10 hour oil change speed decrease

[HangOutdoors]

What was the water conditions like ? Also how many hours on each engine? I wonder as time goes on will the RPMS increase slightly as a bit more wear occurs.

It appears we are all within the same range.

 

[Rockfords Fosgate]

beautiful. Very light chop, slight breeze.

I don't know my exact engine hours, but I'd reckon 40-50hrs. They run exactly like the day I got it. Never had an issue, except for when one of my clean out plugs did a turbo eject through the opening, breaking the latch, which caused the engines to shut off (kill switches engaged).

 

[HangOutdoors]

I thought I posted the results of my last test last week. I guess I didn't. Selfish of me, but will do it now.

I brought up the oil level to between 3/4 and Full, on a warm engine. I lost 400 RPM's on Starboard and 300 on Port engine. I made 4 runs WOT at about 1 mile in length. Same lake I have been testing in. I pulled air filters for this test since I didn't want them to get soaked with the higher oil level.

I siphoned off the extra oil I put in till it read 1/4" below the mid point. "NOT COOL when wake boats criss cross in and you have hatch open and are siphoning oil" and leaning over engine bay.... FYI

Anyhow RPM's climbed back up again to previous levels. 7350 Starboard, 7800 Port, via visual on tachs.

Hopefully that is good information.

 

[14SX190]

I thought I posted the results of my last test last week. I guess I didn't. Selfish of me, but will do it now.

I brought up the oil level to between 3/4 and Full. I lost 400 RPM's on Starboard and 300 on Port engine. I made 4 runs WOT at about 1 mile in length. Same lake I have been testing in. I pulled air filters for this test since I didn't want them to get soaked with the higher oil level.

I siphoned off the extra oil I put in till it read 1/4" below the mid point. "NOT COOL when wake boats criss cross in and you have hatch open and are siphoning oil" and leaning over engine bay.... FYI

Anyhow RPM's climbed back up again to previous levels. 7350 Starboard, 7800 Port, via visual on tachs.

Hopefully that is good information.

Funny you said that.
I remember this from Motor Trend Engine masters.

 

[DanP]

I haven’t seen anywhere near 7800 RPM on either of my motors. Typically 1 is at 7400 and the other 7000.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

I just did my 10 hour oil change. I siphoned out about 3.125 quarts from each engine. I put back in exactly 3 quarts so I could check the oil on the lake today when I know I would be perfectly level. The oil on both engines was midway between F and L.

Today on the lake, I noticed I was running WOT at 7100-7200 rpm and I was not getting over 35 mph. Before I was hitting 7500-7600 rpm and I hit just under 43 mph. I ran for a couple of hours and then I checked the oil while in a calm patch of water in a cove. Same thing. Half way between F and L.

I used the Yamaha Engine Oil Kits from my dealer. I purchased 2 when I picked up the boat.

What could be going on? I didn't do anything else to the engines but oil change and filter.


Horsepower can decrease dramatically with increases in temperature and humidity and altitude. I'm assuming the first two may be bat play. Wind and wave action can also cause hull drag, but I'm sure you know that. I'm newish to jet boating and the Yamaha SVHO engines but with high performance I/Os if the oil was overfilled the oil could foam causing the hydraulic lifters to collapse robbing HP.

 

[Markk]

I thought I posted the results of my last test last week. I guess I didn't. Selfish of me, but will do it now.

I brought up the oil level to between 3/4 and Full, on a warm engine. I lost 400 RPM's on Starboard and 300 on Port engine. I made 4 runs WOT at about 1 mile in length. Same lake I have been testing in. I pulled air filters for this test since I didn't want them to get soaked with the higher oil level.

I siphoned off the extra oil I put in till it read 1/4" below the mid point. "NOT COOL when wake boats criss cross in and you have hatch open and are siphoning oil" and leaning over engine bay.... FYI

Anyhow RPM's climbed back up again to previous levels. 7350 Starboard, 7800 Port, via visual on tachs.

Hopefully that is good information.

I did my 10 hour oil change and felt like I lost power. Hole shot was sluggish, top speed was down.

For oil change I measured what I took out and put back same amount. Set trailer level visually to match how boat looks in water. Checked dip stick and showed right at top indicator hole.

I’m gonna pull some oil out and see if performance returns. Will report back.

