Amsoil in 40-year-old outboard

[Steve Foss]

It's a 1969 9.9 hp (or is it 9.5?) Johnson. You know, the round one that sat so low you could barely tell there was a motor on the boat. It was rebuilt from the ground up two years ago and has been nearly unused since. I'll be using it for a kicker. It was bought new in '69 by my grandpa and great uncle. Sentimental attachment.

To Amsoil? Not to Amsoil? Which Amsoil? Which mix ratio?

[boatfixer]

Steve you can use the Amsoil Saber Outboard at 50:1 or any other TC W-3 oil at 50:1.

Those 9.5's are great little motors!

[theoilman]

Definitely AMSOIL Saber Outboard

You should be able to use it leaner. (Pre-1960 before you have to worry about the really old style and using very rich ratios.) Start at the 50-1, check your plug after a couple of trips, if wet-oily lean it say to 60-1. Continue leaner as your experience and evaluation permits.

[thedeadsea]

I used to work at a marine dealership and the senior mechanic called those "lunch pail" motors in reference the the shape of the hood.

They are good ones and there is an almost unlimited supply of parts available for them now because so many were made over a series of many years.

You won't see any appreciable difference regardless of which oil you use in a small motor like that. I would just stick at 50:1 with any 2 cycle oil you can find and it will work just fine.

Amsoil is top of the line stuff but IMO not worth the cost for a motor that small/old. They didn't even have a TCW rating back then so those motors were built to function on 2 cycle oil that is light years behing the TCW-3 oil of any mfg currently.

Oilman is dead on about the older motors. Pre 1960 motors had bushings, not bearings and they need to be run on 25:1 premix. Even though they smoke like crazy they need that much oil to keep the lower end going.

Steve