You’ve heard the expression “choose wisely.” When it comes to choosing an engine oil and filter to protect your Yamaha, this couldn’t be more true. Using the correct oil and filter at the recommended intervals is the single most important thing you can do for your jet boat. Need to add the correct oil check procedure since jet boats have 2 different engines depending on the model. 2 different ways to check oil.
What oil should I use?
Your Yamaha jet boat is vastly different from your automotive engine; so avoid regular automotive engine oils. Use a motor oil specifically formulated for the rigors of the marine environment, like Yamalube® 4 Stroke Watercraft/jet boat Oil for four-stroke jet boats, and Yamalube® 2 Stroke Watercraft/jet boat Oil for two-stroke jet boats.
Let’s look at a few reasons why:
- Engine load. The typical loads placed on your jet boat are much heavier than on your automobile, having to overcome a much greater amount of drag to create performance. This means your jet boat is working much harder than your automobile’s engine. Yamalube 4W and 2W marine engine oils contain specific anti-wear additives to account for this.
- Engine speed. Your jet boat operates at a much higher RPM than your automobile’s engine. It must rev higher to create higher speeds, rather than just changing gears like your car. That means your jet boat may run all day long at 4500-6000 RPM, rather than the 2500 RPM your car reaches at highway speeds. That’s tough on your oil, and can literally shear (or split) the molecules in ordinary automotive oil, reducing lubricity. Yamalube 4W and 2W have special shear-stable polymers to combat this and provide superior lubrication at all times.
- Operating temperature. Jet boats are cooled using raw water, which is often cool to very cold. On the other hand, saltwater will begin to crystallize if its temperature is raised above 170° F, potentially causing blockage in the cooling passages and leading to engine overheat and possible damage. Because of these two factors, your jet boat operates full-time at a temperature much lower than your automobile, and requires very different qualities in its lubricating oil. Yamalube marine oils have detergents, dispersants and viscosity index improvers to meet these marine-specific challenges head-on.
Operating environment. Your jet boat is constantly near water, sucking in very humid air directly off the water’s surface in order to operate. This humid air also gets inside combustion chambers through open valves when it’s not in use. And in a saltwater environment, that air is even more corrosive. It’s one of the harshest environments imaginable for an engine. Yamalube 4W and 2W are purposely formulated with special anti-corrosion agents to help combat and prevent the corrosive effects of this environment.
Yamalube jet boat engine oils provide specific protection other oils don’t, using a proprietary blend of marine-specific anti-wear additives, shear-stable polymers, corrosion inhibitors, detergents, dispersants and viscosity index improvers. In short, they’re far superior to automotive engine oils in their strength of protection, durability and corrosion resistance.
Marine engine oils are so different in their requirements. These represent the minimum standards of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA®) for marine engines. With their high quality and advanced formulations, all Yamalube 4W and 2W oils meet or surpass all of these requirements. Using Yamalube is best for your Yamaha jet boat, but whatever oil you choose, make sure it is the correct type and viscosity. Aren’t all oil filters pretty much the same?
Outwardly, perhaps. But it’s what’s on the inside that counts most. Yamaha oil filters are manufactured specifically to protect Yamaha engines, using only the finest components and construction methods available. This includes a special filter media and metal filter media bases (instead of cardboard), to help them achieve a level of durability and filtration far superior than most “off-the-shelf” oil filters. From the quality of the materials used to their high-quality construction, they simply outperform and out-protect most aftermarket alternatives.
What Yamalube oils are right for my jet boat?
Yamalube 4W Reformulated to better protect your investment from the harsh effects of cold starts, hours of trolling and high-load, high-speed operation, its special anti-corrosive additives are particularly suited for the harsh marine environment.
Yamalube 2W Yamaha-formulated and NMMA®-approved, it provides outstanding protection for two-stroke, water-cooled engines, with its special blend of additives that help combat ring stick, corrosion, varnish and wear. It’s a standard by which other two-stroke oils are judged.
Can I change my own oil?
Absolutely, but you don’t have to. If you’d rather leave it to your Yamaha Watercraft dealer, they will be happy to take care of it for you in their specially trained and properly equipped service department. That also means you won’t have to dispose of the used oil yourself. But if you prefer to do it yourself, your Yamaha Watercraft dealer can set you up with a Genuine Yamalube Oil Change Kit, specific to your Yamaha boat. Everything you’ll need to do the job right. Kits are available in Yamalube 4W.
Other Key Items
There are a few other important things to keep an eye on. Check your owner’s manual for your particular jet boat’s schedule, and keep note of when to check on them by watching your hour meter.
Spark Plugs
As a general rule, pull four-stroke jet boat spark plugs every two hundred hours or every other season and check for proper color and wear. They should be a light brownish color and have relatively sharp edges. When necessary, replace with the exact manufacturer and part number that your jet boats. manufacturer stipulates. The brand type and style of spark plugs used in your jet boat are by design. They contain specific performance attributes that are engineered into your jet boat. Those little markings and numbers on your spark plugs contain a wealth of information about heat range, thread depth, etc.; so don’t second-guess or try to cross-reference here. Your jet boat’s performance depends on it.
Thermostats and Pop-Off Valves
These are responsible for regulating the operating temperature of your jet boat. Simple and effective, they’re best observed through any signs of change in the engine’s operating temperature. Operating in saltwater can cause deposits to build up, causing the valves to stick open, which can over-cool the jet boat and prevent it from reaching proper operating temperature. Small bits of debris in the cooling water can get lodged between mating surfaces and cause the same condition. If this happens, removal and cleaning is most often the fix. Check your owner’s manual for specific replacement recommendations.