Another making oil question

[WVTundra]

I’m new to the Yamaha. Just got a 2023 SHO. It now has 18 hours. Amazing motor so far. I started seeing the making oil threads. I’ve checked my oil every few trips and it always seemed the same. The last few times out I’ve ran it harder and made longer runs and check the oil when I get home today from the river and it’s way over the top hole. So I pumped some out. Probably a quart at least and it’s just below the top hole. Is it common to have to remove that much? Going again in the morning. I’ll check it when I get home. Thanks!!

oh, I also have a tournament this weekend that I’ll be making a 150 mile run two days and then have a oil change scheduled for next week. Will be over the 20 hour mark then. Should I just pump enough out that it’s back to the center of the two holes?

[okskeetertzx190]

If it were me I would put new oil in it before I made that long of a run.

[Wackyjig]

I would change the oil before the long run as well.

Whats odd is you say it wasn't making oil UNTIL you made harder longer runs. That's the opposite of typical.

Are you sure you had the motor level for a little bit before you checked the oil?

Also, on your latest long runs, how have you been running it? Trimmed out, close to wot? Or trimmed down close to wot?

[ChooChooSnakeMan]

I find it hard to believe that your engine went from not making oil to making over a quart in such a short period of time. My advice is be careful. These engines can fool you about how much oil is in them. I think you have to trim the engine up and turn it side to side and do that a couple of times then trim level and remove the filler cap, remove the dip stick, wipe clean, then check the oil. I may have left off a few steps I have read about such as stand on one foot and cross your eyes but you get the idea. I hope you didn't take too much oil out and now you are really low when all the oil is where it is supposed to be. I also think with the long trip you have planned that I would go ahead and change the oil and filter. Better to have good full strength oil than gas diluted oil.

[WVTundra]

I’m getting it changed on Thursday. It could have been creeping up some. I probably ran it more hours than I thought between checking it. I checked it and it was high, let it set 10 hours and checked it again. Pumped some out and let it set over night and checked it again and it was exactly the same level as it was after I pumped it. The last time out I ran it 30 miles full throttle trimmed out, around 5700 rpm’s 73.8 mph. Then around 60-65 mph 5-5200 rpm after locking thru. I rarely run it hard when I’m just out fishing. Thanks for all the help!!

[BassinPaPaw]

This is crazy about this making oil thing. I’ve heard about this since the Sho’s have been out. Just curious is that a Yamaha thing, or is Mercury having the same issues?

[CJ1]

This is crazy about this making oil thing. I’ve heard about this since the Sho’s have been out. Just curious is that a Yamaha thing, or is Mercury having the same issues?

No It it a Yamaha break in procedure thing. The worst possible way to seat ring is to start a engine and let it idle for a hour. I personally know of 2 SHO's that were broken in by just running them normal and varying the RPM's and they are fine with a bunch of hours on them. You cannot seat rings without a load on them. CJ

[WVTundra]

I’m getting it changed on Thursday. It could have been creeping up some. I probably ran it more hours than I thought between checking it. I checked it and it was high, let it set 10 hours and checked it again. Pumped some out and let it set over night and checked it again and it was exactly the same level as it was after I pumped it. The last time out I ran it 30 miles full throttle trimmed out, around 5700 rpm’s 73.8 mph. Then around 60-65 mph 5-5200 rpm after locking thru. I rarely run it hard when I’m just out fishing. Thanks for all the help!!

[woppercatcher]

I've had two SHO's now and both have "made oil" and both were broke in exactly how Yamaha says. If you idle around a lot which I do this will happen and you just have to change the oil more often which I do. I also put a lot of hours, over 100 hours per year on them with an average of 4000 rpm's or less.

[yam911]

I have long suggested that a new SHO (any Yamaha four stroke actually) owner use the Mercury Marine break in procedure.

Of those that did, I have never heard of their motor making oil. Of those that did, I have never heard of them having any sort of problems from not following the Yamaha POS procedure.

Yamaha works in strange and mysterious ways.

[bgibson]

USE THE MERCURY 4 STROKE BREAK IN PROCEDURE! This WORKS! I made oil on my first 250 SHO broke in by the Yamaha standards. Next 250 SHO I got I used the Mercury 4 stroke break in and never made any oil at all. I idle "graphing" a ton for off shore fish and this worked flawlessly for me!

