I Hate my Outboard

[Celestialsailor]

In my 20's I was a motorcycle mechanic. I saw the same thing then, that I see now...use and park. Internal combustion engines require maintenance and care. Especially when not used for any length of time. If an outboard is used on a regular basis, they tend to be less fussy. Clean fuel to the carb is key. The jets on an outboard are tiny. Especially on a 4 stroke. How many here replace the fuel filter each year? How many folks use old fuel? Those jets clog easily and then it will either not idle or will not perform at 1/2 throttle and up. A car is different. You use it daily and fill up once a week.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Bash

Don, I'm putting two threads together. On another active thread, you've just confessed that you've been steering the boat ever since you owned it with the wheel lock activated.

Any chance you've been trying to start that poor outboard of yours with the kill switch activated?

Wouldn't that be something! Even I may not have the courage to confess that one!

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Wouldn't that be something! Even I may not have the courage to confess that one!

I'll confess to it! First time I tried to fire up my new outboard (came with the boat), it wouldn't start. A friend asked me if I had the "thingy" in the kill switch. I said, "Kill switch?"

First outboard didn't even have one of those newfangled kill switches.

And that's not even close to the dumbest thing I've done on/to my boat, I'm sure.

[kmacdonald]

I have a Honda 2hp 4stroke that has 86 hours on it and has never given me any trouble. Starts first or second pull almost always. It does leak oil though. All of them do.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

I'll confess to it! First time I tried to fire up my new outboard (came with the boat), it wouldn't start. A friend asked me if I had the "thingy" in the kill switch. I said, "Kill switch?"

First outboard didn't even have one of those newfangled kill switches.

And that's not even close to the dumbest thing I've done on/to my boat, I'm sure.

OK, I'll confess.... usually I just left the kill switch cord and thingy on the motor. One time going ashore when I was worried about security, I put it in my pocket instead of just leaving it. We got back after a long day and my Yamaha that always started with one pull just wouldnt start. Just as I was removing the engine cover I remembered the kill switch!

[Kettlewell]

Clean fuel to the carb is key. The jets on an outboard are tiny. Especially on a 4 stroke. How many here replace the fuel filter each year? How many folks use old fuel? Those jets clog easily and then it will either not idle or will not perform at 1/2 throttle and up. A car is different. You use it daily and fill up once a week.

This is the answer, particularly for 4-strokes. The less fuel your engine is burning the smaller the jets and other ports in there, and on a 2 HP 4 stroke those are really, really tiny. With today's gas you absolutely should use a stabilizer with every tankful. I use the blue StaBil and it always goes into the container before I fill with gas. That helps with the ethanol gas. In my experience gas that sits more than a month without stabilizer is suspect. You've got to also have a serious filter on there with 4-strokes. It isn't overkill to have a full-sized spin on engine filter (looks just like your typical car oil filter, but bigger), and change it out frequently. And even then know how to take your carb off and clean out the teensy ports in there, as you will have to do it several times per year, with a 4-stroke.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

I have a Honda 2hp 4stroke that has 86 hours on it and has never given me any trouble. Starts first or second pull almost always. It does leak oil though. All of them do.

Hey maybe I need to give the bit*h more credit, it doesn't leak oil! Or maybe I need to make it leak oil as it sounds like that fixes that other problems.

PS - how do you guys how many hours your outboard has?

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Hey maybe I need to give the bit*h more credit, it doesn't leak oil! Or maybe I need to make it leak oil as it sounds like that fixes that other problems.

The ones that never start tend not to leak as much oil.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Hey maybe I need to give the bit*h more credit, it doesn't leak oil! Or maybe I need to make it leak oil as it sounds like that fixes that other problems.

PS - how do you guys how many hours your outboard has?

Don, it needs to be running to leak oil!!!!!

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Bash

The ones that never start tend not to leak as much oil.

ouch, ouch, ouch, OUCH

time to put mine in the classified section............. any takers before the bidding gets out of hand............. it's pretty clean and doesn't leak any oil, I'm thinking $400

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

ouch, ouch, ouch, OUCH

time to put mine in the classified section............. any takers before the bidding gets out of hand............. it's pretty clean and doesn't leak any oil, I'm thinking $400

On my last birthday Wonderblond got me a 15hp with an electric starter.

I tried pull starting it once, just to see what it was like. Haven't tried that trick again.

So now when I hear fellows on threads like this say, "Mine starts on the first pull," I just shake my head and think, "You poor sot."

Do yourself a favor, Don, and get one that starts on the first push.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

ouch, ouch, ouch, OUCH

time to put mine in the classified section............. any takers before the bidding gets out of hand............. it's pretty clean and doesn't leak any oil, I'm thinking $400

Not me. Since its not leaking oil I assume you never put any in it.

[Astrid]

I don't much like any outboard motors--an old timer once told me either row or step a mast and hoist a a sail. Of course, I think he was probably thinking of a traditional dinghy instead of the newer tenders which seem not to like either alternate means of propulsion.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

Not me. Since its not leaking oil I assume you never put any in it.

Funnyest yet.

It seems from reading a bunch that the Honda 2s come in two types. Don has Type 2.

The ones with Type 1 seem to be happy.

I don't know how to tell them apart by looking at them though.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Funnyest yet.

It seems from reading a bunch that the Honda 2s come in two types. Don has Type 2.

The ones with Type 1 seem to be happy.

I don't know how to tell them apart by looking at them though.

Type 1 have oil leaking. Easy to spot.