A trick for longer life less headache from your outboard

[Fantasie 19]

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

Same here - from the very first time I went out on my boat.

I had my bro-in-law with me who's chief engineer on the Clipper race and I saw him do it so just assumed it was the right thing to do!

 

[Davy_S]

Any more dead obvious "tricks"??

When checking for a spark in bright sunlight conditions, it can be difficult to see the spark. Save time by getting a neighbour to hold a paperclip inside the sparkplug cap when you pull the cord, you also get an audible scream if you have a good spark.

 

[SAMYL]

Turning the fuel tap off and allowing the engine to run 'till it stops does not empty the float chamber of most carbs. There will still be a good bit of fuel remaining so if you want to avoid gelling you have to drain the carb by the screw underneath, if there is one, or tip the engine to let the fuel run out of the carb.
Unfortunately tipping the engine can cause water to run back into the cylinder/s with the inevitable consequences of that.

 

[john_morris_uk]

When checking for a spark in bright sunlight conditions, it can be difficult to see the spark. Save time by getting a neighbour to hold a paperclip inside the sparkplug cap when you pull the cord, you also get an audible scream if you have a good spark.

And there was me thinking that the correct method was to wrap a wire round a nail and plug the HT lead that normally goes to the plug onto the said nail. Then you bare the other end of the wire, and hold it between your teeth with the tip of your tongue on the bared bit of wire. Then you make sure that your hand is damp with seawater and firmly grip the block of the engine while pulling briskly on the starter cord with the other hand.

 

[Appleyard]

And there was me thinking that the correct method was to wrap a wire round a nail and plug the HT lead that normally goes to the plug onto the said nail. Then you bare the other end of the wire, and hold it between your teeth with the tip of your tongue on the bared bit of wire. Then you make sure that your hand is damp with seawater and firmly grip the block of the engine while pulling briskly on the starter cord with the other hand.

That's wrong...you forgot to bare the bit you wrap round the nail.

Why don't you read the instructions?

 

[macd]

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.

Vic's right: the reduction in lube isn't really an issue, especially on something as low-stressed as an outboard 2-stroke. Besides, the lube runs out at the same time as the petrol, and no engine in history has come to instant harm through NOT running. If you've ever stripped a stroker, unless something was badly wrong with it, there's always a lovely clean film of oil inside (cleaner things for a bottom-end strip than them 'clean' four strokes).

More of an issue, but still not a worry on a simple tender engine, is that the fuel mixture weakens as the fuel level drops in the carb. (This is the reason the revs often pick up just before the engine dies). Outboards are made for the real world, and in the real world engines do run out of fuel from time to time. Still, best to use only moderate revs after you've turned the fuel off.

On the subject of gummed up or otherwise dirty carb jets, if it simply won't start and there's a spark, suspect the little jet(s) and maybe the little airways. If it starts but dies when given throttle (and you see this all the time with baffled charterers and their often abused outboards), odds-on it's a blocked main jet -- the big one, usually in the middle. Unless they're really cruddy, best way to clean them's with an air-line. If you must poke something down them, use something like a bristle, never anything metallic.

Aplogies to any ova-aware grannies out there.

 

[H/V Vega]

Who cares as long as we are sharing our ideas?

I put this up in good faith trying to be helpful and to stimulate a thread on how to have fewer headaches with outboards. The idea being to, "Share practical, hands-on information". I put another thread somewhere in here about a way we use as a quick and dirty fix for deck leaks - a way to stop them before they take out your electronics and until you can come up with a better fix. Some grumbled and rumbled about it, but - happy days - others came up with even better ideas. I thought that was what this place was all about - sharing and helping each other out - or am I wrong there? My way will never be "THE" way it's just "A" way that works for me. What I am hoping for is to learn about "YOUR" way that maybe even better.

 

[robertj]

I put this up in good faith trying to be helpful and to stimulate a thread on how to have fewer headaches with outboards. The idea being to, "Share practical, hands-on information". I put another thread somewhere in here about a way we use as a quick and dirty fix for deck leaks - a way to stop them before they take out your electronics and until you can come up with a better fix. Some grumbled and rumbled about it, but - happy days - others came up with even better ideas. I thought that was what this place was all about - sharing and helping each other out - or am I wrong there? My way will never be "THE" way it's just "A" way that works for me. What I am hoping for is to learn about "YOUR" way that maybe even better.

