TiggerToo
Well-known member
What is the life expectancy of the small Honda outboards (2.something HP)?
Honda outboard
- Thread starter TiggerToo
- Start date
sarabande
Well-known member
What's the environment of use ? Fresh or salt ? Flushed after use ? Maintenance/servicing delivery schedule ? Regular or intermittent use ? Revved to hell all the time ?
I guess you could wreck one in a year, or, like a guy on the marina, keep one for ten years, and clean and polish it after use every time. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Key factors for long life are careful, dry, storage when not in use, and good maintenance.
I guess you could wreck one in a year, or, like a guy on the marina, keep one for ten years, and clean and polish it after use every time. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Key factors for long life are careful, dry, storage when not in use, and good maintenance.
Talulah
Well-known member
Had Honda 2.0 for five years. Kept it on the pushpit. Never serviced, washed or had an oil change etc.
After five years needed a new throttle cable plus corrosion on a nut near the carb but worked fine.
I find it hard to justify cost of getting an outboard serviced by a dealer. After 5 years of no service you have paid for a new outboard.
I now have a Honda 2.3 because the old one was sold with the sale of the other boat.
After five years needed a new throttle cable plus corrosion on a nut near the carb but worked fine.
I find it hard to justify cost of getting an outboard serviced by a dealer. After 5 years of no service you have paid for a new outboard.
I now have a Honda 2.3 because the old one was sold with the sale of the other boat.
StugeronSteve
New member
Through neglect, mine lasted seven years. I traded it in for a new two stroke when corrosion took its toll. If I had washed the salt water off after every use and not left it on the pushpit, all winter, it would have lasted much longer. Really didn't owe me anything, as I had spent zilch on servicing.
colvic987
Active member
same scenario as talulah, honda 2hp, now 6 years old, oil change every season done by myself, engine guaranteed for five years, if serviced. it has outlasted the guarantee, £369 plus oils for servicing add £10 max, equivalent to approx £63 a year and still going strong.(touch wood)
FullCircle
Well-known member
Mine is in its 5th year.
Carb gummed up once with old fuel
The thread stripped out of the oil drain plug in the casing (thanks Devcon)
Lost the filler cap (11 quid, ouch)
Greased the latch/lockdown mechanism, as the pin is not real stainless.
Thats it.
I replace the oil every second year (0.25 litres of cheap 10w/30 - about 60p)
I WD40 under the cowl on the electrics once a year, and also the cables.
Thats it.
I expect another few years out of it.
Carb gummed up once with old fuel
The thread stripped out of the oil drain plug in the casing (thanks Devcon)
Lost the filler cap (11 quid, ouch)
Greased the latch/lockdown mechanism, as the pin is not real stainless.
Thats it.
I replace the oil every second year (0.25 litres of cheap 10w/30 - about 60p)
I WD40 under the cowl on the electrics once a year, and also the cables.
Thats it.
I expect another few years out of it.
TiggerToo
Well-known member
You lucky guys!
Mine has started leaking oil VERY badly and it appears to start burning oil as well now.... Kept on the pushpit whilst cruising and in a garage otherwise. Oils changed every year and cable changed once.
5 years old.
I will not be very impressed if it is a write-off already /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
Mine has started leaking oil VERY badly and it appears to start burning oil as well now.... Kept on the pushpit whilst cruising and in a garage otherwise. Oils changed every year and cable changed once.
5 years old.
I will not be very impressed if it is a write-off already /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
FullCircle
Well-known member
I fear the impending bill would not be worth doing the work.
5 years old, means about £1.25 a week in cost of ownership, less what you get for it on ebay, Sold as seen, spares or repairs. Bet you get 150 quid for it.
Therefore you have paid less than £1 a week ownership.
Of course, if you have had it serviced by a bona fide Honda agent every year, then you may just squeeze into the 5 year warranty they have always had.
Probably not.
Oh, well, off and buy a Suzuki 4hp, very nice, no horrid vibrations like the Honda, quieter and no ruddy centrifugal clutch.
5 years old, means about £1.25 a week in cost of ownership, less what you get for it on ebay, Sold as seen, spares or repairs. Bet you get 150 quid for it.
Therefore you have paid less than £1 a week ownership.
Of course, if you have had it serviced by a bona fide Honda agent every year, then you may just squeeze into the 5 year warranty they have always had.
Probably not.
