A trick for longer life less headache from your outboard

[H/V Vega]

You know how outboards loose power when repeatedly stored for a few weeks between uses? Well here is why and how to prevent it. This trick is not for long term - over the winter- type storage which should be done differently. It is also best for the average cruising sailors dingy outboard - not the big monsters seen on some boats. When you take the motor off and store it without proper preparation there is fuel and oil in the carburetor. When the motor sits that fuel evaporates through the fuel jets depositing a coating much like a varnish. You cannot easily see this, but it slowly closes the jet preventing the proper flow of fuel. Do this often enough and you get a motor that is the very devil to start and runs like an old lawn mower giving little or no power.
To prevent this before you take the motor off the dingy turn off the fuel and run it at idle until the fuel in the carburetor is consumed. No fuel in the carburetor means no varnish in the jets. Now you can store the motor safely and it should run perfectly when you need it again. Just thought I would share this with you. It was in our last newsletter at http://www.sailvega.com/newsletters/november2010/december.html along with a bunch of other sailorily stuff.

 

[VicS]

With all due respect it is a pretty well known "trick"

There is a small amount of disagreement about it however because by running the carb empty, with 2 strokes at least, you are also running it out of oil. Personally, except with engines using 100:1 fuel mix, I think at idle speeds there is more than enough oil about for it not to matter.

Before long term storage an outboard engine should be "fogged" esp those running on high fuel to oil ratios. This makes it difficult to simply run the carb dry. The solution then has to be to drain the fuel remaining in the carb.

The "trick" is best not employed at all on large engines with multiple carburettors because the design of the fuel system can result in the top carb(s) running dry before the lower ones with the result that for a short time the upper cylinders are being driven without any lubrication by the lower ones

 

[H/V Vega]

Agreed and glad of it.

I agree this is nothing new for people like us ( you sound like you have a few mile under your keel also) but more for those who are new to the sea and her ways. Remember how glad you were when someone told you about it for the first time? It is so easy for us to forget that things we take for granted are still new and mysterious for many people just starting out.

 

[charles_reed]

I have, from experience, developed the habit of ALWAYS, turning off the fuel and running the carburettor dry, before stopping the engine.

 

[caiman]

I do not run my Johnson 8hp dry of fuel.The engine is on the boat and the boat is on the mooring (again) this Winter.Due to the tide/daylight etc I tend to start up the motor about once a fortnight.During the snow when the outboard was covered,it took eight pulls to start from (very)cold rather than the usual seven.I can live with that.When it's been run,it starts first or second pull.I stop the motor with the choke in the belief that the remaining petroil will give the internals some protection after the petrol has evaporated.I have done this for the last two Winters.
If I had to remove the engine each time,then yes,I would drain the carb before putting it in the boot of the car.
Cheers

 

[Salty John]

I agree this is nothing new for people like us ( you sound like you have a few mile under your keel also) but more for those who are new to the sea and her ways. Remember how glad you were when someone told you about it for the first time? It is so easy for us to forget that things we take for granted are still new and mysterious for many people just starting out.

How patronising.

 

[Ubergeekian]

How patronising.

It gave them another chance to mention their charter operation without paying for advertising.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

I am in the habit of stopping the engine the normal way with the kill cord, taking it off the boat and shoving it in my garage for several months. Always starts on the first or second pull next season and doesn't seems to have any less power than before.

When I first bought it in 2001 I very diligently had it serviced over the winter. Needless to stay it wouldn't start the next year and had to go back to the engineer.

I now play safe and never fiddle with the thing.

 

[vyv_cox]

I left my strimmer, with an engine not a million miles different from that of an outboard, untouched for seven years while working abroad. The fuel tank was about half full. It has no means of draining the carburettor and is stopped by turning off electrical power. On the same fuel and with no more difficulty than if it had run yesterday it started on about the fourth or fifth pull. The fuel ran fine until it was all used.

 

[fireball]

How patronising.

I didn't see it as patronising - yes it's a widely known 'trick' - but the reason it is widely known is that people keep on telling others about it ...

R2R is all about sharing information - which has got to be better than tearing each other to shreds over stupid mis-interpretations you find on the other boards!

 

[rudolph_hart]

The first time I heard of this tip was on this forum, and in relation to small Honda 4-strokes, which start OK but may then run like a ruptured duck on anything more than minimum throttle (in my experience).

Since reading about this on the forum I always run the engine out of fuel, before taking it off the rubbaduck. 3 years without problems so far.

 

[Sy-Revolution]

Dont make the mistake I did however and leave your O/B on the pushpit all winter uncovered with the fuel turned off. Moisture got into the fuel line and corroded the needle valve. A right pain and £35 for a new one.......

C.

