Sail drive oil

[PEA-JAY]

My 2005 39 Cruiser with 130S-A sail drive (and D2-55-C engine) was filled with ATF fluid. A year earlier  my brother bought a Dufour in 2004 with identical engine and sail drive that was filled with 15w40 engine oil. Some time ago Volvo changed their mind about ATF and for almost all sail drives recommended using engine oil. When I learnt about this 2 years ago I had just relaunched the boat  and only now am I in a position to switch oils as I wanted to completely drain all ATF. I've used ATF for over 11 years, with no apparent problems so I'm a little hesitant about changing. Does any member know Volvo's reason for this change or has anyone had any drive problems related to using ATF? I ask because I don't recall reading any reason for change or what advantage engine oil has over ATF. I would like some reassurance before switching.  Any technical advice received from forum members will be very appreciated. Raph.

[Symphony]

Definitely changed to engine oil as per service bulletin. Drain from the plug at the bottom to remove aall ATF.

No specific reason given by Volvo, but doubt there is any risk in making the change. Why would Volvo do it if there was any risk. Change was made over 5 years ago.

[whitcd]

I had a Bav 36 2002 vintage which used ATF fluid in the saildrive. It suddenly started having problems engaging reverse gear (it would get there eventually but took a couple of seconds to engage - heart in mouth stuff when coming into a berth!!).  I replaced the ATF with engine oil which cured the problem immediately and I have not had a problem since.  No idea whether this is pure coincidence or the ATF caused the problem, but I guess Volvo make their recommendation for a reason.....     

[Harry Brown]

I have changed a 130S-B to engine oil over a year ago with no adverse effects.

[Neil]

I have a B39 2006 with the 130S. I changed to engine oil in June 2016. I think it may leak less now out of the dipstick area onto the gaitor as this has been a problem. Anyone else noticed this (or is it just my imagination?)?

[dawntreader]

I have a B39 2006 with the 130S. I changed to engine oil in June 2016. I think it may leak less now out of the dipstick area onto the gaitor as this has been a problem. Anyone else noticed this (or is it just my imagination?)?

I changed to engine oil from ATF about 3 years ago. I still get some oil coming out of the dipstick onto the gaiter area despite replacing the sealing ring on the dip-stick    (....and no, it's not overfilled  )

[patprice]

Do people use synthetic 15W40 or non synthetic? For engine and leg.

[Symphony]

Non synthetic.

[PEA-JAY]

I picked this up from another site, just copied and paste:

Originally Posted by belizesailor View Post
+1. I've run into many looking for a different answer to this question. Why?
dear belize sailor
i start with atf DX III - atf has kinematic viscosity at 40 celsius 32cst and at 100celsius 7.55cst

15w40 on the other hand has at 40celsius 107cst and at 100celsius 14.1cst
higher temperature "thinner" oil and opposite , higher number of viscosity "thicker" oil

what i mean with all these numbers blablabla that the saildrive oil while you are motoring works between 50 to 55 celsius max you will see it and 58 but with sea temp around 33-35 celsius, so higher viscosity thicker the oil better film between the discs , they changed it because they had slippage problems bettwen the discs ,temperature of the atf oil was rising and the oil film between the discs was not thick enough.you cannot put thicker and thicker and more thicker oil you have to test it because you have built of presure in the saildrive and they tried to find the best oil for stopping the slippage and not bursting the seals

[PEA-JAY]

Oops!  Forgot to mention that I have filled up with 15w40, same as engine and that till last time I used the boat (with ATF) there was never any leak from the dipstick. I always noticed there was positive pressure in the saildrive, which is a plus. If I remember correctly drive takes 2.9 liters and you screw the dip stick in place to confirm the oil level.  Thank you all for your advice. Raph

[Neil]

I use synthetic oil in the engine (AMS oil) and standard mineral oil (the Volvo engine oil) in the sail drive. The synthetic oil is far better in the engine than the mineral equivalent. It is worth the extra expense.

[Symphony]

I use synthetic oil in the engine (AMS oil) and standard mineral oil (the Volvo engine oil) in the sail drive. The synthetic oil is far better in the engine than the mineral equivalent. It is worth the extra expense.

On what basis is synthetic oil better? Those oils are designed for the stresses of modern high power output engines, not a simple little industrial diesels. Complete waste of money.

Just think about it. The new 1.5l Ford  diesel I was driving today is turbocharged, runs to 5000rpm and produces over 100hp per litre capacity. On the other hand your Volvo runs to either 3200 or 3600, is not turbocharged and produces 35hp per litre. This is why the recommended oil is a simple mineral CF because it does not need all those additives in synthetic oil.

[DT]

The sail drive using a bevel gear would and should have been using a ATF, if you where designing from scratch. Engine oils are traditionally not good at the shear forces in bevel drives , I would love to know the reason for the change (engineering or operating)
The operating temp range would be much wider,  as I can't imagine a sail drive ever gets up to the right temp for a engine oil, additionally  I believe the synthetics are less hydroscopic.
I will be changing my oils next week , synthetic will go into my drive............in 6 months if I'm in the market for a new sail drive please remove this post.

[MarkTheBike]

...in 6 months if I'm in the market for a new sail drive please remove this post.

 

[Symphony]

The sail drive using a bevel gear would and should have been using a ATF, if you where designing from scratch. Engine oils are traditionally not good at the shear forces in bevel drives , I would love to know the reason for the change (engineering or operating)
The operating temp range would be much wider,  as I can't imagine a sail drive ever gets up to the right temp for a engine oil, additionally  I believe the synthetics are less hydroscopic.
I will be changing my oils next week , synthetic will go into my drive............in 6 months if I'm in the market for a new sail drive please remove this post.

Do you seriously think that Volvo have made a mistake and you know better? Tens of thousands of saildrives run on engine oil and have done since the mid 1980s. No requirement for synthetic oil. Why is hydroscopic an issue when the drive unit is sealed to atmosphere so water only gets in through failed seals in the lower unit.

Most people follow the manufacturers' instructions rather than trying to outsmart them - particularly when no problem exists.

[JEN-et-ROSS]

Do you seriously think that Volvo have made a mistake and you know better?

Why not? Wouldn't be the first time an auto/aircraft/marine manufacturer has detected an issue/fault/mistake and quietly issued a service bulletin in the hope that the 'problem' would now go away (and therefore be resolved), without having to admit there was ever an issue in the first place. It's only natural to want to avoid a fuss and possible litigation.
 
 It's perfectly reasonable for this forum to ask WHY the switch was advised, Volvo MUST have come up with a problem that was causing them sleepless nights, because if they hadn't detected a problem, they would never have issued that service bulletin.

 Incidentally we have a Beta Marine 30hp married to a Volvo Saildrive, and we use engine oil...............Bill

[Neil]

The mineral oils have constituents that break down and form esters and other unwelcome compounds. This causes the oil to go dark and more viscous sooner. In other words the synthetic oil behaves more like oil and less like tar. It is less about the additives in synthetic oil than what is absent that is in mineral oil.

The synthetic oil I use goes dark much more slowly than the standard mineral oil and retains better lubricating properties. The engine is more resilient to overheating.

I consider it worth the extra cost as one of the most critical components in an engine.

Finally I would recommend giving it a try. And one disadvantage, it is harder to read the level off the dipstick for a while after a change.