Basic Outboard Maintenance Tips

With the high costs of outboard motor maintenance and replacement costs boaters need

to do everything they can to maximize the life span of their investment. By design these motors can last many years if operated correctly and the right annual maintenance is performed.

Lower unit repair cost can be extremely costly even on smaller outboards yet alone the bigger motors. Before the freezing temperatures arrive it is very important to verify that no water has leaked into the lower unit housing, or better yet to have grease changed at your local marina or do it yourself. When water freezes it expands with great force and can actually cause the housing to crack. This event can of course be very costly, but yet can be easily avoided. Stainless steel propellers can also cause damage to a lower unit when hard obstacles such as rock are hit under power. Because stainless steel props do not have the give aluminum props have additional damage can be experienced. Probably the greatest cause of lower unit damage is simply caused by boater going to fast in an area they are not familiar with and striking an underwater obstacle. When boating in new waters make sure to reference any available maps and also talk with other experienced boaters of the area to discover potential obstacles in a given lake or river system.

Before storing your outboard for the winter or any other extended time period always ad the manufacturers suggested amount of gas treatment, such as Stabil or SeaFoam, to existing boat gas. After adding be sure to run the outboard in the water for several minutes for this mixture to reach to motor. When gasoline sits for extended periods of times it can leave a varnish like residue behind which can gum up carburetors or other fuel related delivery systems. Carburetor repairs are most often very expensive and once again easily avoidable.

When storing an outboard several months or longer foaming the engine cylinders will prevent and rust or corrosion from developing on the rings and cylinder walls. This can be done yourself or by a marine mechanic. Foaming oil is available in spray cans and can be applied into the motor by removing the spark plugs.

When running two stroke outboards always use the manufacturer's specified oil and use the right amount. The old saying of if a little is good more mush be better is not true in this case. Adding to much oil to the gasoline can actually cause excessive exhaust build up on the rings causing them to stick. When this happens severe scouring of the cylinder walls occurs and the engine is permanently damaged.

Basic Outboard Maintenance Tips

By: Jeff Matura

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