Northern Lights Lugger Marine engine L1064D oil changes

[capran]

Usually I post questions under the Helmsman thread. Have a 38 Helmsman with a Lugger 85 HP engine. top of engine says Northern Lights, and my impression is they often use same engine for generator, but mine it is the main and only engine. was re-reading manual and it says change oil every 250 hours. (500 for electronically controlled engines, which it is not). I use the boat just during the summer and put it on the hard almost 10 months a year. I have always changed the oil at the end of the cruising season, so it's very clean/fresh for storage, but I do put on only 110 hours or so per summer. Am I doing unnecessary annual change of the oil? It's only about 3 1/2 gallows of DELO 400 SDE CK-4 15W-40 if that matters.

 

[twistedtree]

Usually I post questions under the Helmsman thread. Have a 38 Helmsman with a Lugger 85 HP engine. top of engine says Northern Lights, and my impression is they often use same engine for generator, but mine it is the main and only engine. was re-reading manual and it says change oil every 250 hours. (500 for electronically controlled engines, which it is not). I use the boat just during the summer and put it on the hard almost 10 months a year. I have always changed the oil at the end of the cruising season, so it's very clean/fresh for storage, but I do put on only 110 hours or so per summer. Am I doing unnecessary annual change of the oil? It's only about 3 1/2 gallows of DELO 400 SDE CK-4 15W-40 if that matters.

I would keep doing what you are doing. It’s what manufacturers all call for (sooner of a calendar or hours interval), and as you say, oil and filters are relatively cheap.

 

[tiltrider1]

I agree with TT. CAT calls for 250 hour oil changes. I change my oil every 100 hours and the filter every 200 hours.

My car calls for 8,000 mile oil changes, I do it every 5,000. I never suffer from lifter issues like the people who push oil changes out to the max.