hose in the boat just in case some one chose to run it high like under a deck coming rather then under the aft cabin floor, We re powered many a sail boat from over cranking.
 
You can reduce the load on dry engine surfaces 10x by holding the engine fuel stop and crank the engine with out it starting for 20 seconds,

Over the years I have asked a number of people in the engine manufacturing industry about this because on the surface it would seem to make sense.

The reality, according to every one of these people I've talked to over a bunch of years, is that an engine-- gas or diesel-- will crap out to the point of needing a core overhaul for some other reason LONG before the wear caused by starting an engine without "pre-lubing" it with the starter becomes anything of a factor.

In fact, they all said, the primary benefit of pre-lubing with the starter is that it fattens the wallets of the people who sell and rebuild starters.

The only truly beneficial way to reduce startup wear, they all told me, is with a proper pre-lube system that brings the oil pressure up throughout the engine before the start button is even pressed.

I had the opportunity a number of years ago to go out on a training run on the RNLI 47' motor lifeboat William Street out of Fleetwood, England. These boats, some of them slipway-launched, are kept ready to go to full throttle the moment they get underway. To that end the engine coolant in their two diesels is kept at full-up operating temperature 24/7/365 and the engines' lube oil systems are brought up to full pressure automatically prior to the starters being energized.
 
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That's a very good point on boats where the engine is close or below the water line < deep draft>, the water has to lift up to get out of the boat , At that point you would need to close the engine sea water valve to crank the engine, We use the rule never crank more than 3 / 20 second cranks with out closing the sea water valve or draining the lift muffler. On most small trawlers the exhaust elbow is well above the water line and the exhaust outlet is at or half way on the water line so a pre lube crank is safe , Its always smart to know the height of the exhaust hose in the boat just in case some one chose to run it high like under a deck coming rather then under the aft cabin floor, We re powered many a sail boat from over cranking.

It's a warning in my boat's owners manual. The way my switch is set up, I can't be in the cranking and stop mode at the same time anyway. It's spring return to the right to start, spring return to the left to stop.

Of course I could add a separate stop switch but I don't think it's important on my boat.
 
That's a very good point on boats where the engine is close or below the water line < deep draft>, the water has to lift up to get out of the boat , At that point you would need to close the engine sea water valve to crank the engine, We use the rule never crank more than 3 / 20 second cranks with out closing the sea water valve or draining the lift muffler. On most small trawlers the exhaust elbow is well above the water line and the exhaust outlet is at or half way on the water line so a pre lube crank is safe , Its always smart to know the height of the exhaust hose in the boat just in case some one chose to run it high like under a deck coming rather then under the aft cabin floor, We re powered many a sail boat from over cranking.


Not sure I would use the words "most" and safe....hate to see someone ruin their engine becasue they didn't investigate further if they agree with the pre-cranking theory.
 
Over the years I have asked a number of people in the engine manufacturing industry about this because on the surface it would seem to make sense.

The reality, according to every one of these people I've talked to over a bunch of years, is that an engine-- gas or diesel-- will crap out to the point of needing a core overhaul for some other reason LONG before the wear caused by starting an engine without "pre-lubing" it with the starter becomes anything of a factor.

In fact, they all said, the primary benefit of pre-lubing with the starter is that it fattens the wallets of the people who sell and rebuild starters.

The only truly beneficial way to reduce startup wear, they all told me, is with a proper pre-lube system that brings the oil pressure up throughout the engine before the start button is even pressed.

I had the opportunity a number of years ago to go out on a training run on the RNLI 47' motor lifeboat William Street out of Fleetwood, England. These boats, some of them slipway-launched, are kept ready to go to full throttle the moment they get underway. To that end the engine coolant in their two diesels is kept at full-up operating temperature 24/7/365 and the engines' lube oil systems are brought up to full pressure automatically prior to the starters being energized.

Two things I'd like to mention; and, one I'd like to have:

1. When starter turning flywheel brings the engine oil pressure up – Pre Start - there is no pressure exerted on bearings or cam lobes or lifter bottoms or other items from down force created by ignition explosions in cylinders... therefore, no real pressure is applied to engine parts that require lubrication.
2. Due to engine reaching oil pressure by starter turns only the bearings, cam lobes, lifter bottoms, etc have had a lubrication barrier established prior to in cylinder ignition explosions bringing real pressures applied to engine parts that require lubrication barriers.
3. Wish I had a pressure system to bring each engine's oil pressure up and flood bearing surfaces without using the starter before ignition begins inside the cylinder presures!

