DFI 2 stroke oil

General Boats and Motors
1

I have a 99 DFI Optimax that I have always run with DFI 2 stroke oil. Now that the cost has almost tripled that of Walmart’s TCW3 at only $8, I am considering using the Walmart brand. What do you think?

kms

2

Do not run anything but Optimax DFI oil in your Optimax engine, period. If you run anything else in it, you are asking for trouble. Optimax DFI oil is specifically made for direct injection into the engine parts, without being mized with gas, because that’s how the Optimax uses oil. It’s not like other engines that miz the oil with gas. TCW3 is thicker and designed to be mixed with gas, either manually, or by an engine that mixes it automatically. Putting TCW3 into an engine that directly injects unmixed oil into the engine parts will gum things up and can cause you serious problems. Don’t do it. I learned this on our first pair of Optimaxes, after having problems. The techs at Mercury explained this deal to me, and I used Optimax oil ever since, and never had another problem. We’ve had 7 Optimax engines.

Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance, Inc.
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862

3

I’ve had Honda, Yamaha, Johnrude, Mariner and Mercs. So far the Optimax has impressed me the most. It hardly uses any oil so why not use the right stuff? I think mine makes oil.

Triton 22 LTS
225 Opti

4

Excellent fuel economy, too.

Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance, Inc.
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862

5

Appreciate the answers. I am using the DFI oil from West Marine (says designed for Optimax etc), and after two years haven’t seen a problem. Just curious, what does Merc Optimax oil cost?

kms

6

I don’t know how much it costs anymore because I have Verados now. If the West Marine DFI oil is specifically designed just for Optimax engines, then it’s probably the same stuff as the Merc Optimax DFI oil. I would make absolutely sure, though, and as a “better safe than sorry” kind of guy, I always bought the Merc brand Optimax oil. If you’ve been 2 years without a problem, it’s probably the same thing as the Merc branded DFI oil. But, whatever you do, just don’t use the TCW3 oil that you were asking about, regardless of the brand.

Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance, Inc.
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862