Permanently immersed outboard

[hurley]

My Honda BF5 sits permenantly in the well of my Hurley 22. (Its too
heavy to lift out every time I sail).

When I went to get the items for a service for it at my local
chandlers they were horrified.

They felt that this was simply the worst thing that I could possibly do to my engine, since marine life would colonise the water inlet/impeller and thermostat housing, impeding and eventually chocking its cooling ability resulting in premature failure.

They felt that I was extremely lucky to have got through the season, and at best I could probably only expect two seasons from my outboard.

On their advice I will drop the gearbox, clean out the water
channels, impeller and thermostat and remove as musch of the slime/scale and marine residue as possible.

Does anyone have any views on this subject, perhaps some tips, that they could share ? Has anyone found a way of retracting an engine
from the well or flushing with fresh. Do we think the engineer was exagerating ?

Look forward to your advice

Thanks and Regards

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

It would all depend on how prolific the weed groth is where you keep her, and how often it is run, ie weelky etc,
I would tend to agree with the dealer, but not on the point of it lasting only two seasons, now you have been warned you could do more to help it last longer.
Last season I left my aux engine tilted down while she sat on the mooring and the lower leg was overgrown with weed in a matter of a few weeks, which almost fully blocked the water intake, this season I kept it tilted up.
Is there no way you could lift it out after each use? with the boom etc.

 

[CPD]

I dont have an outboard, but wouldnt the engineer's comments, if correct, apply equally to all sea water cooled marine engines, both out and inboard ??. If so, then we should all be worried, but I dont think we are. Sorry to all, for the unsolicited use of the royal "we" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[VicS]

Maybe not the best for an outboard but I think your dealer is being a bit pessimistic. You are not alone in keeping one permanently immersed.

You now know what areas to direct special attention to. I would also suggest that you consider periodically replacing the gearbox seals, at least the one on the prop shaft.

It it has an anode that will need more frequent replacement.

 

[Inselaffe]

same problem with my yamaha 9.9 in the well of my Etap 22.

I was worried too, but has been in there for 3 seasons on a drying mud mooring with me and many before (although on the Rhine in S Germany, not salt water) with previous owner (the engine is 1990)

I am careful to keep an eye on the pee-hole water temp, if its getting hot then I know I have to clean out the water inlet grills (& behind them - I have had shells growing inside.) I also reach down and feel the inlet once in a while to check.

One season it did get a bit blocked inside I think, but am not sure, so I got the channels blown through with compressed air.

Saying that I would rather take it out, but if I cant then I cant.

Damn, will probably melt down the next time I use it now /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Funny that someone at a Chandlers was horrified - they didnt suggest that you bought a newer lighter model did they?
"On their advice I will drop the gearbox, clean out the water
channels, impeller and thermostat and remove as musch of the slime/scale and marine residue as possible." how much will you spend there in gaskets parts etc? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

What about saildrives and inboard engines, dont they all stay in the water or have water in them too?

 

[captainslarty]

Definitely, re the anode, get hold of one of the 3 inch long teardrop types and bolt it to the anti ventilation plate on the outboard, they do that on the harbour boats here, and never lift them up, dont rely on the poxy manufacturers one.

 

[Searush]

Hmmm, not the best way to treat an OB perhaps, but take a walk round your nearest canal moorings & see how many have OBs in the water 24/7 all year. May not be sea water but weed still grows.

 

[geoffatstanpit]

The Merc 5 in the well of my Parker 21 stays there all season on a drying mud mooring. The book says service it (new oil and water impellor) every 100 hours. Since I run it about 20 hours a year at most I reckon every other year should do. The yard where I get lifted out is up the Avon a bit so the last 1/2 mile each year is in fresh water. 8 years under that scheme and so far so good!

 

[misterg]

Honda 8HP sits in sea water the well in ours all season - 4 seasons with us, at least 2 with PO. I give the leg an occasional scrub from the dinghy, but the only real problem so far has been barnacles & mussels growing in the exhaust (separate, not through the prop) and chokes the engine. A quick 'furtle' with a screwdriver soon shifts them, though (only needed once or twice a year).

Standard manufacturer's anode lasts a season, easily (but not two). Flush through with fresh water every autumn, and service, including changing the oil in the bottom of the leg. I wouldn't touch the seals unless there is water in this oil (i.e. it's cloudy). I think there's about 6 seals, and they're £6-8 EACH from Honda. If you're worried, a dealer should be able to pressure test the seals to check them without dismantling.

It's not the ideal treatment for an outboard, but if it aint broke - don't fix it!

Andy

(Erm... "touch wood" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif)

 

[William_H]

Yacht drive legs in bigger boats and stern drive or inboard/ob legs on mobos are very similar in design and costructionn material. Aluminium.
They generally stay immersed full time. They do however piant them with antifouling paint (non copper type) Having said that I wouldn't want to leavee an o/b in the water full time.

There are various designs for transom brackets that slide the mounting board up on tracks. Jib car tracks are often used. This would be a bit tricky in a well but doable I would think. You need to be able to get a tackle to do the lifting. You might consider a demountable frame set up on the cockpit seats. Something like an A frame that is used for boom or mast support might work for you.

Yes it all sounds like a fair bit of trouble. It says a lot for transom mounted o/b where you can tilt it up out of the water. good luck olewill

 

[Inselaffe]

i paint with trilux keeps fouling down.

re corrosion: isnt a damp atmosphere worse than submerged? i mean given that i am on mooring so no fresh water to flush each time, could it be that in water better than out for corrosion if anode ok?

 

[aknight]

My Tohatsu 6HP, situated in an outboard well, spends its life in the water. I run it regularly and brush off weed and fouling (reaching down into the well with a short-handled stiff brush). Serviced annually whether it needs it or not. No problems so far (I've had it since 2005, and the previous owner did likewise on a drying, soft mud mooring from 2003).

 

[Gordonmc]

I had a Suzuki 9hp in the well of my previous boat, also a H22. The engine was a struggle to take out so it stayed in the well when I was using the boat regularly with the leg in a black poly bin bag. The flora and fauna attached itself to the bin bag instead of the outboard.

However, the next owner of the boat abandoned the well and put the engine on a swinging bracket on the transom.

 

[Blueboatman]

Having bought a secondhand mariner 5 some years ago that had spent its life in a well,I determined to strip it and clear the waterways before recommissioning it-Whilst there was a small degree of firring,I am not convinced it was worth the effort,dismantling and expense of a full gasket set.
What I did notice was that the longer a leg spends immersed,the quicker the cosmetics suffer (bubbling paint) and the greatly increased likelihood of seized bolts..

 

[hurley]

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR VIEWS WHICH ARE HELPFUL.

REGARDS NICK

 

[roger]

Re: Permanently immersed inboard

I think the difference is that the inboard is reasonably resistant to electrolysis and more heavily built. After all many outboard manuals advise that you must flush the engine with fresh water every time you use it.
I dont know whether the blocking of outboard motor waterways is caused mainly by calcium carbonate or by aluminium corrosion products. I suspect the latter.