New to 2 stroke outboards

I'm new to these forums, and new to the world of 2 stroke outboards. I had a big ole' 26' Bayliner I/O for several years, but never had and know nothing about 2 stroke outboards. I bought an old Evinrude '62 40, mounted on a 15 ft. fiberglass v-hull Starcraft, complete with trailer. I have some cleaning and personalizing to do, and I'd like to do whatever the motor needs to make it reliable. (My wife has her misgivings about me buying a boat, and I don't need for it to break down the first time I take her out after Walleyes.) The motor runs fine, but I have no idea what the carbon build-up status is, and I've been reading about that, how harmfull it can be, and what to do about it. De-carb, they say. Never did that, although it doesn't seem to be too big of a deal except for the white smoke fogging the neighbors. My question is this: Since it runs fine presntly, If I just used Seafoam mixed in with the fuel mix, with time would that clean the carbon out sufficiently? I know I should get it done the quick way, by de-carbing, but I really think the smoke will cause some trouble with the neighbors. The boat is parked within 15 feet of one of the neighbors. (he's a fireman too, and so is the guy across the road. That much smoke may not make them very pleased) If I could just add Seafoam to the fuel every time I prepare a new tank of fuel, and run it that way for the whole summer, it would be so much easier on all. Thanx.

Re: New to 2 stroke outboards

Best bet is to ask your neighbor to give you a hand, give him a beer and let the smoke begin. Seafoam mixed with the fuel is a preventative and not a replacement method for a good decarb.

Re: New to 2 stroke outboards

I would just do it and if they ask what's going on tell them your de carbing your outboard. I do it infront of my neighbors all the time. If anything put the boat in a position where the smoke will blow down the street and not directly into the neighbors house. I would reccomend doing it over your grass or in the street and not on your clean driveway because the black crud that will come out of your exhaust will make a mess of that clean concert.

Also I find using seafoam in the spray can to be the best just spray it into your carbs try to make the engine stall out. Then take your plugs out and spray sea foam in your cylinders tilt your motor up and spin your fly wheel by hand and let it sit for a while. That's when the seafoam will work it's magic.

Re: New to 2 stroke outboards

Sea foam will slowly help, but the easy way to reduce the smoke it to test run it in a trash can instead of muffs

Re: New to 2 stroke outboards

Thanx, guys. I like the beer idea! I just picked up a can of Seafoam, (it was on sale, too, at Advance for $6.99) and this weekend it's supposed to go above freezing for a few days except at night. I'll be un-wrapping the boat and taking inventory of what needs to be done to make it mine. I'll check out the de-carb process, and when I'm ready to fill a garbage can with water, I'll have at it. I will move the boat out to the edge of the road for the project, which will be far enough away from anybody's house that the white smoke won't create a problem. I just hope the 2 firemen don't come running out in their underwear with fire extinguishers locked and loaded.
If anyone can think of any other things I need to do to help ensure that the boat won't fail me first time out, I'd appreciate the tips. I know, "don't forget the bilge plug"! Thanx again. And thanx for making me feel welcome here.

Re: New to 2 stroke outboards

Hi sidecut. Welcome to iboats. Congrats on your new toy. You happened upon a great combo. As far as the motor goes, the fact that it runs well already is a great sign. You should only have to do routine maintenance from here on out, all of which is DIY and pretty inexpensive. Before you do much more here are a few rules of thumb to remember for your new motor; Always run it in a test tank with water filled 1-2 in. below the main exhaust port on the back of the motor. It will smoke quite a but and foul up the water, but that's normal. You'll also want to run 24:1 mix which is abut 5.5 fl. oz. of TCW-3 2-stroke outboard motor oil to 1 US gallon of 87 octane. You'll also want to run Champion J6C or J8C plugs. Read the link(s) below for more info. You can get all the routine consumable parts (carb kits, tune up kits, etc...) you need right here at iboats too.

Regarding the decarb procedure, follow the direction on the can and mix a small amount into about 1-2 gallons of fuelil mix for use while in the test tank, you can also spray it directly into the carb throat as the motor is running. After you complete the procedure, you'll need to take the boat out on the open water and run the motor at WOT for 30-40 minutes to get the motor up to temp and burn off the remaining carbon. When it's all said and done, you should notice a smoother idle and greater efficiency. Good luck. Holler if you get stuck.

Reviving a Vintage Big Twin - Part 1

1962 Johnson RDS-24 40 hp Outboard Motor Parts

Re: New to 2 stroke outboards

I thought the procedure involved cranking it up on the lake, so why not do it at the lake? Although my concern is that will draw attention there as well.

Re: New to 2 stroke outboards

It does kind of make a mess which is easier to contain in a test tank, but you can do it on the lake if you don't think the other folks will mind. Just be sure to run it WOT for a bit after you've done the idle procedure. Here are some links to vids of folks seafoaming their boat/car to give you an idea of what to expect.

SeaFoaming 1965 18 HP Johnson - YouTube
1961 Johnson 10 hp outboard being cleaned with Seafoam - YouTube
Seafoam in lawnmower MUST WATCH! - YouTube

Re: New to 2 stroke outboards

Thanx for all the tips, guys. After veiwing the videos of the lawn mower etc., I think I'll just take the boat and my can of Seasfoam up in the hills to my ex-stepson's house. He's in the country and has no neighbors. It'll get rid of his mosquitos, too. Wow, the smoke is unreal!!

Everyone's help in this matter was most helpful. As I said, I've never had an outboard, and I'm a bit fussin' and worryin' over several things about this boat and how to proceed. But hey, if I could jockey a big ol' Bayliner salmon boat around Lake Ontario for several years, I should find this little walleye boat a piece of cake. But I was a lot younger when I had that Bayliner (I'll be 69 in a couple of months), and I guess with age comes caution and fussin'. If I have more worries, I'd like to think I can come back on this site and have my fears calmed down. Thanx again!

Re: New to 2 stroke outboards

Just stick with it sidecut and you'll be a 2-stroke pro in no time. They're dead simple, especially the old OMC (Johnson/Evinrude) models. The more you learn about them the less mysterious and more ingenious they become. Eventually, you'll be able to rebuild the whole motor (literally) with little more than a flathead screw driver and a few wrenches. The key is to be methodical and fix one system at a time. I like to start at the top by rebuilding the ignition, then move on to the carb, then the gearcase, and finally the water. Good luck. Keep us posted.

Re: New to 2 stroke outboards

Couple things for your maintenance check list;

Has the impeller been replaced recently? If it hasn't or unknown, change it out.
Lower unit oil been drained and checked for water?