Simply the best off the shelf oil for boats IMO. We should all be using an "offroad" oil unless your boat has cats.

Advance runs Valvoline conventional oil specials twice a quarter at 3.49 a quart. In the ads they don't show the racing oil, but it scans and rings up at the discounted rate.

Rotella and all other OTC HDEO'S have indeed dropped their content of ZDDP to conform with CJ-4. People seem to be all up in arms about this, forgetting that this new spec outperforms any prior iteration..... Roller motors don't need high zinc and phosphorus and remember its about the total formulation, not just the base oil or a specific additive like ZDDP. The zinc issue is so overblown and false. Flat tappet failures have more to do with metallurgy and improper break in than engine oil. There is no "magic oil". Just better ones for certain applications.

I personally like Redline synthetic engine oil, and NEO for anything with gears. It's my preference. There are other oils just as good. Modern PCMO'S (conventional) are outstanding lubricants in 2013, and perform very well even against synthetics that contain PAO basestocks. People just won't accept that....

In boats you want a very shear stable lubricant. If you get there by using a Polyol ester or a group III refined product really doesn't matter. Proper weight and shear stability is what counts for a boat. Pretty much all available oils will have enough zinc for even flat tappet engines. Obviously some oils excel in shear stability but remember boats tend to dilute the oil with fuel. This is where UOA's come in to establish baseline.

So I take it that no one has heard that in some cases you would have to run a light oil because of the lifters? I thought it was strange when I was told this.

Never heard of it. Most of us on here also run roller lifters, and do not run 5-30.

Scroll up and answer the questions from rmbuilder and mild thunder asked, these guys are respected builders and can't help you without that info.

Oil is not your problem, you have mechanical issues that are only going to get worse over time.

Ok I have asked on many oil threads..but never got a answer. What oil does Mercury recommend (or use) in their race motors,1150's, 1350's and now 1650's?

Morel doesn't recommend a oil thicker than 5w40 for their high rpm race series lifters.

Me too, but about every twenty.

If I did it any sooner I would be changing it every six weeks.

I can only ask,what makes a lifter different in the way that it requires a lighter oil??

It will pump up quicker with a 5W vs a 20W when cold, once warm a 5W40 is the same as a 20W40 at 210 F. It would make no difference once hot.

But once the lifter is pumped up, it is pumped up. I have never had oil drain from a hyd lifter regardless of oil viscosity.

Ken