Re: Wrong Oil (4 stroke instead of 2 stroke)
This just seems so wierd to me. Not using two stroke oil in this day and age. This is a throwback, what, 40 years or more?? Heck, I've been running outboards since I was a kid, and with maybe the exception of a really vague memory in the early 60s, I can't ever remember someone using automotive oil in a 2 stroke - except in maybe an emergency where no other oil was available for a very short period (e.g. getting home).<br /><br />This guy spent the money to have it serviced every year by a pro and yet was so ignorant to use regular automotive oil rather than two stroke oil? Heck, you wouldn't even save money by doing this and I just don't want to believe he actually did it.<br /><br />My ASSumption (I know, not good to assume) is that he probably didn't actually use automotive oil, or if he did, he didn't do it often. <br /><br />Hopefully you haven't??<br /><br />On the other hand, my guess is that while detrimental, automotive oil wouldn't be disasterous - unless the VRO just didn't mix it properly. If the compression is good and it starts, idles, and runs well, my very uneducated guess is that there is no permanent significant harm. I would think potential damage is dependent on usage - a lot of usage, regularly using the wrong oil might produce significant damage. A little usage, occasionally using the wrong oil, is far less likely to cause significant permanent damage.<br /><br />Check the compression. As others have mentioned, decarbon motor - that's cheap and easy (see FAQ) and is not a bad idea to do regularly regardless of the type of oil you use. Clean or rebuild carbeurators if you have any concern at all about them (e.g. hard start, rough idle, poor performance) because dirty carbeuraters can damage an engine aside from running crappy.