Seeing as you say... "RNLI 47' motor lifeboat William Street out of Fleetwood, England." brings up oil pressure automatically... to me means it must be important to them. Cause, even if they very soon after launching start engines and accelerate to high power, with coolant also pre warmed, they must have at least a moment for the engine's own oil pressure to get established.

As you can tell, I too believe in pre lube before starting an engine. :thumb:

Just sayen!
 
Thanks Craig S for the detailed and very helpful post #160.

I understand a lot more than I did before and new knowledge is always good building blocks for more knowledge.

The only thing that is still unknown to me is the capacity of the oil filter. If I change every 100 hrs what percentage of the filter remains empty when I throw it away? One way to find out would be to measure oil flow and pressure over time until the flow and pressure starts to drop. I'll bet it would be many many oil changes before that happened. I'll bet the filter is only 1/20th or less full. But I may change my mind about skipping filter changes. I'd not give it good odds though.

Ron during my troubles w the fuel system last summer my mechanic cranked the engine A LOT w the sea cock open. I was very concerned but the capacity of the lift muffler seemed endless. Eventually we started the engine and pumped it all out and all was well.

Sunchaser you aways bring a blast of common sense and honest no nonsense guidelines to keeping things on track and observing what we need to know to go boating with great confidence and the knowledge that the right course has been taken. Thanks once again Tom.
 
Not sure I would use the words "most" and safe....hate to see someone ruin their engine becasue they didn't investigate further if they agree with the pre-cranking theory.


Thanks for the heads up :thumb: As stated in the previous sentence< We use the 3 / 20 second rule > For pre lube I would only crank once for 20 seconds. In the next sentence I stated that it was a good idea to know the height of the exhaust hose in the boat, We always install the exhaust run so it will drain at least 1/2 the volume of the muffler and if for some reason we cant make the system self drain we post a sign at the helm, I think its very important for boat owners to understand the basics of the installed machinery.
 
Yes, but at the risk of filling the muffler with water and ingesting it into your engine.

That's a very good point on boats where the engine is close or below the water line < deep draft>, the water has to lift up to get out of the boat , At that point you would need to close the engine sea water valve to crank the engine, We use the rule never crank more than 3 / 20 second cranks with out closing the sea water valve or draining the lift muffler. On most small trawlers the exhaust elbow is well above the water line and the exhaust outlet is at or half way on the water line so a pre lube crank is safe , Its always smart to know the height of the exhaust hose in the boat just in case some one chose to run it high like under a deck coming rather then under the aft cabin floor, We re powered many a sail boat from over cranking.

Not sure I would use the words "most" and safe....hate to see someone ruin their engine becasue they didn't investigate further if they agree with the pre-cranking theory.

Well let’s apply some math to the problem then.

I have a Volvo Penta D2-75 engine.

I have the following data points for my SW pump:
m³/h @ RPM 1.6 @1200, 1.8@1400, 2.1@1600, 2.3@1800, 2.6@2000, 2.9@2200, 3.1@2400, 3.3@2600, 3.6@2800, 3.8@3000.

I have a data point of compression pressure of 2.95 MPa at 240rpm.

I’m going to make the assumption that this is cranking rpm (as it would be logical to test the compression pressure with the starter).

I’ll need to extrapolate backwards to get q (flow) at cranking rpm.

As it is fairly linear (and it should be as it is a positive displacement pump with slight variation due to flexible nature of the vanes and allow for some internal circulation losses), let’s assume a value of .38 m³/h at 240rpm. That is 380l/hr, 6.3l/min, or 105ml/sec. Seems reasonable based upon my observation.

I have a 90mm (3.5”) exhaust system with a Vetus NLP90 waterlock with a capacity of 10 liters. The water lock is in my keel pocket and I have approximately 70cm drop legs on the inlet from my elbow and the outlet to the slope towards the stern. This gives me a total capacity of ~18.9 liters. When draining my waterlock, I have measured ~5 liters remaining in the system when shut down, giving me a reserve capacity of 13.9 liters.

This would allow me to crank for ~132 seconds before I (theoretically) flooded my engine. ( In essence I really wouldn’t, as my discharge leg from the waterlock is really shorter than the intake leg.)

A twenty second rule as stated would give me a safety factor of 6.6. I can live with that. If Craig were to come over and work on my engine with his rule, he wouldn't flood it either. :socool:
 
Thanks Craig S for the detailed and very helpful post #160.

I understand a lot more than I did before and new knowledge is always good building blocks for more knowledge.

The only thing that is still unknown to me is the capacity of the oil filter. If I change every 100 hrs what percentage of the filter remains empty when I throw it away? One way to find out would be to measure oil flow and pressure over time until the flow and pressure starts to drop. I'll bet it would be many many oil changes before that happened. I'll bet the filter is only 1/20th or less full. But I may change my mind about skipping filter changes. I'd not give it good odds though.

Ron during my troubles w the fuel system last summer my mechanic cranked the engine A LOT w the sea cock open. I was very concerned but the capacity of the lift muffler seemed endless. Eventually we started the engine and pumped it all out and all was well.

Sunchaser you aways bring a blast of common sense and honest no nonsense guidelines to keeping things on track and observing what we need to know to go boating with great confidence and the knowledge that the right course has been taken. Thanks once again Tom.

Eric I think most small automotive type oil filters hold between 15 to 30 grams of trash, The only way to see the % of filter left would be to cut it open and weigh the filter media vs a new filter media that was wet with the same amount oil or just change the filter when you change your oil.
 
Well let’s apply some math to the problem then.

I have a Volvo Penta D2-75 engine.

I have the following data points for my SW pump:
m³/h @ RPM 1.6 @1200, 1.8@1400, 2.1@1600, 2.3@1800, 2.6@2000, 2.9@2200, 3.1@2400, 3.3@2600, 3.6@2800, 3.8@3000.

I have a data point of compression pressure of 2.95 MPa at 240rpm.

I’m going to make the assumption that this is cranking rpm (as it would be logical to test the compression pressure with the starter).

I’ll need to extrapolate backwards to get q (flow) at cranking rpm.

As it is fairly linear (and it should be as it is a positive displacement pump with slight variation due to flexible nature of the vanes and allow for some internal circulation losses), let’s assume a value of .38 m³/h at 240rpm. That is 380l/hr, 6.3l/min, or 105ml/sec. Seems reasonable based upon my observation.

I have a 90mm (3.5”) exhaust system with a Vetus NLP90 waterlock with a capacity of 10 liters. The water lock is in my keel pocket and I have approximately 70cm drop legs on the inlet from my elbow and the outlet to the slope towards the stern. This gives me a total capacity of ~18.9 liters. When draining my waterlock, I have measured ~5 liters remaining in the system when shut down, giving me a reserve capacity of 13.9 liters.

This would allow me to crank for ~132 seconds before I (theoretically) flooded my engine. ( In essence I really wouldn’t, as my discharge leg from the waterlock is really shorter than the intake leg.)

A twenty second rule as stated would give me a safety factor of 6.6. I can live with that. If Craig were to come over and work on my engine with his rule, he wouldn't flood it either. :socool:

Nice math fella :thumb: But incomplete, you have to apply the compression pluses vs the weight of the column of water plus the lift height to see if the water will pulse drain :popcorn:
 
1. When starter turning flywheel brings the engine oil pressure up – Pre Start - there is no pressure exerted on bearings or cam lobes or lifter bottoms or other items from down force created by ignition explosions in cylinders... therefore, no real pressure is applied to engine parts that require lubrication.

2. Due to engine reaching oil pressure by starter turns only the bearings, cam lobes, lifter bottoms, etc have had a lubrication barrier established prior to in cylinder ignition explosions bringing real pressures applied to engine parts that require lubrication barriers.

3. Wish I had a pressure system to bring each engine's oil pressure up and flood bearing surfaces without using the starter before ignition begins inside the cylinder presures!


As you can tell, I too believe in pre lube before starting an engine.

Load on a hydrostatic or hydroelastic oil film has very little to due with the bearing wear. Scuffing of a bearing occurs when there is no film.

I too believe in pre-lube. Much of the major rotating equipment I have operated and maintained uses pre-lube. However the pre-lube is used to lift the bearing while the equipment is static. Cranking an engine while not firing isn't really pre-lube.
 
Nice math fella :thumb: But incomplete, you have to apply the compression pluses vs the weight of the column of water plus the lift height to see if the water will pulse drain :popcorn:

Nah. Only solving for worst case scenario. System volume. :) But you are right, it would compressively drain. (It is a 2.2 liter engine if you feel like doing the math, and the salinity of the water where I live is ~30g/l);)
 
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Seeing as you say... "RNLI 47' motor lifeboat William Street out of Fleetwood, England." brings up oil pressure automatically... to me means it must be important to them.

They let me drive the Street during part of the training mission and the crew commander told me that they operate the boats at just two power settings, Ike and max continuous power. And when they go out on a "shout" they are at max power the moment the boat comes off the slipway or leaves the pier.

Interestingly, I asked the boat's engineer about both the coolant heating and oil pre-lube systems after we got back, including the bit about why not simply turn the engines over with the starter before lighting them off. And I got the same answer I always have from people in the industry: it accomplishes pretty much nothing with regards to lengthening the service life of the engine but it makes life harder for the starter.

And don't forget, on these boats the coolant which is kept at full operating temperature keeps the engine blocks hot which keeps the oil hot, too. The engines are started as the boat is released down the slipway and when it hits the water just seconds later the engines are taken to full power. So, the engineer told me, anything that can lessen the shock of going to full power moments after startup is a good tjhing, hence the constant coolant heating and the automatic pre-lube system.

But comparing the needs of engines n this kind of service and the old clunker diesels in the boats most of us own is total apples and oranges. I very much doubt that anyone's Ford Lehman or Perkins in recreational boat service died a premature death because the operator didn't build oil pressure with the starter for the service life of the engine.
 
Load on a hydrostatic or hydroelastic oil film has very little to due with the bearing wear. Scuffing of a bearing occurs when there is no film.

I too believe in pre-lube. Much of the major rotating equipment I have operated and maintained uses pre-lube. However the pre-lube is used to lift the bearing while the equipment is static. Cranking an engine while not firing isn't really pre-lube.

Thanks, NS...

In gasoline engines:

Oil pressure reached to have filled journals and coat bearing surfaces that have been long-term dormant by pre-start cranking an engine via starter alone, without severe ignition pressures from fired pistons, isn't a type of pre lube before starting a motor?

I know that if oil pressure is not first established by starter only and the engine immediately starts that there is notable difference in sound of internal parts upon start for the first two to three seconds before oil pressure is actually established... that can't be good - can it? I do not hear those internal sounds if the starter first established oil pressure, pre start. I find that to be true in each of my classic V8s. Marine, truck, car...
 
3. Wish I had a pressure system to bring each engine's oil pressure up and flood bearing surfaces without using the starter before ignition begins inside the cylinder presures!

No problem, tho there are choices.

For a grand or two I'm sure a suitable electric pump systen can be found and installed.

Then there is the simpler way , home brew .

A DC selonoid valve that can handle 100PSI is cheap as is a used inverted propane tank as accumulator..

With a take off from any oil port (usually where the oil pressure sender is mounted) the accumulator is re filled after engine start.

To prelube the solenoid is switched to open , and the oil pressure is watched to see the pressure rise , then fall as the pressure tank is emptied.

Then the (now prelubed ) engine is started and kept to idle (700-800rpm).

When the oil pressure stabilizes in about a min the bottle will be refilled , the solenoid closed and your off to the races.


For the longest service life usually a block hearer will allow oil to the surfaces fast enough on most "cold" starts.
 
............3. Wish I had a pressure system to bring each engine's oil pressure up and flood bearing surfaces without using the starter before ignition begins inside the cylinder presures!.................

Consider this: Few, if any recreational boat engines include this feature. Same for cars and trucks

From this, I can conclude that while it might make us feel better, it's not really needed.
 
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Consider this: Few, if any recreational boat engines include this feature. Same for cars and trucks

From this, I can conclude that while it might make us feel better, it's not really needed.

Yup. I would agree that is the case for most of the people on this forum. Same goes with the use of synthetic oil.

Hard to make a valid business case for either.
 
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