First Oil Change

Many here use Valvolene VR1 20-50. (silver container - off road) It's got a great ZDDP level your flat tappet engine needs.

Wix or Napa gold but NEVER a Fram!!!

Bri892001 wrote: It only takes a gallon in total, which is surprising for such a big motor.

I think Brian meant 5 quarts for most motors.

Like the motorcraft oil filters as well as what Pete mentioned,

Wrap the oil filter in a plastic bag when you remove to catch any oil from going into the bilge.

You should change the trans fluid annually if it has not been done, for that you will need an extractor/pump. Use DexMerc trans fluid there.

Just curious, what is the issue with Fram filters?

nautique5454 wrote: Just curious, what is the issue with Fram filters?

Chris,
There's lots of info here on site on the cheaply built Fram filters. A couple of the treads even have links to studies where they opened up a bunch of different brands, took a look inside and got all the details. Fram internals and even the cans are junk!! If you think they are good, you have fallen for their marketing scam. If you have some time, you can do a search and you'll find some interesting details. Just say no to Fram!!

4 quarts without oil filter, @ 5 quarts with oil filter. How misleading in the manuals. Who changes the oil without changing the filter.

Confession time - I changed oil last summer mid season & did not change filter. My rationale was that I would only put another 20-25 hours on that new oil before winterizing. The new oil should have enough ZDDP / additives to overcome the tired 1 qt of old oil in the filter. I changed filter at winterizing.

Also, the oil I use has Honda & Ford certification for 7500 mile change interval - not that anyone recommends that except those car companies!

Didn't have any adverse consequences that I know of.

I can vouch that Fram filters are junk. I used to circle track race and I had a pretty high performance SBC engine that I catastrophically lost due to a Fram HP4 racing filter when the filter element fell apart and clogged the pre-filter screen after flowing through the entire engine. This all happened in about one 17 second lap around Winchester Speedway. By the time the oil pressure light came on, the engine was gone. I left pieces of the bottom end all down the front straightaway.

I will NEVER put a Fram filter on anything I own ever again, not even a lawn tractor. If that was their $10 racing filter, imagine what you are putting on your boat for $3.

When I bought my boat at the end of last summer the first thing I did was change the oil and not knowing any better, threw a Fram filter on. Will plan on changing oil again before this season and will be sure to use a better one.

Fly100 wrote: Ive run mine on 15/40w with a zddp additive last year.im no re educated. With the Vr1 20/50w my oil pressure has risen from 40psi to well into the 50 or even 60's Im hoping more is better and it wont blow any seals.

everybody has there own preference, with these motors 20w50 will do you right.

snipe wrote: This has been a "if and or but" for me since I got my '80 Nautique. I know the book says 5 qts./filter. After I get 4 qts. in is is right at the top end (at the Max.) I check it at regular use, in the water, and stayed with the 4qts. If I went with 5 it would climb way over that mark. iS There a way to find out if I have the right dipstick? Beside me,before some one else tells me that.

I'm on the same page as you. I didn't want to get sucked into a "which oil/which filter" vortex so I let it go.

But yeah, mine takes exactly 4. In fact, when I put in the 4, it reads high until I run the engine and the new filter fills up with oil, then it reads normal.

Not everyone's motor is tilted the same way, if you have a PowerPlus transmission, your motor actually sits closer to level. Mine is tilted like an 88 and earlier boat. Maybe this could affect the way the oil level reads?

snipe wrote: After I get 4 qts. in is is right at the top end (at the Max.) I check it at regular use, in the water, and stayed with the 4qts. If I went with 5 it would climb way over that mark. iS There a way to find out if I have the right dipstick? Beside me,before some one else tells me that.

Mine has this issue too. From reading other posts, this is common. Does anyone know why the dipsticks were not calibrated correctly?

I put 5 qts in, per the manual, & it reads over full.

Bri892001 wrote: Got this tip from the FAQ on Skidim: OIL CAPACITY, FORD 351, INDMAR OR PCM

So we were both right, pan holds 4 + 3/4 to 1 for the filter. I don't know why you were worried about starting an issue when we were both saying the same thing.

The important thing is you don't tell someone that the motor holds 4 quarts like the manual implies.

It seems there's a lot of confusion here about the correct amount of oil to put in the 351. The truth is that the correct amount varies from boat to boat, and depends primarily on the angle that the engine is mounted at.

As such, engines with the 1:1 transmission take between 4 and 4.5 quarts, and engines with the 1.23:1 take between 4.25 and 5 quarts, INCLUDING the filter change. The dipsticks ARE calibrated correctly, and one should always defer to the dipstick.

The engine should be filled to just below the full line. The engines are fairly sensitive to oil foaming during hard acceleration and this problem is exacerbated by overfilling.

On a side note, the factory recommended viscosity is SAE-40. There's really no reason to go heavier than this. I know a lot of people like to run VR-1 for the ZDDP content, which is definitely a plus, but the SAE-40 or 10w-30 viscosities would probably be the best choice for the marine 351, which runs far too cold to effectively utilize 20w-50. I know that Napa can get the SAE 40 VR-1 for the same price as the 20W-50.

although an oil may certify as a 20w-50, the range of acceptable viscosities for a given weight of oil is very large. Per API protocols, an oil which contains viscosity improving additives must be marketed as a multigrade oil, and must be labeled as the widest viscosity range that the oil will certify for. Oils which do not contain VI additives may be marketed as straight grade, even though they would easily certify for a multigrade.

Take VR-1 for example: At 40 degrees C, just over 100f, 20w-50 has a viscosity of 182 cST. At the same temperature VR-1 SAE40 has a viscosity of 137 cST.

In the case of VR-1, SAE40 provides better low-temp flow properties, and stays true to the manufacturers intended oil weight at operating temperatures. 20w-50 is a heavier oil than the engine was designed for both at low and high operating temperatures.

Not saying that a heavier oil might not have it's benefits, and to each his own; But I haven't seen anything to suggest that PCM specified too thin an oil for the engine in the first place.

http://www.valvoline.com/pdf/VR-1_Racing_Motor_Oil.pdf

Mark,
All I can add is I feel if you went through all the threads here on oil, you would find more members running the 20-50. I'm one of them and use it in all my boats.