farmer.leo
Member
Never had an outboard motor before, now have a 4hp 4 cycle yamaha with the Dinghy. If I put the outboard in my heated basement, do I have to do any winterization? Is there anything I should do? Drain gas, fog it?
Outboard in basement
- Thread starter farmer.leo
- Start date
Searush
New member
Draining the fuel is a good idea anyway as it will be next to useless in 6 months time. You could WD40 it, but a fresh water rinse & flush would probably be more effective. I would run it in a bin of fresh water, then while still warm, I'd take the cover off, rinse it in fresh water & dry it off.
Others may have other ideas . . .
Others may have other ideas . . .
Burnham Bob
Active member
searush is right, the only thing i would add is that if the engine needs an oil change before next season, it's usual to do it before it goes into storage as the nasties and acids in the old oil aren't left in the engine over winter but it's not critical
Seajet
...
Searushes' advice is spot on as usual; I'd run it in fresh water,then spray with WD40.
Keen maintainers will take off the cylinder head and clean out all the salt build up, if you know engines this is very worthwhile, usually you can get away with the old gaskets.
Keen maintainers will take off the cylinder head and clean out all the salt build up, if you know engines this is very worthwhile, usually you can get away with the old gaskets.
Lakesailor
New member
I don't get the drain fuel thing.
I've got a hedge cutter, a leaf blower, a lawn mower, a chainsaw and three outboards. A mixture of 2 and 4 strokes.
I don't drain the fuel and they always start next year. (The recent video of starting a Seagull was after a period of not being started of more than five years)
At £6+ a gallon it's worth hanging on to your fuel.
I've got a hedge cutter, a leaf blower, a lawn mower, a chainsaw and three outboards. A mixture of 2 and 4 strokes.
I don't drain the fuel and they always start next year. (The recent video of starting a Seagull was after a period of not being started of more than five years)
At £6+ a gallon it's worth hanging on to your fuel.
Heckler
Active member
Its a 4 stroke, not as simple a job as on the 2 strokes.
Stu
Heckler
Active member
+1, its a four stroke as well so no oil in the fuel to gum up.
Stu
David2452
Active member
Flushing is always a good idea, in fact if you can manage it a few times during the season too it’s no bad thing. I have seen a few instances of float needles sticking and causing flooding and blocked jets due to gumming up, now I’m not sure that was because they were not drained but do know that they were not drained. I always run my carb dry if the O/B is not going to be used for a week or two or when I put it in the lazarette just as a precaution. As for fogging, with a two stroke I imagine there will already be a good coating of oil on all the internals so would question the value but with a four stroke I think it’s probably worth the small effort and cost to get the cylinder, rings and valves coated, probably just as easy to put some two stroke oil down the plug and turn it over a few times. Taking off the hood and giving the power head a spray with WD or the Quicksilver stuff is a good thing and you can check for loose connections and give the linkages a drop or two of oil whilst you are at it. Most if not all outboard handbooks give instruction on laying up and servicing so worth a read of that.
VicS
Well-known member
A few useful suggestions above
BUT
The answer to the question is to carry out all the items detailed in the owners manual for a full service There is much more to be done than already mentioned although not a major task.
If you have mislaid your copy you can view one at http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outboard/service/viewmanuals/outboard_manuals.aspx
See the section on "Maintenance".
Do the full service now ... don't wait until you want to use it next spring. If you find anything that requires attention you then have plenty of time to do.
BUT
The answer to the question is to carry out all the items detailed in the owners manual for a full service There is much more to be done than already mentioned although not a major task.
If you have mislaid your copy you can view one at http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outboard/service/viewmanuals/outboard_manuals.aspx
See the section on "Maintenance".
Do the full service now ... don't wait until you want to use it next spring. If you find anything that requires attention you then have plenty of time to do.
FairweatherDave
Well-known member
The advice I got from my outboard dealer was to keep the fuel tank FULL over winter to prevent any condensation (water getting into the system). Then ditch the (2 stroke) fuel, which for me means into at least a half full car petrol tank of an older car and using it that way.Then you have reliable fresh fuel in the outboard. The dealer acknowledged this contradicted the manual for the outboard (and the car
)
)
VicS
Well-known member
The advice I got from my outboard dealer was to keep the fuel tank FULL over winter to prevent any condensation (water getting into the system). Then ditch the (2 stroke) fuel, which for me means into at least a half full car petrol tank of an older car and using it that way.Then you have reliable fresh fuel in the outboard. The dealer acknowledged this contradicted the manual for the outboard (and the car
Outboard fuel tanks have a vent which can be closed as well as a tight fitting cap so water vapour ingress and condensation should not be an issue!
