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Engine
Additives (Eventually)
Dear
Doctor Motorhead,
I
must confess I am, by most standards, not a wealthy man.
I enjoy vintage boating and the camaraderie that follows. It seems
at times our collective hobby requires so much money to purchase a
boat or boats and maintain them in their original state to show and
enjoy - a task to show we all so love and endure. We are proud of
what we have and want to share, certainly by the mere fact we pay to
participate in these shows. This is so evident with the many shows
across the country and truly here in Minnesota. It is with this
personal commitment and participation by all of us, we can encourage
the perpetuation and involvement in the era of antique and classic
boating. I see in writings of the ACBS Rudder and the BoatHouse that
confirms this is what we are all about. So many - or should I say so
few - in our own organization work very diligently to organize,
manage and provide us all opportunities to have fun, enjoy and, most
importantly, promote this fine hobby and our chapter. With this in
mind, I appreciate your involvement and advice as well for us, the
“do it yourself kind of guys.” A “penny saved is a penny
earned”, said some notable. Maybe it was the guy who is on the
penny himself. Unfortunately, I don’t have a penny in my pocket at
the moment to refer to. To you and the readership I am only offering
my observations and in this particular case, my concerns or needs
for a healthy and functional motor without a ton of money or work on
my behalf. I realize that at this time you don’t know what my
needs or concerns are; you only know my observations. To that end,
here is the deal:
You
respond to the many problems and writings diligently, for this I
appreciate and thank you. I am certain through your lab work with
Piston, you have devoted much of your time testing and evaluating
the many additives to feed our vintage watercrafts’ engines,
crankcases and gas tanks. There are so many “As seen on TV” in
writings and through flyers and promotions at your local gas dock
and auto parts store. Is it important for me to consider any of
these additives to prolong my engine’s life? Will it save me money
in the long run? Can I expect a longer running, better and safer
engine in the future? I guess, like my predecessors, I have so many
questions and so few answers. What do you say, Doc, can you help me
solve these mysteries for my fellows in arms and me? Which reminds
me.
Signed,
Lester Prairie
Dear Mr. Prairie,
Thank you for your kind words and observations. I have a question
for you. It is kind of like, “which came first the chicken or the
egg?” Were you named after the town or was the town named after
you, or by some strange coincidence, none of the above? My
observation of the cost of vintage boating remains as it has always
been. Boating is and will always be somewhat of an expensive hobby.
However, take a look at the cost of a new boat which depreciates the
day you make the purchase. When I was at the Minneapolis Boat Show
last week, and oh, by the way, another nice display by the BSLOL
Chapter, I found that $20,000.00 buys you nothing more than a putt-
putt fishing boat. You can certainly get involved in our hobby with
a lot more boat on an entry level for something very close to that.
As some fine notable once said, “you can get into a boat that you
appreciate, while your asset does the same;” a far cry from the
new watercraft of today. I’m not sure exactly who said that --
perhaps he is on the nickel or a one dollar bill. As I have said in
the past, “do as the good Doctor does”, get involved in our
hobby; it’s a no-brainier. In addition, get involved with the club
and ACBS as a whole. Your $60.00 goes a long, long way. Besides you
just might have some fun. Not such a bad deal after all.
Now
on to your question regarding additives. There are many -- in fact
too many -- to list. I will not get into listing them, as my one
comment will address them all. Save your money and do one simple
thing -- change your oil frequently. Most older engines, do not have
oil filters, and those that do only do a partial job of filtering
the oil. Engines wear out first and foremost due to a lack of
lubrication. Your engine is your friend and does not want to give up
the ghost prematurely. It will only do so if you have a tendency to
neglect it. Pay a little attention to the needs of your motor and it
will be your friend for life. In all my writings regarding repairs,
this is the most important thing you should know. All inboard
engines were designed to last and last. They are simple, basic and
reliable. Only when you decide to screw with them, will you find
trouble.
Basic
fact: oil additives proclaim to, and many do, increase engine life
by giving you more lubrication and less wear. The problem here is,
it will also affect your transmission. Why? The crankcase oil
lubricates your transmission as well. If you put something slick and
slimy into your oil, your clutch plates in the transmission will
become slick and slimy. You need some friction for them work
properly. If you use additives, your next letter will ask me, how do
I repair my slipping transmission? So, unless someone out there
knows of a product that will only treat the crankcase and not the
transmission, leave it alone. Alas, someone out there may proclaim,
I have a velvet drive and/or a hydraulic Paragon transmission - this
won’t be my problem. Yes, this is true,
as these transmissions do not get their lubrication from the
crankcase. To that I add, Change Your Oil; there is no substitute to
what I have just said.
So,
how often should you change your oil? A little story first. When I
was an undergraduate at the university studying quantum mechanics,
it was the “in-thing” to drive Volkswagen beetles; They were
cheap to buy, easy to fix and very reliable. For those uninitiated,
that little air-cooled engine held slightly less than three quarts
of oil with no oil filter. Many of my underclassmen felt changing
oil was for sissies. Their engines lasted as short as 25,000 miles.
Those who changed their oil with some frequency, could expect 45,000
to 50,000. I changed my oil every 1,000 miles and when I sold my
little car after graduation, I had over 110,000 miles on it, and
still running strong. Back then a quart of oil was less than a
dollar --- you do the math --- pretty cheap insurance; true story.
Your vintage engine has no oil filter and no air filter. At least my
VW had an air filter. Back to the original question --- how often? I
change the oil every 30 hours and every fall, regardless of the
number of hours, when I pull out and lay up.
What
is the best type of oil to use? Petroleum-based, synthetic-based and
combinations of the two are your choices. There is no question the
synthetic-based and/or combination is the best. However, because our
old boat engine oil gets so dirty so quickly, I depend on the old
standby petroleum-based, and save some money and change it often.
What
about gasoline additives? With one exception, leave these on the
shelf as well. If your engine’s carburetor is not well tuned, or
engine not timed well, you might encounter a build-up of carbon in
the combustion chamber or on the valves. If this is the case, shame
on you. After all my articles in the last six or seven years: keep
it tuned! Remember, your engine is your friend. Simple maintenance
like changing your oil, maintaining your carburetor and keeping your
engine well timed and tuned will prevent all of this. If, for some
reason, you forgot to keep up with any of these tasks because of
your kid’s soccer game, carbon may set in, especially if you putt
about rather than going fast from time to time. There is a product
called “SeaFoam” which works very well to eliminate this carbon.
Don’t become a “SeaFoam” junkie; use it once, and if it does
not cure your aliment, then fix the cause.
So
gang, I’m off now on my annual trek to the hockey tournament in
Fiji. Stay warm and live well.
Dr. Motorhead
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