Change oil now or in the Spring

[firemandave]

I have a 92 SN with a 351. I am getting differing opinions on whether I should change my oil before I store the boat for he winter or wait and change it in the Spring at the start of the new season. I only have about 40 hours on since the last oil change. Any thoughts?

Dave

[Red57Bird]

The generally accepted rule on this is change the oil as part of your winterization routine. Oil apparently builds up acids and moisture during normal operations and that can cause engine problems down the road.

[DanielC]

You are 10 hours shy of needing to do an oil change anyway. Change it now. You want clean oil sitting in your engine for its long winter's nap.

[AirTool]

The generally accepted rule on this is change the oil as part of your winterization routine. Oil apparently builds up acids and moisture during normal operations and that can cause engine problems down the road.

Bad stuff accumulates in oil - fact.

Change the oil hot and be sure to run your engine on the new oil to flush the old oil out of the rings, bearings, lifters, etc. The concentration of old oil contaminants in the new oil will be very low after you run the engine.

AirTool

[8122pbrainard]

Dave, How many sites have you posted this question on?? I just answered you on CCfan. The question is telling me that you are getting some very poor advice from someone. The person telling you to store the boat with the old contaminated oil in it, is he a engine rebuilder that needs some work?

[ks619]

Changing the oil before you store it is a good idea, but conventional oil (non-synthetic) breaks down over time, just like gasoline. It is probably not a bad idea to change just the oil (not filter) again in the spring.

[AirTool]

Changing the oil before you store it is a good idea, but conventional oil (non-synthetic) breaks down over time, just like gasoline. It is probably not a bad idea to change just the oil (not filter) again in the spring.

...especially in freezing/cold conditions.

I change mine twice also...at the end and beginning. 20 bucks and an hour of time.....worth it.

AirTool

[engineerj13]

If you are going to change the oil in both the fall and spring then couldn't you just use a conventional oil without the zinc additive for the winterization and then use the zinc additive for the spring oil change?

[DanielC]

My opinion. I do not believe the oil will "break down" sitting in the engine for four to six, or even nine months with out the engine being run. There might be some condensation in the crankcase over that long of a period.
If you are going to change the oil at both times, I would use the zinc additive oils especially during the fall. The zinc is what is supposed to "stick" to the valve lifters and help reduce camshaft and lifter wear.
I do not change my oil twice, at winterization, and then at recommissioning. I just change it in the fall, and then run that oil for the next 50 hours, during the next season, and change it then.
There probably is a benifit in doing the "double" oil change, in the fact that you never get all the oil out of the engine, some always stays in the oil galleys, and in other places oil can hide in an engine.
If you are going to change your oil at only one time or the other, change it in the fall. Fresh oil in the engine that way. Oil does not have near the volitility or reactivity that Gasoline does.

[AirTool]

If you are going to change the oil at both times, I would use the zinc additive oils especially during the fall. The zinc is what is supposed to "stick" to the valve lifters and help reduce camshaft and lifter wear.

You don't need the zinc if the engine is not going to be running.

AirTool

[Familyman]

I change mine twice also...at the end and beginning. 20 bucks and an hour of time.....worth it.

If the boat is not going to be used during the Winter and the oil would just sit in the pan anyway have you ever thought about draining in the end and waiting til spring to add oil? Never done it, but cant think of a reason why it would matter other than the issue of forgetting to fill up in Spring...

[DanielC]

The engine does not "need" ANY type of lubrication when it is not running.
The hardened steel to hardened steel inferface on the camshaft lobes, to the lifter bottoms is one of the most critical lubrication points in a semi modern V type engine. It is also one of the few points inside the engine that does not have direct oil pressure lubricating the interface. The oil gets to the camshaft lobes mainly by splashing, or being flung off the connecting rod bearings when the engine is in operation. The zinc additives provide an extra bit of protection for this critical area. The zinc bonds with the steel camshaft lobes, and lifter bottoms, and stays long after the liquid oil has run off these engine parts.
Modern automotive engines have gone to a roller camshaft for this reason.
I would like to suggest that for these reasons, it is more critical that you use an oil with a high zinc content when you lay up your engine in the fall, and run the engine long enough to circulate it throughout the engine.
If you just drain the oil, and do not run the engine again with fresh oil until spring, you leave the engine insides coated with used oil, that has had some of it's additives used up, and is contaminated with whatever was in your crankcase when you drained the oil.
Hopefully you will remember to put new oil in the boat when you want to run it. There is always so much time to get the boat ready, on that first really warm day of Spring
Replacing the camshaft on a boat is really not that hard, unless it is a V-drive, then you can either pull the engine out of the boat, or just cut a hole in the transom.

[CradGen2]

I'm a fan of in the fall when I put it up for winter, I just like knowing it is ready to go in the spring when I get the itch. Some talk about condensation and water in there, but I have never had an issue and store my boats in several different climates. JMO