 

[Markk]

I did my 10 hour oil change and felt like I lost power. Hole shot was sluggish, top speed was down.

For oil change I measured what I took out and put back same amount. Set trailer level visually to match how boat looks in water. Checked dip stick and showed right at top indicator hole.

I’m gonna pull some oil out and see if performance returns. Will report back.

I lowered oil level in both engines To ¼” above low mark. Although no scientific tests were performed, I felt like power was restored. Lagged hole shot was gone and top speed was up.

 

[Daren and Heather]

What do you guys think is normal to expect on our ar210 boats for RPM? Both of my engines have maxed out at about 7300 RPMs, both before and after the 10hr oil change. My oil is about where all of yours are, maybe halfway between the Low and Mid mark. Should we expect the RPMs to be higher? I haven't checked my spark plug gaps yet but will soon.

Oh, what octane gas are you all using? I've been putting in 87 since I bought it.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I am using 87 octane, I use the Yamaha Additive as well. I get 7500 RPM's on one Engine and 7800 RPMS at the other. Although on a hot ass sweltering super high humidity day It will drop a bit. That is at roughly around 600 ft above sea level (Surface Elevation).

 

[BeauSko]

I’m running 87, no additive. Oil half way between low and high. Port engine usually runs 7600-7800 and starboard 7400-7600. Today I matched my fastest speed which was 45...2 ppl, bimini deployed, half tank of gas and RPMs were on the low side of the numbers above. Super hot, super humid, water temp 90! Right at sea level here. @HangOutdoors did pretty much everything he/other members could think of to get the engine RPMs to match. Must just he a thing with our boats, idk.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

Hmm this is something I’m gonna have to keep an eye out for. I’ll be doing my 10 hour service after my next outing. Just out of curiosity, why did you change the oil filter? I ask bc the owners manual doesn’t say to at 10 hours.

Those spark plugs don’t look bad enough to cause a drop like ur talking about.

Did u use the same octane gas on this fill up?

@BeauSko ......joined the forum after your post. Hope you did your 10 hour oil and filter change. yamaha does recommend an oil change at 10 hours. It is in my manual (2020 SX195) on page 141 under Maintenance. Curious that Yamaha does not state to replace the oil filter which IMO is just nuts as it traps the contaminants. Some manufacturers use break-in oil that should be removed as specified. Not sure if yamaha does. As well I spin-off my oil filter every 5 or 6 weeks and just top-up the oil. do this and the engine will last forever. If I was using the boat to tow tubes, boarders and/or wakesurfers I would R&R the fiter every 4 weeks.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

I changed out the plugs today. Won't be able to get her out to test till most likely the weekend. Here are the pictures of the original plugs that came out. I am no mechanic, how do they look? Gap was off on 1 from each side as well but not by alot.

View attachment 120449
View attachment 120450View attachment 120451View attachment 120452

@HangOutdoors BTW those plugs look normal for 10 hour break-in, maybe a little rich looking but decent. Mine (2020 Sx195) looked exactly the same. I run 91 octane and would like to see a bit more light gray color at the tips. I'll be interested to see how mine look next change.

 

[BeauSko]

@BeauSko ......joined the forum after your post. Hope you did your 10 hour oil and filter change. yamaha does recommend an oil change at 10 hours. It is in my manual (2020 SX195) on page 141 under Maintenance. Curious that Yamaha does not state to replace the oil filter which IMO is just nuts as it traps the contaminants. Some manufacturers use break-in oil that should be removed as specified. Not sure if yamaha does. As well I spin-off my oil filter every 5 or 6 weeks and just top-up the oil. do this and the engine will last forever. If I was using the boat to tow tubes, boarders and/or wakesurfers I would R&R the fiter every 4 weeks.

Ya, I did change both my oil and oil filter at the 10 hour service (spark plugs too). That’s an interesting method you use by spinning off the filter and topping off. I don’t do a whole lot of pulling right now, only tubers sometimes. But, once pulling becomes more frequent, I may give that method a try!

 

[Canuckjetboater]

Ya, I did change both my oil and oil filter at the 10 hour service (spark plugs too). That’s an interesting method you use by spinning off the filter and topping off. I don’t do a whole lot of pulling right now, only tubers sometimes. But, once pulling becomes more frequent, I may give that method a try!

