leaded or unleaded?

[Guest]

This is a bit of a daft question but I am not familier with outboards. I have just bought a second hand 2.5 hp 2 stroke mariner outboard, it is about 2 years old and I was wondering whether to use leaded or unleaded petrol. I forgot to ask the bloke I bought it off and there doesn't seem to be anything in the manual. My guess is that as it 's a 2 stroke it wont matter. Is that the case?

cheers

Mat

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[paulrossall]

All outboards use unleaded.
You can use leaded if stuck, but normally unleaded.
Make sure you use the correct oil mix and that it is 2 stroke oil for outboard water cooled engines. They run at a lower temperature than air cooled engines. Motor bike 2 stroke is for air cooled engines, also for lawn mowers and garden equipment, so dont use that.
Also if possible turn off the fuel supply and let the engine run out all the fuel in the carburetta when you finish useing it, otherwise it forms a gum-like deposit and blocks the jets, the slow running jet in particular in my experience. Otherwise put in a fuel conditioner which stops the petrol forming the gunge.
All IMHO. Paul
If you look after the outboard it will outlive you!

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the advice. Another quickie, is it possible to convert the engine to run with a remote fuel tank. It is mounted on an outboard bracket way out over the transom of my Wayfarer which will prove difficult to refuel at sea. If so what would I need to do this?

ta

Mat

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[brianrunyard]

It's almost certainly gravity fed, so you would need to fit a fuel pump or mount the remote tank higher than the motor, probably not practical although someone will prove me wrong!

<hr width=100% size=1>Brian
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/brunyard

 

[paulrossall]

You will probably find the engine will run for hours on a full tank. I would hesitate to try and convert it as it will be gravity fed and you will have to have the remote tank higher than the outboard. I would purchase a priming pump of some sort, maybee like the inline ones on remote tanks, and a tube so you can feed the petrol into the tank in a controlled manner when you need to refill the tank, rather than try and lean over the back of the boat with a petrol can.
When at sea, or on the water, you want an easy system that works and changing the fuel tank arrangements is likely to lead to possible air leaks in the junctions, given they will be non-standard, and other problems.
Certainly you should use the engine for a bit to see how it suits you and whether it is trouble free before you consider any modifications.
Have you tried starting it? I fit mine to a beam of wood jammed in my workmate with the propellor in a bin full of water. Do not start the engine out of water it will damage the water pump.
Hope this helps.Paul

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