Synthetic oil for 280

[WiseCraft]

Hey Guys,

Sorry for the same post over and over again.

Everyone is recommending synthetic oil for the 280s. Pennsoil is discountinued and Merc is a blend. Any other recommendations? Thanks

consumer box btw.

[sonicss33]

Klotz

[bill mason]

If you are not turning over 7500 rps a lot?? I just run regular Merc oil. Thats just me

[David - WI]

I use a lot of (other) Redline synthetic oils... $100/gallon though.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/red-40706

[25two.stroke]

Mercury Red Racing oil 8k+
Penzoil XLF 8k+
Mercury Synthetic blend is just fine for con 280 under 8k

Above is what I use and have not had a problem with it. Others' opinions may differ.

[WiseCraft]

Mercury Red Racing oil 8k+
Penzoil XLF 8k+
Mercury Synthetic blend is just fine for con 280 under 8k

Above is what I use and have not had a problem with it. Others' opinions may differ.


do you have a picture of the Mercury red? That’s a full synthetic?

[rjdubiel]

Mercury Red Racing oil 8k+
Penzoil XLF 8k+
Mercury Synthetic blend is just fine for con 280 under 8k

Above is what I use and have not had a problem with it. Others' opinions may differ.

XLF is what I have been using in my 280, my 2.4, my Promax. Runs the 280 to 9K+ for drags and 7+ on the river. 7+ on the 2.4 and promax on the river as well. Good oil and great price.

[DangerNewb]

do you have a picture of the Mercury red? That’s a full synthetic?

The Merc racing 2 stroke is red and comes with a blue, black and silver label. It's a blend also. https://www.mertenmarine.com/mercury-racing-synthetic-blend-2-stroke-oil-8m0078011-1-gallon

I've been using Pennz XLF in all my motors including a 280. I've never opened up my 280 to see how things look but plan to have it torn down, inspected and new rings (at least) in a few weeks. I run 28 and 30 pitch props so really have never spun my 280 over 8k. Trying to stay alive for at least a few more years. 110-115mph is plenty for me.

[WiseCraft]

The Merc racing 2 stroke is red and comes with a blue, black and silver label. It's a blend also. https://www.mertenmarine.com/mercury-racing-synthetic-blend-2-stroke-oil-8m0078011-1-gallon

I've been using Pennz XLF in all my motors including a 280. I've never opened up my 280 to see how things look but plan to have it torn down, inspected and new rings (at least) in a few weeks. I run 28 and 30 pitch props so really have never spun my 280 over 8k. Trying to stay alive for at least a few more years. 110-115mph is plenty for me.


Thank you. Old owner of the boat I bought said I could only run synthetic. Figured I’ll look for some but if you’re saying XLF is good that’s perfect. I have 10 gallons of that from my last boat. Thanks dude

[25two.stroke]

Yeah, its surprisingly chap for how good it looks inside the engines...I hope they never change the formula and don't tell us lol

[DangerNewb]

Yeah, its surprisingly chap for how good it looks inside the engines...I hope they never change the formula and don't tell us lol

It's the only product I can think of that hasn't gone up in price over past 3 years. Still $18 and change at Walmart. I probably have 20 gallons. Keep thinking it will be $30 a gallon next time I look.

[d&smach]

Full synthetics have certain downfalls, straight mineral oils do also. I use a blend that supposeably gives the best of both worlds. Maybe it's just me but when I see "synthetic blend" on the container I guess I'm supposed to believe it's a 50/50 mixture when in reality I'm sure the majority of it is the cheaper of the two, possibly even 99/1.
I used 16 to 1 mineral based oil in merc twin cyl engines on hydroplanes. I was at a hydroplane race and a racer told me that because I'm not a competitor he can let me in on a secret. I really hate to take the flak here but I tried his mixture on a certain stock merc and after readjusting the high speed jets, the engine went from 39 to 41 hp. Anybody want to take a guess what oil ratio he advised that gave the gain?

