Walmart Supertech TC-W3 Outboard Motor Oil

[classic242]

Hey guys, I read an old post on here about Walmart Supertech oil. I am no oil guru or nothing but I will just state some facts from observation and reading oil reports. I have been around 2 -stroke outboard motors for quite a long time mostly Mercury, Evinrude/BRP, Johnson and Yamaha. Now mind you I have a new Yamaha HPDI and choose only to use Yamalube 2-M for the next 5 years, due to warranty but, if I was to run out of Yamalube 2-M until I can get back to my boat dealer for more, I have no worry about using another OEM oil as long as it is rated for direct oil injection because the newer Optimax,HPDI's and Etec's run a higher crankcase temperature and need a oil injection rated oil that has the extra additives in the oil to help that extra generated heat. I have a copy of an oil analysis report on my desk that was sent to Team Dougherty from Blackstone Laboratories. There were 5 different brands of 2 stroke oils sent in by Team Dougherty for an oil analysis. The 5 different oils sent in were in this order Evinrude XD 50, Pennzoil Premium Plus, Walmart Supertech, Mercury Marine Optimax/DFI and Yamalube 2-M. The report says that the first 3 brands of oil tested were similar and no significant difference in them except oil viscosity and as you know, the XD50 and the Pennzoil Premium Plus are a semi synthetic and the Walmart Supertech was right there in the ball park of the first two tested oils. Now, the Mercury and Yamaha oil contained the additive molybdemum which the other first three did not and the Mercury and Yamaha oils contained more concentrations of the additives Boron, Silicon, Sodium, Calcium and Phosphorus. Now all of this being said, I'm not taking sides with anyone but just stating the facts and not trying to start another oil war but, you can't go wrong using an OEM oil. I choose to use the Yamalube 2-M in my HPDI outboard until the warranty goes out and then who knows what I will use but, right now I am buying it from my boat dealer at $18.00 per gallon in bulk. I will say this though, there are a lot of Mercury Optimax, Evinrude/Johnson and Yamaha HPDI outboard motor owners using the Walmart Supertech in their outboards around here where I live because I see them buying it and even some pouring it in their oil and gas tanks. My wife owns a 26' Lowe pontoon with a 1996 Johnson carbed 115 2-stroke on it and the previous owner that she purchased it from said that was the only oil that has ever been used in that motor since brand new. It is her boat and she tells me to put the Supertech in the gas tank and I do. Let's see now, that is almost 15 years old and still has great compression, had it checked before she made the purchase. I see no problem in using the Walmart Supertech oil in any carbed outboard unless it has been modified with more compression and needs an outboard motor oil rated for that application. The Johnson 115 on her pontoon boat has a good many hours on it and is still running strong. The only thing that has been done on this motor is lower unit oil change, plugs every two years, decarb performed by me once per year and the water pump has been rebuilt 5 times in almost 15 years. Like I said before, I'm not trying to steer anyone to the Supertech oil I'm just stating the facts. I have a lot of friends that do quite a bit of duck hunting, including myself and just about everyone of them use nothing but Walmart Supertech outboard motor oil. I do believe and will say that if you own one of the newer outboard 2 stroke  motors that is direct fuel injected and direct oil injected, you need to use one of the OEM 2 stroke oils that is rated for that application.
Sorry for being so long winded !!

[bassindago]

thank you for posting that i have been wondering about the walmart oil as i just ran out of the penzoil that i normally use. sometimes i have trouble finding the penzoil so now i know i can get the walmart brand.

[biggun]

The moly in the oil is good stuff it bonds to the parts inside the motor.
Ive added it to kart motors and seen 1/2hp increase on the dyno, only problem is it turns the internal parts a grey color instead of shiny aluminum. They also use it in dry form to lube some military helo rotor bearings.

[unchained186]

I got a little story I worked at a tire store when I was young. A guy walks in with a almost new
Lincoln Continental he says I want the cheapest tire that will fit that car I tell him a price he gets mad what about this ad right here from the newspaper it says $99 he is real ticked off at this point so I thought I sure get tired of people like this I said thats a 13 inch tire get your a!! back in the big
Lincoln go back to the dealership (and he did by it new by the way) and ask for the cheapest car they got after they sell you a Ford Festiva come back and I will sell you that $99 tire because it will fit that car.