However keeping them full does minimise the contact with air and possible oxidation of some components of the fuel.
IMO it is better not to store gasoline in plastic tanks, which most modern outboard tanks are. Polythene is permeable, to some extent, to oxygen.
I leave my ( brass) Seagull tank half full but always top up with fresh fuel before use.
I transfer the fuel from my larger plastic tank to metal cans and only store full cans. Any over is used for the mowers or put in the car tank.
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
I agree - I never bother either and all our engines always start and run ok - almost no matter how long I leave the things in the shed/garage.
FairweatherDave
Well-known member
Interesting. Some one should do a poll? Maybe its a combination of a less well maintained engine and stale fuel that dealers/manufacturers are trying to guard against. I use my outboard often against the tide and in a rather overloaded dink where failure would be very inconvenient and oars would really only get me to the side or onto a buoy. Should I start gambling with older fuel? My neighbour with her older petrol car would be gutted. Otherwise I need to get a petrol driven lawn mower, and then a lawn to match.
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-known member
No matter what outboard you use I recommend hosing off the outside of all fittings below the hood too and move the tilt mechanism whilst washing.
There can be salt all around this area, and a light oil/spraywd40 on moving part/joints after hosing, will stop any bit seizing.
If you store the engine in a place which can get below zero, don't forget that if you have a water cooled outboard, then to run it in fresh water with antifreeze is a good idea.
There can be salt all around this area, and a light oil/spraywd40 on moving part/joints after hosing, will stop any bit seizing.
If you store the engine in a place which can get below zero, don't forget that if you have a water cooled outboard, then to run it in fresh water with antifreeze is a good idea.
steve66
Well-known member
The most important thing to do is drain the fuel out of the bowl of the carb, jets are very fine in new 4 strokes, you will get away with it in seagulls (jet size big enough for a small dog to get through) but will not get away with the miniscule sized 4 stroke jets. As mentioned previously a fun out and wash down in fresh water will be beneficial and a complete drain of the fuel tank.
Lakesailor
New member
But on the plus side there is no oil in the 4 stroke fuel. So less chance of gunging.
VicS
Well-known member
Flushing the cooling system and hosing down the outside are both items included in the maintenance section of the owners manual referred to earlier.
Spraying with a silicone spray is recommended.
Adding antifreeze is not necessary, at least from a frost protection point of view, as outboards are designed to drain completely.
However, one of the reasons for changing the gearcase oil is to ensure that there is no water in the gearcase which could, in extreme conditions, freeze and fracture the gear case housing. Unlikely to happen but not unknown
The use of a fuel conditioner is suggested in the manual to avoid the need to drain the fuel system.
RTFM as they say!
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-known member
Flushing the cooling system and hosing down the outside are both items included in the maintenance section of the owners manual referred to earlier.
Spraying with a silicone spray is recommended.
Adding antifreeze is not necessary, at least from a frost protection point of view, as outboards are designed to drain completely.
However, one of the reasons for changing the gearcase oil is to ensure that there is no water in the gearcase which could, in extreme conditions, freeze and fracture the gear case housing. Unlikely to happen but not unknown
The use of a fuel conditioner is suggested in the manual to avoid the need to drain the fuel system.
RTFM as they say!
FKA as they say!
SAMYL
Well-known member
I would suggest spraying any moving parts with 3-in-oil spray rather than WD40.
WD40 is grand for loosening things but it is not a lubricant and definitely not a rust preventative.
3-in-1 is much much better.
WD40 is grand for loosening things but it is not a lubricant and definitely not a rust preventative.
3-in-1 is much much better.
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-known member
Agreed, oil after.
If very stiff in the first place due to not being altered position all season, wash, then WD40 is a good freeing agent.
The tilt mechanism on my little Honda 2.3 hadn't been altered all season during its first year and it really needed something to free it.
I did use drips of diesel on the worst moving joints and left that to work in.