[wolfgangb]

Full synthetics have certain downfalls, straight mineral oils do also. I use a blend that supposeably gives the best of both worlds. Maybe it's just me but when I see "synthetic blend" on the container I guess I'm supposed to believe it's a 50/50 mixture when in reality I'm sure the majority of it is the cheaper of the two, possibly even 99/1.

I used 16 to 1 mineral based oil in merc twin cyl engines on hydroplanes. I was at a hydroplane race and a racer told me that because I'm not a competitor he can let me in on a secret. I really hate to take the flak here but I tried his mixture on a certain stock merc and after readjusting the high speed jets, the engine went from 39 to 41 hp. Anybody want to take a guess what oil ratio he advised that gave the gain?

23:1, as I raced with my 3 cyl OMCs (loopers) in SE in `69, and the same with my Chrysler 4-cyl crossflows before that (so called 100:1 oil) - in both cases turned out to be Castrol Fully Synthetic, like XLD, LOL.
Confirmed by the local (then in Germany), Castrol specialist, just to have been repackaged.
Rgds, Wolfgang (South Africa)

[skipe]

I ran Klotz in the 2.4. occasionally hit 8500+rpm. never had any internal engine problems.

[skipe]

Full synthetics have certain downfalls, straight mineral oils do also. I use a blend that supposeably gives the best of both worlds. Maybe it's just me but when I see "synthetic blend" on the container I guess I'm supposed to believe it's a 50/50 mixture when in reality I'm sure the majority of it is the cheaper of the two, possibly even 99/1.
I used 16 to 1 mineral based oil in merc twin cyl engines on hydroplanes. I was at a hydroplane race and a racer told me that because I'm not a competitor he can let me in on a secret. I really hate to take the flak here but I tried his mixture on a certain stock merc and after readjusting the high speed jets, the engine went from 39 to 41 hp. Anybody want to take a guess what oil ratio he advised that gave the gain?

Generally it's 10%

[David - WI]

I've seen a couple articles stating 1qt of synthetic in 5 or 6 qts gives 99% of the high temp advantage of full synthetic in 4-stroke racing engines.

[Michael J Giesler]

Mercury High performance oil never had a issue almost 400 hours on my 2001 280

[d&smach]

The racer told me to try 8 to 1! Possibly this super rich mix increases hp in engines with sloppy tolerances, sealing up piston skirts, reeds and rings. But it did show an increase on my dyno.

[David - WI]

The racer told me to try 8 to 1! Possibly this super rich mix increases hp in engines with sloppy tolerances, sealing up piston skirts, reeds and rings. But it did show an increase on my dyno.

Oil makes hp but 12:1 was the limit McCulloch found, although we have hotter ignitions now, I guess.

[WiseCraft]

Mercury High performance oil never had a issue almost 400 hours on my 2001 280

goddamn that’s a grip of hrs.

[CI STV]

Mercury High performance oil never had a issue almost 400 hours on my 2001 280
Is that the red Merc oil? That’s all I use (in my Drag, mixed 32:1) as well. That’s what Diamond recommended I use. I have Klotz and Red Line as well, but I think I’m going to stick with the Merc oil.

[TraceF3]

Pennzoil XLF. It's derived from a product blended by Specialty Oil Company back in the 80's. They sponsored Jay Smith Racing. I worked for Quaker State when they bought SOC in '93 IIRC. The product is second to none. Jay Smith still recommends it after break-in. Good enough for me.

[Michael J Giesler]

Is that the red Merc oil? That’s all I use (in my Drag, mixed 32:1) as well. That’s what Diamond recommended I use. I have Klotz and Red Line as well, but I think I’m going to stick with the Merc oil.

