oz-1
Well-Known Member
hello everyone, i thought i'd post this in the hope it might help another fellow boater. I've got a 22' flicka sailboat and the engine is an 8 h.p. Tohatsu outboard engine mounted on a sliding bracket on the transom.
Due to my partner having ill health, i hadn't used the boat at all for the last 2 years. Now that sue is getting better ( all thanks to a great NHS ), i thought i would try and fire up the outboard which i had just left in the back garden since i took it off the boat 2 years since. I didn't think it would fire up as i hadn't done a thing to it. I made up a 25:1 mixture,(just because the engine had been unused for such a long time, i then made a 50;1 mixture ) poured some 2 stroke oil through the spark plug holes and crossed my fingers as i pulled the cord. To my surprise and delight, after 3 attempts the engine fired up, but it was very rough and if i turned the throttle right down the engine would stop. On starting the engine again, letting it warm up it was still running very rough and putting it into forward or reverse at low revs would cause the engine to cut out. I confess i don't know much about engines, ( i can just about manage to change the water impeller and the gearbox oil ), i had a look on the internet for advice. The thought of messing about with the carburator and making things a lot worse didn't appeal to me. By chance i came across an article on an American product called Sea foam. The results on the video clip looked impressive. although i was skeptical that just adding a liquid to the petrol would make such a difference, i decided to try it, and finding a seller here in the U.K. i sent away for a half litre bottle. There was still about 3 litres of the 50;1 mixture in the petrol tank left, so i poured all the contents of the Sea foam into the petrol tank. I Started the outboard up and followed the instructions, let the engine run for about 20 minutes till warm, turn engine off, wait for about half an hour and then start the engine again and let it run. The results, i can only say they were incredible! The engine was quieter, it was as smooth as when i bought the engine new in 2005. The engine idled at minimum throttle and i could engage forward and reverse gears and the engine didn't cut out. The product only cost just over £15, which included delivery. I am really happy with the results and hope that it might work for another boater with similar problems. I have no connection whatsoever with the product, but i write as i find. Best regards to everyone and apologies for the long winded thread.
Due to my partner having ill health, i hadn't used the boat at all for the last 2 years. Now that sue is getting better ( all thanks to a great NHS ), i thought i would try and fire up the outboard which i had just left in the back garden since i took it off the boat 2 years since. I didn't think it would fire up as i hadn't done a thing to it. I made up a 25:1 mixture,(just because the engine had been unused for such a long time, i then made a 50;1 mixture ) poured some 2 stroke oil through the spark plug holes and crossed my fingers as i pulled the cord. To my surprise and delight, after 3 attempts the engine fired up, but it was very rough and if i turned the throttle right down the engine would stop. On starting the engine again, letting it warm up it was still running very rough and putting it into forward or reverse at low revs would cause the engine to cut out. I confess i don't know much about engines, ( i can just about manage to change the water impeller and the gearbox oil ), i had a look on the internet for advice. The thought of messing about with the carburator and making things a lot worse didn't appeal to me. By chance i came across an article on an American product called Sea foam. The results on the video clip looked impressive. although i was skeptical that just adding a liquid to the petrol would make such a difference, i decided to try it, and finding a seller here in the U.K. i sent away for a half litre bottle. There was still about 3 litres of the 50;1 mixture in the petrol tank left, so i poured all the contents of the Sea foam into the petrol tank. I Started the outboard up and followed the instructions, let the engine run for about 20 minutes till warm, turn engine off, wait for about half an hour and then start the engine again and let it run. The results, i can only say they were incredible! The engine was quieter, it was as smooth as when i bought the engine new in 2005. The engine idled at minimum throttle and i could engage forward and reverse gears and the engine didn't cut out. The product only cost just over £15, which included delivery. I am really happy with the results and hope that it might work for another boater with similar problems. I have no connection whatsoever with the product, but i write as i find. Best regards to everyone and apologies for the long winded thread.
