Quicksilver Blog

Good, Better, Best: Selecting the Right Oil for Your Engine

The engine is probably the most valuable component of your boat. The best way to protect that investment is with quality marine lubricants. With more than 70 years of experience engineering premium marine lubricants, Quicksilver® understands what it takes to deliver the level of performance, protection and peace of mind serious boat owners demand. Quicksilver oils and lubricants are designed to protect all marine engines from the corrosion, heat and extreme loads they may endure on and off the water.

Why Marine Lubricants?

Imagine driving your car or truck at 80 mph up a steep hill while towing your boat – for an hour. That’s the kind of stress your marine engine is under, and that stress would likely destroy automotive oil and, in short order, an automotive engine.

A marine engine – whether it’s an outboard, inboard, sterndrive or personal watercraft – is designed to operate for hours at high rpm and under heavy load. This torturous duty requires special lubricants, which is why you should never use automotive oil in a marine engine.

While other “off the shelf” marine lubricants might meet a basic industry standard, Quicksilver oils and lubricants are designed to exceed minimum industry standards. Always consult your owner’s manual, or ask your Quicksilver or marine dealer, for the recommended lubricant products for your marine engine.

Quicksilver 4-Stroke Marine Engine Oil

Quicksilver 4-Stroke Marine Engine Oils feature a blend of high-quality base stocks and additives formulated specifically for use in most four-stroke outboard, sterndrive, inboard and personal watercraft marine engines.

The industry standard for four-stroke marine engine oil is the NMMA® FC-W® (four-stroke cycle, water-cooled) certification. Unlike automotive motor oil, FC-W oil features specialized marine additives that offer superior corrosion resistance. Each Quicksilver 4-Stroke Marine Engine Oil formula exceeds these standards for corrosion protection and offers industry-leading wear protection. And each offers powerful sheer resistance and viscosity retention – vital for long-term engine performance. The extended high-rpm operation that a marine engine endures can shear (or split) inferior additive molecules, leading to permanent loss of viscosity. This can leave less lubricant protection on crankcase components during the next engine use.

Quicksilver offers four-stroke oil in three formulas – mineral, synthetic blend and full-synthetic – to allow boaters to choose the ideal level of protection for their marine engine. Call it the Good-Better-Best system. As you move up the Good-Better-Best scale, engines benefit from higher refinement, superior additives and improved performance.

When the proper grade is selected, Quicksilver oil meets the warranty requirement for all leading marine engine brands.

  • Good: Quicksilver Mineral Base 4-Stroke Marine Engine Oil

Quicksilver mineral oil is approved for use in all marine engines at the specified viscosity rating. It exceeds all marine industry four-stroke oil requirements, including FC-W® and FC-W Catalyst Compatible® ratings. This oil offers outstanding value paired with premium protection, and is a good choice for use in low-horsepower outboards and engines that are not often operated in a high-output manner. Available in the following viscosities: 10W-30, 10W-40, 20W-40 and 25W-40.

A balanced combination of the highest-quality synthetic and mineral base stocks offers outstanding engine and corrosion protection in high-torque, high-RPM duty, including in supercharged Mercury® Verado® outboards. Quicksilver synthetic blend oil delivers better performance than mineral-base oils in engines that are used frequently, in high-horsepower engines and in extreme temperature ranges. Available in the following viscosities: 10W-30, 25W-40 and 25W-50.

A full-synthetic oil is the ideal choice for avid boaters who want the best protection for their engine. It’s formulated to resist thermal breakdown when a high-performance engine is operating at maximum output and high temperatures for an extended period of time, which is why full synthetic is a popular choice among tournament anglers and performance boat owners. The Quicksilver 10W-30 full synthetic formula features 49% more anti-wear additives, 45% more dispersants and 24% more detergents than the synthetic blend 10W-30 formula. It delivers our highest level of protection against corrosion and wear. Available in the following viscosities: 5W-30 and 10W-30.

    Quicksilver Oil Change Kits

Handy Quicksilver oil change kits are available for many Mercury® MerCruiser® sterndrive and inboard engines, four-stroke Mercury outboards from 15hp to 400hp, many Yamaha® 30hp to 300hp outboards, and engines from Volvo Penta® and other popular brands. Each kit includes Quicksilver 25W-40 or 10W-30 Marine Engine Oil, an oil filter and instructions in one convenient box.