Yep my motor originally used the old Mercury hyperf than they switched over to the red which is a much much better oil no Ash rev limiter still on as long as you keep two eighties under $8,000 RPMs let them warm up let them idle down you'd be astonished how long they run no one seems to want to do that anymore they just fire them up and tag them to nine grand

[TraceF3]

Yep my motor originally used the old Mercury hyperf than they switched over to the red which is a much much better oil no Ash rev limiter still on as long as you keep two eighties under $8,000 RPMs let them warm up let them idle down you'd be astonished how long they run no one seems to want to do that anymore they just fire them up and tag them to nine grand

I was friendly with one of the lubrication engineers at SOPUS and he emphasized that people do more damage to their internal combustion engines in the first 3 minutes of operation every cold start than the entire remaining life of the motor. "Never rev a cold motor" he'd say. Let them warm up. Seems like common sense but I see people at the ramp fire them up and rap rap rap to the limiter all the time :eek:

[WiseCraft]

I was friendly with one of the lubrication engineers at SOPUS and he emphasized that people do more damage to their internal combustion engines in the first 3 minutes of operation every cold start than the entire remaining life of the motor. "Never rev a cold motor" he'd say. Let them warm up. Seems like common sense but I see people at the ramp fire them up and rap rap rap to the limiter all the time :eek:


I see this in auto scene as well. Bugs me.

As for the 280, it doesn’t even run right when you don’t let it warm up. What’s the temp you recommend to start ripping on it?

[TraceF3]

I see this in auto scene as well. Bugs me.

As for the 280, it doesn’t even run right when you don’t let it warm up. What’s the temp you recommend to start ripping on it?

I honestly don't know. I bought the boat with a 280 but it never ran. I pulled it and had Dave Driefort build it. And sold it to a friend of his.

I'm running a DD modified 225x powerhead now. The temp gauge I bought sucked. I'm in the process of putting 2 AutoMeter digital gauges in. One for each cylinder head. I hope it runs around 125-130 under normal conditions.

[rjdubiel]

My 280 runs about 110 for water temp. If it was a steel bore motor I would want that temp to be 130-140. As far as warming up on aluminum sleeve motor, a few minutes of idle, then some easy running for a minute or so then let it rip! Steel bore maybe longer but I cant hold off as long as I should!

[d&smach]

I can still (barely) remember when synthetics came out and almost everybody instantly thought they were the best oil ever made. What surprises me is that when a group of marketers sitting around a long conference table decided on the term "synthetics" and it caught on so quickly. The word synthetics is synonomous with artifical, imitation, facsimile, fake, false, subsitute, pseudo and counterfeit. Why it caught on with the name baffles me. How about "scientificly engineered lubrication"? There just had to be at least one person voting on the name that couldn't believe the name they gave it. Just my .02 cents.

[David - WI]

I can still (barely) remember when synthetics came out and almost everybody instantly thought they were the best oil ever made. What surprises me is that when a group of marketers sitting around a long conference table decided on the term "synthetics" and it caught on so quickly. The word synthetics is synonomous with artifical, imitation, facsimile, fake, false, subsitute, pseudo and counterfeit. Why it caught on with the name baffles me. How about "scientificly engineered lubrication"? There just had to be at least one person voting on the name that couldn't believe the name they gave it. Just my .02 cents.

You must be a very old man! :D


In America, meanwhile, Standard Oil Company of Indiana tried to commercialize synthetic oil in 1929, but lack of demand doomed the attempt.
https://blog.amsoil.com/the-history-of-synthetic-oil-and-amsoil/

[d&smach]

It seemed to me that it made it's appearance around the late sixties, oh well!

[David - WI]

I know... just messing with you. I remember when synthetic oil started showing up in Hot Rod / Car Craft. :cheers:

[wolfgangb]

That little bit of hair I have left on my head (being nearly 76 years old) bristles when I hear "synthetic" oils. In the `90s I used AGIP Sint 2000 in my 2.7 ltr BMW straight 6 (325 Evolution2 - exclusively available in South Africa). Within 5000 kms it chewed up a very expensive Schnitzer camshaft and a set of rocker arms. AGIP Sint as used by Ferrari - what could possibly go wrong?
These days I am using exclusively Castrol Magnatech in my 4-strokes (Automobiles), with great results. The label says synthetic, but I am sure it is a blend.