I had a long distance lorry driver ask me if I used synthetic oil in my Westerbeke 33. I replied in the negative and he asked why not. So I am asking “why not?”.
Has anyone had any experience or comments about synthetics for the Westerbeke?
Brian
The applications are different, but there is no reason you could not
use synthetic. However you will most likely change your oil more
frequently than required by synthetic if you lay up in the fall.
Highway trucks idle longer and run at lower loads overall. Saiboats
are climbing hills all the time so to speak,
IMHO a good oil like Shell Rotella and a filter changed every 50 to
100 hours or once a season which ever comes first and you can save the
extra cost for other boat parts.
Practical Boat Owner had an article a year or so ago that suggested
the synthetic oil has a different PH balance in an old engine.
Suggested this may not be good. I used synthetic for the first 2 years
after a friend who operated lng haul trucks said the engine and
transmission and diferential warranties were void if he did not use
synthetic. The trucks have temperature gauges for the transmission and
diferentials and ran cooler with synthetic.
Rob Powers 26C #50 respite
I have used Mobile One transmission oil for sometime, I have been told
as well that this is a good application for synthetic due to the high
heat generated by these transmission.