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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Storing outboard idea (good or bad?)

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/03/2009 : 11:57:45

Hi folks,

I figured I'd ask the Brain Trust before I decided on doing this. My gut tells me it's a bad idea, but if it saves me a bit of scratch then it's worthwhile.

If I have room in my basement to store my outboard during winter, do I need to have it winterized? It would obviously always be in a warm environment, but it also would not be started again until the end of March. If I can indeed do this without negative repercussions, it would save me the 90-some dollars I usually spend every year to have my engine winterized.

thanks!

Ben
Beneteau 361
Viking Kitty
Columbus, Ohio

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2009 : 12:24:45

Winterized? Does your outboard have a closed water system? The only winterizing I do is take it off the boat and put it in the garage. Without a closed water system, there's no risk of freezing anything so, no damage potential to tubes and hoses.

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2009 : 12:39:44

if I understand what an open water system is then it is an open water system. It shoots a stream of lake water out the back as it's running. It's a Tohatsu 9.8, 2006 model I think. I recon I should have included that piece of information.

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2009 : 12:54:45

We have the same motor. It's an open system. Take it off the boat and hang it in the garage. Some people choose to do oil changes, etc in the fall but, I do it all in the spring. I think I'd ask the guy that charged you $90 exactly what was it that he did for that.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2009 : 13:52:10

We leave our Honda on the boat and outside all winter. I used to pay the $90 to have it winterized. Turns out that meant they replaced the engine oil, gear oil, spark plugs and fuel filter. Now I do that all myself in 30 minutes in the spring prior to launch and save about $60!

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2009 : 14:09:40

there is some debate on running the engine out of gas but I'd do that and use a little fogging oil. Couldn't hurt.

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piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2009 : 14:12:02

Ben I too have a Tohatsu for my dinghy, although that doesn't matter. I keep my motor in the garage on a outboard motor carrier. This keeps the motor propped up. If you are going to lay it down, be sure you lay in on the proper side. You might want to make sure all the gas has been emptied. I found [url="http://www.tohatsu.com/tech_info/winterize.html"]this[/url] site you might want to check out.
Steve A

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2009 : 14:21:03

Thanks All! Looks like I CAN save a bit of scratch after all! that's awfully nice, especially in these times. I do keep my engine on an upright mount. I think I'll go ahead and store it in my basement after all, just to keep it from the extreme tempuratures, although my garage wouldn't really be quite so extreme. Anyway, thanks again. As usual, the wonderful folks on this forum are a big part of what makes our boats so valuable.

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piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2009 : 15:03:56

Ben I bet you would agree the $22 you pay for our membership saves you 10 times over!

Steve Auerbach, Treasurer

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2009 : 07:07:27

Absolutely, PiSeas. The return on investment by being a member of this community is phenomenal.

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Rich P
1st Mate

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USA
77 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2009 : 08:16:01

Oil changing in the fall has the benefit of not keeping old oil in the crankcase (4-strokes). Oil will pick up unburnt gas and the chemestry will change with age and use (usually becomming acidic). New oil will help keep internal corrosion of metals down.

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2009 : 12:34:48

I think I'd take a pass on storing the outboard in the house. kind of a smelly/dangerous proposition. Any gas not run out of the engine will let off gasoline vapors which if of a sufficient amount might be explosive at worst or noxious at least. I store in a shed on an engine mount with wheels.

Val on Calista,#3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2009 : 20:03:58

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimB517
 there is some debate on running the engine out of gas but I'd do that and use a little fogging oil. Couldn't hurt.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

We disconnect the fuel line and let the outboard run until it dies from no fuel. It takes a few minutes. I feel like it reduces the chances of old gas hardening in the fuel lines, etc.

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2009 : 06:28:29

The only additional item I do on my Yamaha is open the screw on the bottom of the float bowl to drain what residiual gas remains even after running the engine out of gas.

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2009 : 13:42:33

I note that some of you who do not change the lower unit oil in the fall live in the land of sun and palm trees. Any amount of water in the lower unit could freeze, expand, and crack the casing. It might be worth the effort to at least change the lower unit oil before storing in the garage in a freezing winter environment.

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Elliott
Deckhand

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18 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2009 : 15:55:23

When I got my boat, the engine wouldn't start. It turned out that the only problem was the fuel had gummed up the carburetor. Now, I disconnect the fuel line and let it run dry every time. I've never been a pilot, but my dad says that's the way you always shut down small aircraft engines, by running them dry.

As for winterizing the boat, though, I agree with the "land of sun and palm trees" comment. You should all just move somewhere that doesn't require "winterizing" and doesn't involve an "off-season!"

For the record, I have a Honda 5 hp 4-stroke, but I hope to be using it all winter to get in and out of the harbor.

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Deric
Captain

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USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2009 : 17:27:45

I didn't remove the gas from the carb last year; it caused me problems starting the motor so I had to clean the carb during the summer. After that the motor purred.

Best,
Deric

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jbkayaker
Captain

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USA
299 Posts

Response Posted - 11/12/2009 : 11:22:31

Elliot,
Nearly all small aircraft engines have dual magnetos for firing the spark plugs. The ignition switch grounds the two magnetos making them inoperative when the switch is turned "OFF" which is really ON or closed. If the grounding wire breaks the engine keeps running. That's good if you are flying when it breaks. But one broken wire leaves the engine and propeller ready to spin if there is fuel in the carburetor and some unsuspecting soul moves the propeller. Also just cutting the ignition leaves fuel in the muffler which can cause a backfire that damages the muffler upon restart soon after shutdown. So setting the fuel to air mixture to Full Lean until the airplane engine quits from fuel starvation is primarily to prevent damage to people and mufflers. I am not sure whether fuel is left in the carb or not.

Edited by - jbkayaker on 11/12/2009 11:42:06

Elliott
Deckhand

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18 Posts

Response Posted - 11/12/2009 : 15:01:36

That's pretty interesting. Thanks for the explanation.

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