Well said!!

I won't put tips up on here as one seems to be a fantastic target for some on here.
Just like to say yours is a good tip even though known by some, others won't and will gain.

 

[john_morris_uk]

That's wrong...you forgot to bare the bit you wrap round the nail.

Why don't you read the instructions?

Darn it! I knew I was doing something wrong all these years...

Have you got a copy of the vertical jump vs HT voltage that was mooted for this technique? Or is it an individual thing that you have to calibrate yourself?

 

[Lakesailor]

God. You lot are so low-tech!
I made a proper spark tester using 6" nails and jump leads.
If in doubt, ask an expert

 

[H/V Vega]

Great ideas and inventions

Just be careful NASA does not rob your idea and use it on the Mars missions. Or maybe to test the latest space plane's systems? Hi tech always breaks down, so does low tech but low tech you can fix.

 

[VicS]

I put this up in good faith trying to be helpful

Oh never do that ! You'll learn

Better to say, " I've read ...... [link] ... do you guys do this? is it a good idea? Are there any problems? etc, etc "

 

[john_morris_uk]

Oh never do that ! You'll learn

Better to say, " I've read ...... [link] ... do you guys do this? is it a good idea? Are there any problems? etc, etc "

In good faith? Sorry if people (including me) are being flippant. And please be reassured that there's never any cynicism shown on these forums to posts with commerical links either!

We have kept your post visible and on the first page for a while though.

 

[macd]

There once was a man from Peru
Whose limericks stopped at line two
So the following lines
Whilst rhyming just fine
Were written by some other bloke

 

[H/V Vega]

posts with commerical links?

I hope you do not think what we do is "commerical". If so I really suggest you go and have a look at what we really do. Google "humanitarian and Vega" or maybe "historical vessel Vega" you will quickly find us. Vega spends almost her entire year either gathering donated educational and medical supplies or delivering them to the isolated island communities we assist. We average about 7- 9,000 miles a year - every year - doing this. We pay the running costs and up-keep from our own pockets. Then again maybe I miss-understood your post completely and owe you an apology for this rant. If so it is free given.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I hope you do not think what we do is "commerical". If so I really suggest you go and have a look at what we really do. Google "humanitarian and Vega" or maybe "historical vessel Vega" you will quickly find us. Vega spends almost her entire year either gathering donated educational and medical supplies or delivering them to the isolated island communities we assist. We average about 7- 9,000 miles a year - every year - doing this. We pay the running costs and up-keep from our own pockets. Then again maybe I miss-understood your post completely and owe you an apology for this rant. If so it is free given.

I have looked at and read nearlyall your website. I admire the work you are doing and am sure that it is a very worthy cause. I was under the impression that you helped fund the work by having paying guests - and therefore I was slightly cynical about your 'advertising'. I wish you the very best with all the good work that you are doing.

Would it be impertinent to ask if English is your first language? Perhaps there are one or two nuances that I failed to register properly and it was my understanding at fault?

 

[H/V Vega]

Languages et al

I speak 7 different languages and often do mix my grammar without intending to. For that sorry. I have lived so long away from my native South Fla (most of my education was in Europe and then a lifetime at sea mostly under sail) that my English tends to be more British - hence the dry humor and understatement at times. Cheers, and glad you liked what we do. Do rest assured we do not take charter guests on board - there is usually no place to put them even if we wanted to. Few see spending their vacation sleeping on boxes full of school books or medical supplies as exciting. Then again some do and they make great crew on our delivery missions.

 

[Phideaux]

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.

I think you might have been lucky. I left a rather nice Stihl chainsaw over winter and when I first used it the following spring, it seized. The service engineer said that it was due to the 2-stroke oil having come out of suspension (or whatever) from the petrol and therefore not properly lubricating the piston. If I'm going to leave a 2-stroke for any length of time, I always drain any leftover fuel and always mix up a fresh batch before using it again.