 

[prv]

I always turn my generator (for working in the yard, not onboard) off like this, because I never know whether any given run will be the last time I need power and the engine will then sit untouched for the summer.

I don't have an outboard.

Pete

 

[status]

Yes it's a widely known 'trick' - but the reason it is widely known is that people keep on telling others about it ...

R2R is all about sharing information - which has got to be better than tearing each other to shreds over stupid mis-interpretations you find on the other boards!

In forum speak: +1

Having the luxuary of marina berthing my last outboard run is usualy back toward the boat. I play the when to turn the fuel off game, too soon and you have to paddle the last 10 meters, too late and you have to sit around for 5 minutes untill it conks out.

Four stroke motor so oil starvation no problem.

Stuart

 

[rob2]

Funnily enough, I actually read the Tohatsu manual for my 3.5 2-stroke last night. They recommend stopping the engine by removing the kill cord and then draining the carburettor - the drain screw is easily accessed from beneath. I guess that covers all the concerns expressed, but leaves you with oily fingers and an inflammable rag!

Rob.

 

[SHUG]

How puzzling!!! Trick what trick!!!
You should run the engine dry every time so that when you put it in the boot of the car, the petrol in the carb. doesnt drip out on the way home.
Here's another outboard "trick". Always tighten the clamping screws on the outboard so that it doesn't go overboard. I have done this for many years and haven't lost one yet so it must work.
Any more dead obvious "tricks"??

 

[VicS]

Funnily enough, I actually read the Tohatsu manual for my 3.5 2-stroke last night. They recommend stopping the engine by removing the kill cord and then draining the carburettor - the drain screw is easily accessed from beneath. I guess that covers all the concerns expressed, but leaves you with oily fingers and an inflammable rag!

Rob.

Not all have an accessible drain screw!

or even an inaccessible one for that matter.

Seagulls are the easiest to deal with. They tip most of the fuel left in the carb into the back of dinghy when tilted ( and it is surprising how much is left even if you think you've run it dry). The remainder the spilt out when you lay then down on the ground while unlocking the car.

 

[fireball]

How puzzling!!! Trick what trick!!!
You should run the engine dry every time so that when you put it in the boot of the car, the petrol in the carb. doesnt drip out on the way home.
Here's another outboard "trick". Always tighten the clamping screws on the outboard so that it doesn't go overboard. I have done this for many years and haven't lost one yet so it must work.
Any more dead obvious "tricks"??

Outboard stays upright - so don't need to worry about tipping fuel - we even have a clamping point in the locker ...

I've er ... lost one outboard off the back of the tender - I had clamped it up tight, went for a little sail with SWMBO one evening - flat calm in the harbour but decided to tow the tender this time (why?!) - on the way back the tender nudged the stern of the boat - the outboard had slipped off ... oh well - it wasn't very reliable so SWMBO wasn't worried ... F-i-Law whose outboard it was accepted it quite well ....

 

[rivonia]

You know how outboards loose power when repeatedly stored for a few weeks between uses? Well here is why and how to prevent it. This trick is not for long term - over the winter- type storage which should be done differently. It is also best for the average cruising sailors dingy outboard - not the big monsters seen on some boats. When you take the motor off and store it without proper preparation there is fuel and oil in the carburetor. When the motor sits that fuel evaporates through the fuel jets depositing a coating much like a varnish. You cannot easily see this, but it slowly closes the jet preventing the proper flow of fuel. Do this often enough and you get a motor that is the very devil to start and runs like an old lawn mower giving little or no power.
To prevent this before you take the motor off the dingy turn off the fuel and run it at idle until the fuel in the carburetor is consumed. No fuel in the carburetor means no varnish in the jets. Now you can store the motor safely and it should run perfectly when you need it again. Just thought I would share this with you. It was in our last newsletter at http://www.sailvega.com/newsletters/november2010/december.html along with a bunch of other sailorily stuff.

Why is this a trick? It tells me to do what you said in my hand book! I suppose its for those few who do not read the hand book or perhaps do not have a hand book, eh?

 

[electrosys]

Not all have an accessible drain screw!

or even an inaccessible one for that matter.

Seagulls are the easiest to deal with. They tip most of the fuel left in the carb into the back of dinghy when tilted ( and it is surprising how much is left even if you think you've run it dry). The remainder the spilt out when you lay then down on the ground while unlocking the car.

Notwithstanding VicS's comments - which are quite true ! - running a Seagull's carb dry after a run is standard practice. After a very short while you get to learn the distance from destination at which the fuel-tap should be closed. The real experts (not me) sport a dying engine just as they begin to tie-up.
Seagulls really are a great institution - no need to worry about oil starvation with a 'dry' engine when you've been running on 10:1 ...