Oils?
The debate about which oil is better will probably go on for decades to come. The standard petroleum based oil has been used for so long, through so many generations by fathers who taught us that "Quaker State" is the best motor oil for our car; thinking there may be a better motor oil out there, would be unheard of!
When we talk about synthetic oil, in comparison to petroleum oil, we find some unique features. The basestocks in synthetic motor oil are pure. Because they are derived from pure chemicals, they don’t contain any contaminates or molecules that just take up space, they all are doing the job they are designed for, to slip easily across one another. Petroleum oil on the other hand has molecules found in nature that are jagged, irregular and odd shaped and don’t slip quite so easily. These molecules all have differing properties and break down at different times. Some at high temperatures, some at high pressures and some in cold temperatures. Some of the molecules don’t even have any lubricating properties and just take up space until they solidify into sludge or varnish on the cylinder walls or become dirt deposits.
Synthetic motor oil can be designed to do certain tasks. The features include the Viscosity Index, the ability for it to flow at certain temperatures. All molecules are the same size thus have the same characteristics. Thermal and Oxidative Stability, the fact that they don’t contain contaminates that break down at normal operating temperatures. Cold Temperature Fluidity, again there is no paraffin or wax present to inhibit flow at lower temperatures. Low Volatility, Synthetic Oil does not boil off at normal operating temperatures. (Synthetic Motor Oil, Lubrication Basics by Greg Johnson).
So when you decide on which oil to run, synthetic or petroleum, then you will decide which brand is best for you. There are many forum members, like myself, who don't live close to a dealership or a distributer who sells the Seadoo blend, or the pocket lined with cash to pay for the expensive stuff. But seadoo's manual does state that for the model 787, you should use a non-NMMA certified, low ash oil. Cannot be TCW-3 oil. My Doo has been running the QuickSilver oil for several years and it's also the only oil available to me unless I want to drive 75 miles to get it. Like "Quaker State", it probably doesn't have a great reputation, but sometimes, you don't have much choice.