Oh, well, off and buy a Suzuki 4hp, very nice, no horrid vibrations like the Honda, quieter and no ruddy centrifugal clutch.
jenku
New member
What do you have against that clutch? I don't miss that extra handle to get the engine in neutral. Always took an extra minute fondling around there without looking where you are going. Now I jusr rev down and the motor goes into neutral! Nice!
FullCircle
Well-known member
My flat bottom inflatable goes out of control completely when the clutch drops out on the outboard, so the technique is to ram the pontoon at speed.....
I would prefer to approach on tickover, and let the boat nudge the pontoon in gear to keep it there until it is secure.
I would prefer to approach on tickover, and let the boat nudge the pontoon in gear to keep it there until it is secure.
jenku
New member
I see. But any boat that does not steer without an engine being in gear surely is not a very good boat. Don't blame it on the engine! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
cindersailor
Member
My 1998 Honda 2 is still going strong with only an annual oil change, a squirt of WD40 into the cylinder over winter and a bit of grease on the necessary bits. Changed the gearbox oil once in that time too, but the stuff that came out looked fine. The nice thing about these engines is that there is no water cooling system to worry about and it seems to me this is what usually kills an outboard - water pump packing up and over heating, water galleries corroding up etc. With an air cooled there are none of these problems and the engine itself should go on for many years given sensible maintanance of the lubrication.
VicS
Well-known member
[ QUOTE ]
a squirt of WD40 into the cylinder over winter
[/ QUOTE ] I'm not so sure that that is particularly good idea. It almost completely evaporates and is in any case a pretty poor lubricant.
A better thing to use would be some fogging oil sprayed in via the air intake while running until it stalls. That will lubricate and coat the cylinder walls, rings and piston(s), the valves of a four stroke and all the bearings of a two stroke.
Some two stroke oil or any light oil would be better than WD40 IMHO.
BTW my 1974 Seagull is still as good as new. Run it in fresh water at lay up time, + change of gearbox oil every year. Oh, I changed the plug once. Never fails to deliver. (It cost me £70 secondhand in about 1981)
a squirt of WD40 into the cylinder over winter
[/ QUOTE ] I'm not so sure that that is particularly good idea. It almost completely evaporates and is in any case a pretty poor lubricant.
A better thing to use would be some fogging oil sprayed in via the air intake while running until it stalls. That will lubricate and coat the cylinder walls, rings and piston(s), the valves of a four stroke and all the bearings of a two stroke.
Some two stroke oil or any light oil would be better than WD40 IMHO.
BTW my 1974 Seagull is still as good as new. Run it in fresh water at lay up time, + change of gearbox oil every year. Oh, I changed the plug once. Never fails to deliver. (It cost me £70 secondhand in about 1981)
cindersailor
Member
Thanks for the suggestion. I do not do it particularly for lubrication but rather to deal with any moisture that might find its way in over the winter, but I take your point that WD 40 is quite volatile so may not hang around for months in the bore. It seems to me that Seagul cooling systems were much more robstly built than more modern engines. I too have experience of them going on and on.
markch
New member
My Honda 2 is in its 5th year and it has had a hard life as the boat is over half a mile from the slip and the boat is only out of the water for 6 weeks. It started to smoke on start up this year but that was traced to slighty to much oil added on its yearly oil change, apart from that it has had one new plug, see you on the Tamar.
Ruffles
Active member
[ QUOTE ]
My flat bottom inflatable goes out of control completely when the clutch drops out on the outboard, so the technique is to ram the pontoon at speed.....
I would prefer to approach on tickover, and let the boat nudge the pontoon in gear to keep it there until it is secure.
[/ QUOTE ]
My Honda clutch engages with the throttle open just a fraction. So we tend to arrive with some decorum. Praps its adjustable?
My flat bottom inflatable goes out of control completely when the clutch drops out on the outboard, so the technique is to ram the pontoon at speed.....
I would prefer to approach on tickover, and let the boat nudge the pontoon in gear to keep it there until it is secure.
[/ QUOTE ]
My Honda clutch engages with the throttle open just a fraction. So we tend to arrive with some decorum. Praps its adjustable?
whisper
New member
One of the main reasons for me choosing the Honda was that it had forward and neutral "gears". Hated firing up those little 2 strokes that were always in gear.
HOWEVER, in practice the Honda is just as bad because every time you need to start it with some choke you are also automatically in gear.
Is this a fact or can one adjust the rev settings that the clutch engages at?
HOWEVER, in practice the Honda is just as bad because every time you need to start it with some choke you are also automatically in gear.
Is this a fact or can one adjust the rev settings that the clutch engages at?