So anyway not to stir up any trouble I just love that story it was fun to get to fire back for one day the customer wasnt always right But anyway It just seems crazy to fork out $40,000 or $50,000 for a bass boat or just about $15,000 plus for a motor and want to run oil from walmart in it
It seems like It would be more fitting to do that with a little plastic 2 man boat with one of those motors that are 5 hp and have the gas tank made on them all one unit or on a 20 year old motor that was under $1000 like a little 25hp or something
I dont know it just seems weird not trying to start no trouble

[Mike Cork]

I agree that it seems silly to run Wal-mart oil in the high dollar engines.  I use Mercury oil in my motors because of warranty issues, I realize they can't tell what to run just specifications but I'm not going to go down that road should something fail.

I ran a Johnson for about 5 years on Wal-mart oil and when I had it check out to sell it the mechanic said it was one of the best power-heads he had seen in a long time.  Take that for what it's worth but I for one am not afraid to run it.

[classic242]

Mike,
Here is another thought for everyone to ponder on, I have seen several older Yamaha outboard motors with it's cowl off and it says right there in bold letters on the front of the motor. Use Yamalube 2-M or a TC-W3 equivalent. If there were some really bad TC-W3 oils out there on the market now, do you think Yamaha would have that printed right there on the front of some of their older outboard motors? I don't think so. Even some of the other brands of outboard motors out there that fall into the older class say it in their owners manual, use their oil or a TC-W3 equivalent. Now that being said, I do believe that the OEM outboard motor oils have more additives in their mix because I have seen proof in oil analysis reports but, there are some other off the shelf brands that will work just fine also. I will also state this, if you have a Yamaha outboard that is under warranty and the motor blows up, the first thing that Yamaha will request your boat dealer to do is send them the oil tank out of your boat and I have heard that Mercury will request the same. If your motor is under warranty use what the OEM manual says to use, to keep from having any major complications.

[Mike Cork]

Oil sampling is my strongest reason for using OEM. If they sample the oil and find it's not up to snuff they will likely tell you to take it up with the oil company that you bought the oil from. That oil company will cry mechanical failure and then your stuck in the middle with no motor and looking for an attorney.

[freebie]

just an fyi for anyone worried about warranty issues for not using branded oil

The Federal government dealt with this back in 1975 with the Magnuson-Moss Act. The following explains the act and the impact it has on consumers and warranties.

"While the Magnuson-Moss Act does not require manufacturers to provide a written warranty, it provides specific rules when one is provided. Among those provisions, FTC regulations state: (c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if (1) the warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and (2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest. (15 U.S.C.2302(C))"

To paraphrase the act and tie it back to this thread, it says that Merc cannot require you to use Mercury lubricants to keep your warranty valid, only that you must use the viscosity grade and service specification as provided by Mercury. Merc would love it if you believed you have to use their oil to maintain your warranty...it's good for their sales. If Mercury is going to tie their warranty to your use of their brand of lubricants, then they have to provide it to you at no cost. To the best of my knowledge, no manufacturer has deemed it important enough to use their private label lubricant to give it away.

[Mike Cork]

I understand the law, but if they test your oil and find the slightest thing off, wrong, not to specs they are going to blame the oil.  After that your going to have to hit the oil manufacturer up for the cost of your repairs and I'm pretty positive that won't happen without a costly lawyer.  For just a couple dollars more it's cheap insurance on my part.

If it meets specs your good. Even their owners manual (merc that is) says you have to run TCW 3 oil.  That's the must part.  They recommend theirs of course.

I ran a Johnson on Walmart oil for 6 years and never had a problem. Take it for what you will.

[classic242]

I will have to agree with father time on this, for a few dollars more it is cheap insurance. The reason that I agree, I have read several threads on other fishing and boating sites and there was even one ex-Yamaha rep. that said Yamaha can and will deny an outboard motor claim if the oil used does not meet spec. that being said, I think an individual would end up paying more for a lawyer to take it to court to fight it than if you just used the correct oil to begin with. These new outboard motors are very expensive. Now I can't vouch for a Mercury but, my Yamaha manual says to use Yamalube 2-M but, if the Yamalube can't be used, it says to use another OEM brand of oil. I ran out of Yamalube with my Yamaha HPDI and I called my boat dealer and asked if I could use the Mercury/Quicksilver Premium Plus until I could get back to the dealership to get some more Yamalube and he said that the Mercury/Quicksilver Premium Plus meets the Yamaha spec. and to go ahead and use it. I for one am well aware of the Magnuson-Moss Act but, to me it is not worth the hassel should you have a outboard motor failure and have to prove you used the correct oil. Just my two cents !!