Motor Oil | Outboard Motor Oil - Part 26

Giving Adive On The Best Outboard Motor Oil

SB1C985_sMy father looks to me for information about today’s latest trends and technology. He comes to me with questions about which phone service to subscribe to and which HDTV has the sharpest picture quality on the market. I like to give him advice when I can but every now and then he would ask me questions about things I know nothing about. This requires me to do some research on the subject because I don’t want to tell him the wrong thing and have him do it.

My father has stuck to one brand of outboard motor oil his entire life and the other week he asks me if what he was using was the best product out there. It’s hard to say what the best outboard motor oil is because there are other factors to consider when choosing your brand. Some manufacturers encourage owners to use the same brand of motor oil as their engines. Some engines are older than others and require something specific which would not be the best for newer engines. So I told my father to stick with what he’s using now because it hasn’t given him any problems as of yet.

Did you like this? Share it:

Useful Friends

P1010532I like asking my friend for advice about most things because he’s a self-proclaimed “know-it-all.”  He’s an expert on home repair, he knows who was the last player to hit fifty homeruns, and he knows which brand of television has the best to offer.  He saves me a lot of time and research that I don’t want to do.  He can be a bit annoying some times but he does come in handy most times.

We went out on my boat this weekend to do some fishing.  He noticed that my outboard engine was making some weird noises.  He suggested that I change my Mercury 2 stroke premium outboard motor oil.  It’s a good thing he reminded me because it’s been a few months since I did that.  He then proceeded to tell me which bait was best to use to catch fish and the proper way to reel in a big catch as if it was my first time fishing.  It’s a good thing his positives outweigh his negatives otherwise I would have stopped being friends with him a long time ago.

Did you like this? Share it:

Doing It Myself

imagesI recently bought a used Yamaha Waverunner online from a reputable dealer.  Things were going well until I had to change the oil.  I always like to take care of my own things and do any kind of repairs or maintenance myself so of course I would change my own oil.  It can’t be that hard.  I’ve been changing my car’s oil myself since I was old enough to drive.  My dad taught me how to do it and he also taught me to do things myself if I am able to.

I don’t know which specific kind of oil or oils to buy for my Waverunner so I did some research online about which oil is best.  There is no specific Waverunner oil that is sold but Yamaha suggests using its brand of oil on the engine.  Of course they would say that because I would imagine that they want people to buy more of their product.  The engine itself is versatile enough to take in most oils but just to make sure, I’m going to stick with the Yamaha brand.  I was reading through online forums and most people suggested that the Yamaha brand would be the safer choice.  I don’t want any future engine problems caused by mixing different oils together.

Did you like this? Share it:

Full Day

joupdogdadI enjoy running errands on my days off.  I feel like I am accomplishing a lot of little things that look good when crossed off of my “to do” list.  There are bigger tasks I need to do that would require more time, but I like to get the little things out of the way so I can focus all of my attention on that bigger task.

Today, I had to go to the bank to deposit some checks.  Then I decided to get some coffee before heading to the mall to return some pants.  I don’t like waiting on long lines at customer service to return items but it had to be done.  It only took twenty minutes of my time and the customer service representative was nice and polite.  Good customer service can go a long way for a company.  Finally I had to stop at the store to pick up some Mercury engine oil because I was running low.  I spent the rest of the day assembling furniture that my wife bought.

Did you like this? Share it:

Trip To The Mountains

Heli-Skiing-in-the-Purcell-Mountins-BCA few friends and I went up to the mountains for a weekend of snowboarding.  It was our first time going all season and we were excited to finally be getting some runs in.  We usually go snowmobiling too when we make it up to the mountains so we booked a couple of snowmobiles for the following afternoon and we were set.

We picked up the snowmobiles after a morning of solid runs down the mountain.  The rental person told us that one of the snowmobiles has been overheating lately and informed us that he just put in some fresh snowmobile oil into the engine to prevent any problems for us.  It was a fun afternoon.  We raced each other and went down some trails.  Thankfully the snowmobile did not overheat so everything went off without a hitch.

Did you like this? Share it:

The Pelican

percy-the-pelican-kirsten-givingI was doing some maintenance on my boat the other day when I came upon a curious pelican.  I usually see these things floating around in the water, looking for fish to snatch up, but I’ve never had one come onto my boat.  Maybe it smelled some fish I caught earlier in the day or maybe it was just curious about the floating machines we use to navigate through the water.

