Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

[Captain Jerry]

Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

I'm a Towboat Captain that works on what many of you may call a barge. My crew and I work on the Upper Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.<br /> Our company purchased for the whole fleet 25hp Honda outboard motors for our auxillary boat. This outboard does perform well in warm weather but as soon as it gets cold outside this motor becomes a headach. We have used the cold weather starting instructions given us by the Honda dealer that sold these motors to our Company. We still end up shooting the carbs with starting fluid in order to get it started. Than once started, it needs to warm up for quite a spell before letting it depart. Otherwise the motor just dies once put in gear. I'm very concerned about this because if we every have an emergency situation such as a man overboard in very cold water, I'm afraid it well be too late for that individual before we can get to him with the auxillary boat.<br /> I have heard that their are commercial fishermem that are using some sort of heater to help solve this problem. Is it a block heater, oil tank heater? Any help out there? Thanks: Captain Jerry Schilling

 

[JB]

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Hi, Jerry.<br /><br />Welcome to the board.<br /><br />I am moving your question to Outboard questions. I think you will get better response there.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Jerry,My guess is some kind of fuel distribution<br />problem. Either in some sort of design problem ie:<br />wrong jets,float adjustment.??<br /> Temporary solution Put a light under the hood<br /> Say 60 watts to keep things warm.<br /> Obviously youll need to remove before starting.<br /> I used to do this with a tired old snow blower<br /> and it always started on 1 or 2 pulls even around zero F.<br /> We had a Honda car that started and ran good warm but wouldnt start for beans cold. We discoverd cam timing was off just a tooth or 2.<br /> ??? Maybe???

 

[wezie]

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Starting fluid wipes the oil from the cylinders for a brief moment. It is highly flamable and one more thing to keep track of. It is a great product but not for every start. There are lakes and there are rivers; rivers are serious business.<br />It seems that Honda has great products, we run 3-90s and one 130; but there have been a couple of small engines here that don't get fixed. <br />They seem to drop out of the system after no one knows how to make them work.<br />I would think this needs to go to Honda in writing, initially from the company , and if necessary from the attorneys.<br />Even old 2 stroke engines would and will start.<br />Good Luck!

 

[dmessy]

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

I'd steer clear of the use of starting fluid. The idea of a light bulb sounds good, but another idea is to wrap the engine block with a heat tape such as the type that you use around water pipes. They can be installed semi premenantly, turn on/off as needed, are cheap, and just unplug it and go.

 

[BillP]

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Do they use auto chokes on the 25? Sounds typical of needing more choke.

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

If your motors have more then 20 hours on them they need a break in valve adjustment. Valve adjustment is very critical for cold starts.<br />If the service has been competently done I'd get real serious with the local Honda district service representative for some answers.<br />I've never been there but I believe Japan gets pretty cold too.(?)<br /><br />Please keep us informed on what they come up with.

 

[enn888]

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Not a common problem on the 25 hondas it probably needs a choke adjustment and a carb balancing.

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Re: Cold blooded Honda 25hp outboards

Sure gets cold in Denmark.<br /><br />Captain, I've been thinking about this problem your having for a while now.<br />What does your own engineer/mechanic have to say about this?<br />A fleet of them with the same problem would seem your selling dealer would be working around the clock getting your Hondas starting in a safe and reasonable way.<br />Can you tell us what thier response has been up to now?<br /><br />Your not putting Diesel in them are you?