@echo wrote:
@achilles/medway wrote:
Talking to my Volvo penta dealer today he mentioned that the ATF transmission oil previously recommended for the saildrive has been changed to 15W40 engine oil because of a clutch issue that may arise. I suggest owners talk to their dealer to confirm this. This MAY apply to other transmissions.
He also mentioned that some ATF oil is left in the saildrive when sucking out but as this mixes ok with engine oil it will do no harm. After a few changes, all the ATF will be removed and replaced by 15W40 oil.
I notice there was little or no reaction to the above posting!
Can I raise the point again – are owners complying with this VP service bulletin or not and if not, why not? I have tried to attach a copy of the bulletin.
cdogg
I suspect owners have contacted their dealer to check this info out and thus no comment on this site was necessary. I’m also surprised that as a Bavaria owner from new, nobody at Bavaria or Volvo contacted me to tell me that the oil spec needed changing. I registered the Volvo engine at the first service so they knew I owned that engine. I suppose they were worried that owners would complain and demand an oil change free. Not good service really. Change the spec in your handbook so the next owner of your boat knows.
Another dealer told me 10W40. The only difference between 10W40 and 15W40 is that the 15W40 is better at high gearbox temperatures as the oil is thicker when it is worn out (see below). I would suggest 10W40 if using it in very cold climates as the base grade is lower.
PS IMPORTANT multigrade oils break down to the base grade when the additives wear out. Cheap multigrades wear out quicker as they have less additives. They still meet the SAE spec but not for so long. ATF ‘may’ stay the same grade. Hence it is important to change multigrade oil every year especially if you use a cheap supermarket grade. i.e. 10W40 when worn out is SAE10 and is VERY thin and worse than ATF!
Dont overfill. The oil foams too much which means air bubbles in the bearings when you need all oil.
Anybody know the clutch problem that caused this change?