    Quicksilver 2-Stroke Marine Engine Oil

Quicksilver 2-Stroke Marine Engine Oil exceeds the basic NMMA® TC-W3® standard and meets manufacturer recommendations for all two-stroke outboard and personal watercraft engines, in pre-mix or oil-injected applications.

Formulated to meet the needs of low- to mid-horsepower outboard engines under general marine operating conditions, this quality TC-W3 oil helps prevent formation of rust and corrosion on internal components.

Premium Plus is formulated with a high-concentration marine additive package to meet the needs of high-horsepower two-stroke outboards, including direct fuel-injected engines. This oil far exceeds the performance of the industry TC-W3 standard. It burns clean to reduce carbon buildup and offers superior lubrication in the most demanding operating conditions.

This synthetic-blend oil is specifically formulated to meet the needs of Mercury OptiMax®, Yamaha HPDI, Evinrude® E-TEC and other direct fuel-injected (DFI) two-stroke outboard engines. A carefully modified base stock blend with a synthetic additive package minimizes carbon buildup to help maintain engine performance and provide superior lubrication.

    Quicksilver 2-Stroke PWC Engine Oil

Quicksilver personal watercraft (PWC) engine oils are engineered to provide maximum protection against engine wear and corrosion in two-stroke oil-injected and pre-mix applications. These oils meet or exceed manufacturer warranty requirements for all brands of two-stroke personal watercraft and sport boat engines.

This oil is inherently biodegradable and clean burning to produce minimal exhaust smoke and smell. An outstanding detergency formula reduces formation of performance-robbing carbon deposits in the engine and on piston rings.

    Quicksilver Synthetic Blend PWC/Snowmobile Oil

This convenient multi-season engine oil provides outstanding wear and corrosion protection to help extend engine life. It's clean burning, low-smoke formula works in cold- and warm-weather applications and can help reduce carbon deposits on snowmobile engine exhaust valves.

    Quicksilver Diesel Engine Oil

High-quality, hard-working Quicksilver Diesel Engine Oil contains a higher additive level than standard fleet oils to provide greater protection.

Heavy Duty is formulated to meet the needs of all marine diesel engines, including Mercury MerCruiser® D-Tronic models. It provides excellent wear tolerance and shear stability to assure stay-in-grade performance. The formula also helps control the formation of sludge and varnish deposits, even in high-stress applications.

Designed for use in select Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engines, this 5W-30 formula meets international ACEA C3 specifications, protects anti-pollution systems, increases the life of diesel particulate filters (DPF), and provides outstanding wear and corrosion protection to help extend engine life.

There is no industry-wide standard for marine gearcase lubricants, so it is essential to use products specifically tested for marine applications. Quicksilver Gear Lube has a specialized additive package that outperforms automotive gear oil in marine gearcase applications. Quicksilver recommends the gear lube be changed at least once per year (prior to storage) or every 100 hours of operation. See your owner’s manual for specific recommendations.

Recommended for use in lower units of outboards below 75hp, Premium Gear Lube provides protection against excessive wear even in the presence of water. It helps prevent corrosion and pitting, while helping to extend gear life.

  • Quicksilver SAE90 High Performance Gear Lube

High Performance Gear Lube provides maximum protection for sterndrive and outboard lower units on engines above 75hp. An exclusive formula is engineered to protect gears from metal-to-metal contact and extend gear life in extreme conditions, including high-speed and high-horsepower applications. It can even help prevent failures due to water entering the gear housing.

Extreme Performance Gear Lube is recommended for use in high‑performance gearcases used in marine, powersports and motorsports applications. This gear lube provides maximum protection against water intrusion, wear and horsepower loss and is formulated to protect at high operating temperatures.

Always dispose of waste oil properly. To find a retailer, check out Quicksilver Where To Buy.

 

TRADEMARK ATTRIBUTION STATEMENT:

NMMA, FC-W and TC-W3 are registered trademarks of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, Inc. YAMAHA is a registered trademark of Yamaha Corporation. VOLVO PENTA is a registered trademark of Volvo Trademark Holding AB Corporation. EVINRUDE is a registered trademark of Bombardier Recreational Products, Inc. All other trademarks belong to Brunswick Corporation.