809572 1 Mercury COVER

Proper oil viscosity AND oil type/specification are required to maximize machine compartment performance and life. Do NOT use only oil viscosity, or only oil type to determine the machine compartment oil selection. Using only the oil viscosity or only the oil type to determine a machine compartment oil selection can lead to reduced performance and compartment failure. Refer to the "Lubricant Viscosities for Ambient Temperatures" tables and to ALL of the associated footnotes.
In colder ambient conditions a machine warm-up procedure and/or supplemental machine fluid compartment heat may be required. Machine specific warm-up procedures can typically be found in the Operation and Maintenance Manual for the machine. In addition, generic machine warm-up procedures can be found in this Special Publication, "Procedures for Machines that are Used in Cold Weather - (Generic)" topic. Some of the "Lubricant Viscosities for Ambient Temperatures" tables in this Special Publication include footnotes that address compartment warm-up.
Not following the recommendations found in this Special Publication can lead to reduced performance and compartment failure.
Do NOT use only the oil viscosities when determining the recommended oil for an engine compartment. The oil type (specification) MUST also be used.
Note: Different brand oils may use different additive packages to meet the various engine performance category/specification requirements. For the best results, do not mix oil brands.Note: The availability of the various Cat oils will vary by region.The proper SAE viscosity grade of oil is determined by the minimum ambient temperature during cold engine start-up, and the maximum ambient temperature during engine operation. Refer to Table 1 (minimum temperature) in order to determine the required oil viscosity for starting a cold engine.Refer to Table 1 (maximum temperature) in order to select the oil viscosity for engine operation at the highest ambient temperature that is anticipated.Note: Generally, use the highest oil viscosity that is available to meet the requirement for the temperature at start-up.If ambient temperature conditions at engine start-up require the use of multigrade SAE 0W oil, SAE 0W-40 viscosity grade is generally preferred over SAE 0W-30.Note: SAE 10W-30 is the preferred viscosity grade for the following diesel engines when the ambient temperature is above -18 °C (0 °F), and below 40 °C (104 °F).
C7
C-9
C9
3116
3126
Table 1
Lubricant Viscosities for Ambient Temperatures (1) (2)    
    Ambient Temperature    
Viscosity Grade     Minimum     Maximum    
SAE 0W-30    
-40 °C (-40 °F)    
30 °C (86 °F)    
SAE 0W-40    
-40 °C (-40 °F)    
40 °C (104 °F)    
SAE 5W-30    
-30 °C (-22 °F)    
30 °C (86 °F)    
SAE 5W-40    
-30 °C (-22 °F)    
50 °C (122 °F)    
SAE 10W-30 (3).    
-18 °C (0 °F)    
40 °C (104 °F)    
SAE 10W-40    
-18 °C (0 °F)    
50 °C (122 °F)    
SAE 15W-40    
-9.5 °C (15 °F)    
50 °C (122 °F)    
( 1 ) Refer to this Special Publication, "Engine Oil" article for recommendations of diesel engine oil type.
( 2 ) Supplemental heat is recommended for cold-soaked starts below the minimum ambient temperature. Supplemental heat may be required for cold-soaked starts that are above the minimum temperature that is stated, depending on the parasitic load and other factors. Cold-soaked starts occur when the engine has not been operated for a period of time, allowing the oil to become more viscous due to cooler ambient temperatures.
( 3 ) SAE10W-30 is the preferred viscosity grade for the 3116, 3126, C7, C-9 and C9 diesel engines when the ambient temperature is between -18 °C (0 °F) and 40 °C (104 °F). Note: Supplemental heat is recommended for cold-soaked starts below the minimum ambient temperature. Supplemental heat may be required for cold-soaked starts that are above the minimum temperature