June, 2012 | Outboard Motor Oil - Part 2

Advantages of OptiMax Oil

Increased demands are put on the lubricants used in an OptiMax engine. (An OptiMax engine is direct-injected as opposed to carbureted or electronic fuel-injected). To keep pace, the manufacturer recommends OptiMax oil.

You can buy individual containers or you can save some money and purchase bulk Mercury OptiMax oil. The oil has additional additives that provide an extra layer of protection. By using the oil, which can be mixed with Mercury Premium Plus, your engine will maintain peak engine performance for many uses.

 

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Why Use Ringfree Plus?

Over time, carbon deposits can build up in your outboard motor, leading to serious performance issues. Though some build up is to be expected, you can avoid performance issues by using Yamalube Ringfree Plus. The additive has proven effective at cleaning combustion deposits, particularly around the piston-ring area.

Not only does the piston-ring area benefit from a good cleaning, so do the carburetors and fuel injection systems. Yamalube Ringfree Plus additionally protects against sulfur compounds found in ethanol blended fuels. Be sure to stock up on this impressive boat engine oil.

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Suzuki DT115S

Like the Evinrude E115, the Suzuki DT115S is light, compact and efficient. The 1.77-liter two-stroke engine has a digital multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection system and a six quart oil tank hidden under the engine cowling. (That means that when you add in your Evinrude XD50 oil you don’t have to worry about a messy separate oil tank).

Unfortunately, the Suzuki gets a thumb down for fuel consumption. It burns twice as much fuel as the Evinrude at a 3500-rpm cruise. Price-wise, the Suzuki is still a good bargain.

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Evinrude E115

Think of the Evinrude E115 as a souped up 90. The short stroke motor likes to rev and makes a formidable growl for a motor that weighs in at only 349 lbs. It’s the little engine that could in terms of how fast it can accelerate, but when it comes to top speeds, it cannot compete on the same level as the big guys like the Mercury 115.

What it lacks in speed, the Evinrude E115 makes up for in clean-running. It uses a DFI system that atomizes fuel under pressure and injects it directly into each cylinder. This means there is no visible smoke and no plug fouling. Just make sure to keep it that clean with Evinrude XD100 oil.

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Mercury 115

Have you ever gotten your hands on a Mercury Optimax 135 or 150? If you have then you already have a good idea as to how the Mercury 115 handles, since it is virtually the same two-stroke engine as the aforementioned models. It is a big motor that weighs in at 442 lbs.

That weight translates into power and speed. The Mercury 115 beats all other 115 models in every speed test; although, it consumes far more fuel and is a heck of a lot noisier. For some recreational boaters, speed is the name of the gain, so make sure you’re maximizing the engine by using the Evinrude XD 50 oil.

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Yamaha F115

If the Honda BF115 we reviewed yesterday is out of your price range, then you may want to check out the Yamaha F115. It costs $1370 less than the Honda BF115, while having nearly identical stats. According to a test done by Popular Mechanics, the Yamaha F115 is a hairsbreadth slower on acceleration, one to two decibels noisier, and consumes the same amount of fuel.

The Yamaha differs from the Honda in that it weighs only 407 lbs. and is far more compact. The 1.74-liter four stroke engine has a computerized multiport fuel injection system and a separate throttle valve for each intake runner, thus differentiating itself from the 1.6-liter F100 it was modeled upon. Though Yamaha has its own line of oil, I still recommend that you check out Evinrude XD 100 oil.

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Honda BF115

In order to stay compliant with EPA emissions guidelines, the top outboard motor manufacturers had to refine their two-stroke and four-stroke engines. The Honda BF115 is an example of a job well done. The four-stroke outboard was adapted from the 2.3-liter four-cylinder Accord sedan motor.

The BF115 runs quietly and is highly economical when it comes to fuel consumption, which can be attributed to its long-stroke design. A fat midrange torque curve makes towing water skis or inflatable tubes easy. The only drawback is that the motor weighs in at 496 lbs. which can be problematic for lighter crafts. It still gets a stamp of approval from me, provided you use the correct lubricant, Evinrude outboard oil.

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Ready To Retire?

Overall, I think our extended vacation did us a world of good. I learned a lot about how I really like to spend my time. I also learned that I don’t want to retire any time soon – or at all.

I anticipate that I’ll always want some sort of work to keep me busy. Maybe instead of working a traditional 9-5 job indefinitely, I’ll take on some part time work. Who knows – maybe I’ll set up shop as an Evinrude oil salesman? That seems right up my alley.

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Touring Petaluma

Once we’d put in the obligatory family face time, my wife and I did a lot of exploring in the area surrounding Petaluma. We spent one day boating on a peaceful lake. I rented a two stroke motorboat from a local shop. The owner was so grateful for my business that he offered to make me a deal on Evinrude Johnson 2 stroke outboard oil and have it shipped to the marina for me.

Our next day of exploring we spent the morning admiring the redwood trees at the Armstrong Redwoods Reserve. We saw one tree that was 1400 years old! That kind of history really makes you stop and think. We rounded out our day by taking a drive along the coast. Unfortunately, we didn’t spot any whales, but we did see a number of sea lions making themselves comfortable in the sand.

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Ferry To Petaluma

I’m not an avid baseball fan, but I do like to take in a few baseball games over the summer. My wife’s cousin scored some great tickets to the San Francisco vs. Oakland A’s game while we were in town. We were in row seven along the first baseline. The Giants lost the game, but it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at a major league stadium.

After the game we took the ferry north toward Petaluma where some additional family and friends reside. The ride takes about 45 minutes and is quite pleasant. While my wife chatted with her cousin, I once again found myself chatting with other boaters, in this case, some off-duty crew members. They recommended a few places to check out in Petaluma as well as a hole-in-the-wall shop that has great deals on ringfree plus.

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California Adventure

The first part of our extended vacation we spent in San Francisco. My wife and I both have family in the area. We took two days to see the most touristy attractions – Alcatraz, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf and more.

While we were on Alcatraz – which is actually a quite beautiful island despite its grim history – I kept finding myself staring out at the water watching the boats go by. The few days we were in town were unseasonably warm and sunny, so you could tell all the boaters were taking full advantage. Much to my wife’s annoyance, I stopped to talk with some boaters while we were walking around the marina. I wound up discussing the ins and outs of OptiMax oil with one guy. When you have a common interest like boating you can make friends anywhere!

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Extended Vacation

You’re probably wondering why I’ve been so silent on my blog lately. Well, the reason why you haven’t gotten your daily dose of my boating advice is that I’ve been enjoying an extended vacation. My wife and I are getting up there in age and our kids are mostly out of the house, so we used this vacation as a test run for retirement.

Of course, I also used this time to test out a lot of cool boats. I learned a thing or two from the people I met along the way. For instance, I’m now hooked on Mercury premium plus oil. A friend of mine swears by the stuff, and when I took his boat out, it handled like a dream!

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