I know pelicans aren’t usually aggressive unless they feel like they’re being attacked but I saw that this particular pelican was looking to start some trouble.  It began rummaging through my deck; knocking over buckets and sifting through some bags I had laid out.  It got a hold of some outboard motor oil and spilled an entire gallon of it all over the deck.  I’m usually not violent towards animals but I had to do something before this pelican made even more of a mess.  I trapped it in a fishing net and threw it overboard.  At least next time I know not to leave stuff out on my deck.

Did you like this? Share it:

Living In The Past

2874522609_20beb189a4_zI like to debate with my friend about proper boat maintenance techniques and practices.  My friend was brought up to appreciate the virtues of doing things the old way because they are proven and true.  His father was a military man and also a creature of habit.  He would do things one way and if that one way worked, he stuck with it.  That lesson was instilled in my friend and to this day, he refuses to change.

Last Christmas I got him a gallon of Evinrude outboard oil for his outboard engine and he still refuses to use it to this day.  I explained to him about fully synthetic oil and how it differs from conventional oil and he still wouldn’t budge.  He’s funny that way.  All the clocks in his house are still analog clocks because he finds electronic clocks unreliable.  I call him an old man even though he’s still in his thirties.  I tell him to embrace the future every day but he can’t let go of the past.  Next year I should get him something he desperately needs: a HD television and see if he would use it.

Did you like this? Share it:

Always Be Prepared

obs-speedalcoholslideA lot of my friends consider me paranoid because I usually always plan for the worst-case scenario whenever we go somewhere.  It was a habit I acquired during my time as a troop scout when I was younger.  Bringing an extra pair of anything seemed like a good idea to me at the time and I guess it stuck with me all the way to adulthood.

On our fishing trips, I usually pack an emergency kit consisting of extra ice, water, fuel and outboard oil.  Most of the time, we never end up using any of these but I always think ahead just in case.  I always end up getting teased by the other guys, but I feel better knowing we’re prepared for just about anything.

Did you like this? Share it:

Keeping Customers Pleased

customer-serviceI work for a boating store and whenever summer rolls around is the time that I start having to order products for my store like none other. The summertime is when people want to start getting out there, and a lot of my customers don’t plan too far ahead. Luckily, for them I’m able to plan ahead so that they don’t need to.

By ordering a large amount of bulk outboard motor oil for my store in the springtime, I can ensure that I’ll have everything that I need for my store once summer hits and we start getting a massive influx of customers. Every summer, this is what I make sure to do, and I’ve never run into a situation where I don’t have what my customers need! This in itself ensures they’ll be coming back every summer.

Did you like this? Share it:

Can Never Get Enough Oil

user65932_pic155259_1160865991Sometimes finding motor oil at the beginning of the boating season can be a bit difficult because the stores often end up picked through by everyone excited to go out boating and trying to get their boat prepared the way that it needs to be. One way is to just go online and get it, but even if you’re doing that, more is always better than less.

A good way to make sure you’re not hurting for it is to pick up bulk motor oil in the winter. That way, when the rush comes in after winter is over and boating season is about to commence, you’ll already be a step ahead of everybody else and won’t have anything to worry about, which I’m certain will be a load off of your shoulders if you’re as big a boating fan as I am.

Did you like this? Share it:

Shopping Online

I like to surf on the Internet to find the best deals on the things that I need. My wife’s more of the type of person that likes to physically go out to the stores, but honestly, when I’m home after a long day at work, the last thing I want to do is get in my car and drive to a store and drive home to get something, not when we’ve got the wonders of the Internet at hand.

I realize that I’m spoiled by technology here, but I figure, we’ve got it, so why not be spoiled by it? Most recently, I was doing some shopping online to get some things for a boat trip that I was planning. I found a website online that had a pretty good deal on Mercury oil so I snatched some of that up.

Did you like this? Share it:

Brand Loyalty, or a Lack Thereof

I have a tendency to be loyal to particular brands and often find myself unwavering when it comes to brands, aside from a few particular exceptions, which I’ll get to in a minute. For instance, I refuse to purchase any toaster pastries that aren’t Pop-Tarts and I won’t buy any tissues that aren’t Puffs.

I’m not particularly picky when it comes to picking a brand for my outboard motor oil for some reason though. I think it’s because I’ve done a number of comparisons on the Internet and haven’t been able to find too much discrepancy between the different brands. As long as you pick one of the best ones such as Mercury or Yamaha, you’re pretty much good to go.

Did you like this? Share it: