Proper oil for air cooled Gamefisher

[dbkski]

So my neighbor croaked and the Grandkid gave me a like new 1980 Gamefisher 7.5 hp. I did research before
writing this thread but can not find what type of oil to use. Since this is an air cooled model I am hesitant to
use my Pennzoil TC-W3 oil. I did use it to fire up the motor just to see what’s up but don’t want to run the motor
on the boat until I know exactly what to use. I can’t remember where I read it but there was a heated exchange
about using the proper oil in water cooled outboards vs. air cooled outboards. I ran MX bikes for many years and
had no trouble using Bel-Ray MC-1 in those engines. Does anyone know what I should use?
Model 217-585840
When I tested the motor it ran perfectly. I know their isn’t a "whole lotta love" afforded these Eska built motors
but it is just too nice to not want to run. Anyone know what an approximate value of this motor would be?

Sea Kings Baby!!!

[billw]

I don’t have any direct experience with Gamefishers or Eskas, other than servicing a few, working as a boat mechanic for too many years. I do, however, run air cooled Lawnboy mowers all the time, and have done THAT, for too many years, also. I have run high quality (Quicksilver premium plus) TCW-3 oil in my Lawnboys for as long as that rating has existed and good quality outboard oil, before that. I have had zero mechanical or even carbonization problems in my Lawnboys. I run 24:1 in engines with full roller bearings and 16:1 in older models that might have a plain bearing mixed in. My experience with the customers that had Eska products is that TCW-3 is just fine…..Something else on them will fail long before you have oil problems. Many times, it’s the gear case. Make sure THAT stays well lubricated!

Long live American manufacturing!

[1946zephyr]

I don’t think you’ll hurt that motor at all, using TCW-3. It is a marine engine. The question is, "how much?" I would run 24:1 in that.
X2 on that gear case too. I would pull the prop shaft and hub out and clean the cgear case entirely and refill it with John Deere cornhead grease.

[amuller]

To be a bit contrarian here:

The who subject of 2-stroke oils is a bit muddled, but there is basically a family of oils for water cooled engines (TC-W3), and a family of oils for air cooled engines, which often run at higher cylinder temperatures.

You Eska is an air cooled powerhead and as such should probably use an oil intended for air cooled engines. That said, you will not likely run the thing enough to ever notice any problems using TC-W3.

Out of curiosity I looked at the certification procedures (https://www.nmma.org/certification/oil/tc-w3) for TC-W3 oils and found this:

"The TC-W3® lubricity and preignition evaluations, which are performed on a Yamaha CE-50S [air cooled] motorcycle engine …."
More on that here: http://www.swri.org/3pubs/brochure/ae/p … ricity.pdf.

On top of all this, there are "synthetic" and "semi-synthetic" or "blend" oils. I have not seen any objective information on how much, and in what ways, this matters.

[jeff-register]

If I may add I would use mixing oil for a chain saw. They run at the same higher temps too. I’m not suprised that Mercury oil does the job. I bet OMC oil would too but to be sure I would run air cooled oil. Just me.

[1946zephyr]

Isn’t TCW-3 a little less pollutant than chainsaw oil?

[jeff-register]

Depends on how long it will run on low temp oil being air cooled

[dbkski]

I just checked and they sell both types at Walmart. I will use the air cooled type oil.

1946Zephyr stated to use Cornhead grease but I thought it was an oil use gear case. I just checked it
and it has never been opened. Both the "fill" and "vent" screws were untouched. Does this outboard use
oil or grease?

Sea Kings Baby!!!

[1946zephyr]

I would open the plugs and see what comes out. If yours is in that good of condition, then you likely can use oil in it, versus grease. The grease tends to be used more, when seals get worn or damaged and the oil just leaks out. No biggie. Using the cornhead grease is the fix for that. Yours is low hours it looks like, so worn seals shouldn’t be an issue.

[dbkski]

I did open the plugs and looked inside. Absolutely clean BUT nothing inside. This motor looks like it was
rarely run. The integral gas tank has never had gas in it. NO SCREWS or BOLT HEADS have ever been touched.
I took a few things off just to "look around". I have Mercury gear lube for my Bravo 1 so I will pour some in the fill
hole until it comes out the vent hole? I hope that is the proper way.
No I don’t have the external gas tank/hose. Things were thrown out before I met the Grand Kid.

Sea Kings Baby!!!

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