Checked the manual for our old Skidoo and found we've been mixing oil wrong for 8 years

Last month I finally sat down with the owner's manual for our 2004 Skidoo Grand Touring, something I should have done back when we bought it used. It turns out the factory spec calls for 50:1 ratio, but every snowmobile shop in town told us to run 40:1 for 'safety.' We burned through two top ends in eight years, and I found the real stat buried on page 43 of the manual: this engine was designed for 50:1 with synthetic oil. I always assumed the shops knew better, but they were just pushing the universal blend. Has anyone else trusted the local dealers over the paper manual and paid for it in rebuild costs?

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ruby_grant1mo ago

Wait, is that really what the manual says on page 43? Because I have to admit I've been the guy telling people to run richer than stock for years, just repeating what the old timers said at the shop. I always figured a little extra oil was harmless insurance, you know, like wearing a second jacket in case it gets cold. But hearing you went through two top ends because of that extra oil really flips my thinking. That's not just a minor mistake, that's a costly one that makes me wonder how many other engines I've accidentally hurt with my good intentions. Thanks for posting this, seriously, I'm gonna go dig out my own manuals tonight and check the actual numbers before I mix another tank.