@BeauSko ......can't take credit for the concept. Years (many) when we used ti have built high performance engines in our boats I visited a renowned engine builder in Florida. he would change the oil of even mildly built engines after every bhard run LOL but he said if the "average" boat owner spun their filters off and topped-up their oil a couple of times a season the engines would last forever - even if worked hard. When I returned home i asked my friend also a renowned engine builder about that and he said exactly what I recommend too. When we built my first high performance engine ( a 390 HP 383) he advised two things: 1. never leave the dock until it has warmed-up to operating temperature and 2. change the oil and filter frequently.

 

[drewkaree]

Please explain what you mean when you say "spin the filter off and top up the oil".

Are you:
1) filling the oil filter
2) pouring oil into the filter pickup tube until the level is where you want it on the dipstick
3) replacing the filter with a new one and adding oil if needed to the crankcase
4) something else I can't think of right now

I can't tell by the phrasing if you're just saying you replace the filter more often than suggested and then ensure oil levels are correct, or what, exactly, the advice is pertaining to in regards to the engine.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

Please explain what you mean when you say "spin the filter off and top up the oil".
I can't tell by the phrasing if you're just saying you replace the filter more often than suggested and then ensure oil levels are correct, or what, exactly, the advice is pertaining to in regards to the engine.

@drewkaree .....I should have been more specific - apologies! Back when we used to build high performance engines we would actually change the oil after a hard run. When you have an engine worth 50K you are careful. This practice morphed into changing the oil and filter if we did intensive water skiing, tubing etc. for a week or so (vacation). Doing the two previous things showed us the value of a clean oil filter and fresh oil. With most "normal" boating use this is not necessary.

However, (finally getting to your question), we (friends and I) believed that just changing the oil at the beginning and end of a season was not good enough. Some friends would change all of their oil and filter mid way through the boating season other friends would do it several times. A high performance engine builder we knew said "Why don't you just remove the oil filter, which will take trapped contaminants with it, put on a new oil filter and top-up your oil?" He believed that doing so - with "normal" engines - would constantly remove contaminants and simultaneously "freshen" the oil. I have done this for at least 20 years now with many different types of engines.

How frequently you ask. My boating season is May to October. May - fresh oil from the previous winterization, Mid-July R&R oil filter top-up oil, Mid-September R&R oil filter and top-up oil, End October replace all oil and oil filter for winterization. Obviously this schedule can be easily modified if the engine has a period of heavy pulling or high speed use. It has been super cheap insurance for my friends and I over the years.

The top-up oil is added to the crankcase via the oil filler cap and a funnel and checked when hot. If it is low a bit is added. Remember always better to be a bit too low than too high.

BTW you might be interested in the following - this is NOT a "normal" engine!





My first engine build project, a 390 HP 383 that I put into a 1994 Rinker, a 19 foot boat running IMCO powerflow headers, GIL offshore tips, driving a blue printed Bravo I with drive showers and a blueprinted SS prop from Indiana Precision Propeller (which I think Yamaha bought-out a while back). This was a true sleeper that would run 70MPH on the GPS and won me a lot of free beers until the word got out. LOL

Remember....always heat your oil to normal operating temperature before changing it!

 

[Dthorpe]

Wouldn't the oil come gushing out if you removed the filter without draining the oil first?

 

[Canuckjetboater]

Wouldn't the oil come gushing out if you removed the filter without draining the oil first?

@Dthorpe ...it might on the Yamaha as most remove the oil through the dipstick.....although you you should wait 5 minutes +/- after heating the oil to let it drain down into the pan so I don't think any would come out the oil filter thread as the two are not physically linked..... BUT if any doubts the oil filter could be removed after draining the oil. I have yet to perform my first change on the Yamaha block as the dealer did the 10 hour. All of my other boats were I/Os so there were remote filters. On those you could do it either way - but removing it first was easier on the pump.

 

[drewkaree]

Wouldn't the oil come gushing out if you removed the filter without draining the oil first?

Depends on where the filter is located. Mine is on the top of the engine, and I can verify that it did NOT, with my last oil change.

@Canuckjetboater I'm willing to warm my oil up, but I had it somewhere between "warm" and "hot", and it felt like if it were much hotter, the line on my oil removal pump would have collapsed from excessive heat. I never tested the temp, but IIRC, 10 minutes around the lake was enough to get it to that point on my boat.