[BassinPaPaw]

Curious what is the Mercury break in procedure?

[yam911]

[bgibson]

Mercury 4 stroke break in procedure
during the first two hours of operation run the engine at varied throttle settings up to 4500 RPM, with one-minute bursts at full throttle every ten minutes. Always warm up the motor thoroughly at idle before running at higher engine speeds. For the next eight hours you can run the motor in standard fashion but never for longer than five minutes at wide-open throttle.

The way all 4 strokes should be broke in so they won't make oil!

[Pulsare2020]

No It it a Yamaha break in procedure thing. The worst possible way to seat ring is to start a engine and let it idle for a hour. I personally know of 2 SHO's that were broken in by just running them normal and varying the RPM's and they are fine with a bunch of hours on them. You cannot seat rings without a load on them. CJ

I have a 300R Mercury and it makes oil as well. It is better now with 130 hours on it but, my oil level is at least 1/2 quart higher in the last 20 hr. I rarely ever run over 3000 rpm. The engine might go to WOT perhaps 10 times in a year, and perhaps for 30 seconds each time.

[yam911]

I have a 300R Mercury and it makes oil as well. It is better now with 130 hours on it but, my oil level is at least 1/2 quart higher in the last 20 hr. I rarely ever run over 3000 rpm. The engine might go to WOT perhaps 10 times in a year, and perhaps for 30 seconds each time.

Did you follow the Mercury breaking procedure?

[Pulsare2020]

Did you follow the Mercury breaking procedure?

More or less. I probably ran at WOT for 30 - 40 seconds and not 1 minute in the first 2 hours, and more like every 15 minutes. The rest I followed. Around 50 hours, I redid the break in and ran it between 5000 - 6000 rpm for longer periods at a time trying to seat the rings better. Maybe that helped a bit. I think if I would run it at 4500 rpm for a few minutes before I get back to the dock it might burn off some of the oil dilution. The boat has a bimini top and I don't trust it over 40 mph (3500 rpm). In the winter I take the top off for several months and then I can run it harder.

[CJ1]

Take the top off, put a lower pitch prop on and with it wide open trim till you get to the recommended max rpm and run it as long as you can. A few minutes won't do as it has alot of hours on it. If you glaze the cyl walls bad enough you may never get it to stop with the fuel blowby. Cj

[musky/ed]

I am on my 3rd Yamaha big block. A 2017 SHO 250, 2019 300, and a 2023 300, all three on walleye boats, and none have ever been broken in with anything similar to Mercury's break in procedure. Also, a Yamaha 150 I had down on the gulf from 2010-2015, and not one has ever made oil. I just vary the speed and don't go much over 4500 for the first two hrs and after that don't worry about it. I have probably only gone full throttle a few times, prop testing, and a couple short one to two minute bursts during break in. I do run at times, for short stints up to 5000 rpm but that is rare, yet none of my Yamahas has ever made oil. Luck, or actually done correctly, who actually knows, but I trust Yamaha recommendations for Yamaha engines, more than I would trust Mercury for Yamaha. Everyone needs to do what they feel works for them I guess, but four Yamahas for me and none have made oil, I'll keep doing it the way I have been.
I'll give you something else to think about. For 5 years I lived on Padre Island on the water where we pulled our boat right up to the house. A lot of commercial fishing boats there and almost all Yamahas. Those commercial boats put thousands of hours on their engines, and I can tell you for a fact that none of those commercial boats ever broke their engines in by worrying about running them wide open for an elongated time early on. I used to see them all the time and they idled a lot, and just ran them normal, yet would get hours out of their engines you could only dream of.
Forgot to mention, my son has a 2022 SHO 250 on a walleye boat, and knowing him, and judging from the few times I have been with him, he more than likely has never been over 4500 rpm, ever, and when I have changed his oil it was never above the upper mark. Thats four big blocks, and one 150, and not one has made oil.
Just something to think about.

[yam911]

Many, many, many, many Yams don't make oil after following the Yamaha breakin procedure.

The suggestion to use Mercury's procedure is for those that do.