Do outboards have air filters?

[ferrispeterchris]

In the process of ironing out a couple of problems on an old Yamaha Malta and have used the forum wisdom to find a totally blocked fuel filter (sneakily hidden inside the fuel tap!) when the above question occured to me! Well do they? Also Lakey has mentioned giving the carb a good clean out but I am buggered if I can see how it unbolts without magical bendy spanners! Anyone taken a Malta carb off?

 

[winsbury]

None of my 2,4,6 or 8hp outboard engines do or have done but all have had fuel filters with the exception of a 1970s seagull. Strange really compared to say bike or mower engines of similar cc but perhaps its to stop damp filters causing problems

 

[Rigger Mortice]

None of my 2,4,6 or 8hp outboard engines do or have done but all have had fuel filters with the exception of a 1970s seagull. Strange really compared to say bike or mower engines of similar cc but perhaps its to stop damp filters causing problems

I've never seen an air filter on an outboard. I have always assumed it was because the air is cleaner out at sea and there is unlikely to be much dust around.

 

[VicS]

In the process of ironing out a couple of problems on an old Yamaha Malta and have used the forum wisdom to find a totally blocked fuel filter (sneakily hidden inside the fuel tap!) when the above question occured to me! Well do they? Also Lakey has mentioned giving the carb a good clean out but I am buggered if I can see how it unbolts without magical bendy spanners! Anyone taken a Malta carb off?

I think I have seen mention of the odd outboard with an air filter ( big Mercury ??) but generally they do not. They are not used much in dusty conditions!

My 1970s Seagulls do not have filters either , although an almost identical carb on my vintage lawn mower does have a gauze filter.

 

[David2452]

If you mean the OBs that most yachties would encounter then none to rudimentary, if you mean ones that produce power then yes, some of them quite sophisticated.

 

[davidej]

What's the problem?

The carby comes off when you undo the long bolts that hold the black plastic 'intake manifold' (not a filter) on.

No special tools required

 

[ferrispeterchris]

The carby comes off when you undo the long bolts that hold the black plastic 'intake manifold' (not a filter) on.

You wouldn't have a piccy please?

 

[Lakesailor]

You're doing this somewhere where it won't matter if things drop off, aren't you?

 

[rbmatthews]

I think I have seen mention of the odd outboard with an air filter ( big Mercury ??) but generally they do not. They are not used much in dusty conditions!

The Mariner 75 Optimax certainly has an air filter - I changed ours at the last service:

http://shetlandf4.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/annual-service-2013/

The previous Mariner 75 we had also had one. The smaller outboards don't seem to - our Tohatsu 3.5 only has a manifold, but no filter.

R.

 

[davidej]

View attachment 40941

The carby comes off when you undo the long bolts that hold the black plastic 'intake manifold' (not a filter) on.

You wouldn't have a piccy please?

Took half an hour clearing he garage to get this!

Undo the two shiny bolt heads near the bottom of the picure which hold both the black plastic 'maniifold' and carby on.

 

[Billjratt]

Good smaller outboards don't have an airfilter but they do have a nice long plenum chamber which has enough capacity to supply air rather than water before the motor stops when submerged! This saves you from getting a hydraulic lock and damaging a con rod. No need to enquire how I know...

 

[ghostlymoron]

As i recall, my seagull featherlite has a gauze filter incorporated in the fuel tap.

 

[Lakesailor]

Fuel being the clue.