Small outboards..

D

doug748

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 Oct 2002
Messages
13,918
Location
UK. South West.
Visit site
About 8 or 10 years ago I decided that it was pretty useless to carry an outboard for a singlehander. I dumped the 3.5 Tohatsu in the shed complete with fuel and no further attention.

Last Thursday I decided I needed it and hoisted it out from underneath a pile of gardening stuff.

It started and ran second pull. Is this a record?

.
 
It's impressive anyway. I had my Mariner 4 hp 2 stroke serviced in February and stowed it away until last week...Won't start! I'll drain it and change the fuel, but obviously from your experience that may be unnecessary.
 
Impressive, I thought I'd done well with my Honda 2.3. Been in garage for 4 years, put fuel in and started first pull.
Knowing it wasn't going to be used for a while (?!?) I had run carb dry and drained fuel before putting it in a dark corner.
 
doug748 said:
About 8 or 10 years ago I decided that it was pretty useless to carry an outboard for a singlehander. I dumped the 3.5 Tohatsu in the shed complete with fuel and no further attention.

Last Thursday I decided I needed it and hoisted it out from underneath a pile of gardening stuff.

It started and ran second pull. Is this a record?

.
Click to expand...
Had you drained the carb or ran it dry the last time you used it?

If not I can’t understand how the carb bowl was not full of gummy stuff.
 
I probably ran the carb dry but the fuel was certainly c2016 vintage. It has started several times since and is pumping water well.

Back in the shed now.
 
doug748 said:
I probably ran the carb dry but the fuel was certainly c2016 vintage. It has started several times since and is pumping water well.

Back in the shed now.
Click to expand...
It was draining the carb that helped it I think.

Not a fuel expert but wouldn’t old fuel just evaporate a bit leaving it too oily (2 stoke fuel obviously)?

What else is in fuel that can make it stale and not work?
 
Cerebus said:
It was draining the carb that helped it I think.

Not a fuel expert but wouldn’t old fuel just evaporate a bit leaving it too oily (2 stoke fuel obviously)?

What else is in fuel that can make it stale and not work?
Click to expand...
Dunno, but 4 stroke motorcycles here develop powdery residues in carbs very quickly, though some that may be due to corrosion. The high ambient temperatures and humidity may be factors
 
ducked said:
Dunno, but 4 stroke motorcycles here develop powdery residues in carbs very quickly, though some that may be due to corrosion. The high ambient temperatures and humidity may be factors
Click to expand...
This was happening to our outboard. I fixed it with two changes. Firstly, I stopped using E10 fuel which absorbs water over time. Secondly I stopped draining the carb after use so the carb stays full of fuel rather than air and watery fuel. No residue since and no more blocked jets.
 
lustyd said:
This was happening to our outboard. I fixed it with two changes. Firstly, I stopped using E10 fuel which absorbs water over time. Secondly I stopped draining the carb after use so the carb stays full of fuel rather than air and watery fuel. No residue since and no more blocked jets.
Click to expand...
Talking about replacement for a 1985 vintage lawnmower recently, I was told not to use E10 in small engines that are used occasionally.
 
benjenbav said:
Talking about replacement for a 1985 vintage lawnmower recently, I was told not to use E10 in small engines that are used occasionally.
Click to expand...
For garden machinery you can use aspen fuel. Not cheap at around £25 for 5 litres. If you use the outboard very little could use apen mixed with marine 2 stroke oil or plain aspen if the motor is 4 stroke. I use aspen on my 2 stroke strimmer and hedge trimmer which lasts me around 2 years so not great expense.
 
lustyd said:
This was happening to our outboard. I fixed it with two changes. Firstly, I stopped using E10 fuel which absorbs water over time. Secondly I stopped draining the carb after use so the carb stays full of fuel rather than air and watery fuel. No residue since and no more blocked jets.
Click to expand...
Ethanol in Taiwan petrol is relatively late and limited, since the country has been relatively, though not totally, protected from the influence of the US farming lobby. I dunno what the labelling requirements are but I've never noticed any.

AFAICT there wasnt any until 2007, since then a limited roll out of E3 to selected stations, and currently no E10 at all.

The AI that comes with my Firefox browser seems to disagree, but it seems to be misinterpreting its own sources. For example

USGC And American Institute In Taiwan Spread The Word On Ethanol’s Sustainability Benefits - U.S. GRAINS COUNCIL.

These are all "promotional" articles talking up ethanol in petrol and reporting pilot demonstration tests, so perhaps you can fool All of the Artificial Intelligence some of the time.
 
Last edited:
Boathook said:
For garden machinery you can use aspen fuel. Not cheap at around £25 for 5 litres. If you use the outboard very little could use apen mixed with marine 2 stroke oil or plain aspen if the motor is 4 stroke. I use aspen on my 2 stroke strimmer and hedge trimmer which lasts me around 2 years so not great expense.
Click to expand...
I used aspen in an outboard before switching to electric o/b. Obviously not a double blind trial but after the switch had no carb/fuel issues. If the difference between £7 and £25 a can is a big impact on someone’s boating budget presumably they do so much motoring that stale fuel is not a worry.
 
I still have a couple of 2str tools
The trick seems to be to buy just enough ( E5) fuel and don’t leave it hanging around- bung it in the mower/car/w h y .

Ethanol dissolves rubber parts like fuel pump diaphragms as well as absorbing moisture creating a jellylike substance .

OTOH
I am quite sure a sulking Seagull in a leaky old shed would fire up instantly on pure ethanol,it might even go faster !😳
 
doug748 said:
About 8 or 10 years ago I decided that it was pretty useless to carry an outboard for a singlehander.
Click to expand...
What amazes me about this thread is not that an old 2stroke outboard (admittedly a good make) istarts up after aa long time in the shed but doug748's statement. Just curious and interested why just being a single hander would make any difference as to why you would or not carry an outboard.
 
dansaskip said:
What amazes me about this thread is not that an old 2stroke outboard (admittedly a good make) istarts up after aa long time in the shed but doug748's statement. Just curious and interested why just being a single hander would make any difference as to why you would or not carry an outboard.
Click to expand...

I assume because single handed you have "room" in the boat to row.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top