My new boat 90hp was not winterized, what to do?

[chadfish]

I recently bought a 90hp 2-stroke merc outboard with very low hours. I do not believe it was winterized in 2005 and it was not used last year. What should I do besides winterizing it this year?

 

[skimmer]

Re: My new boat 90hp was not winterized, what to do?

1st thing don't Worry about it too much! if you've winterized it Change the gear oil & give it a regrease, relube throttle linkages etc, etc when spring, summer comes new oil, new grease, she'll love ya for it

 

[AMD Rules]

Re: My new boat 90hp was not winterized, what to do?

I'd suggest pulling the plugs and squirting some storage(fogging) oil into the cylinders. Rotate the flywheel a few spins to distribute the lubricant, then spray again. Come spring, prior to first use you may wish to pull those carbs for a clean-up, as they could be all gummed up from old fuel residue and lack of use. It is a lot cheaper to clean out and adjust the carbs now, than to rebuild the motor later.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: My new boat 90hp was not winterized, what to do?

Good suggestions here but I would go one farther. I have a '02 90.

Before removing the plugs, remove the plastic carb covers so that you can see down the throats. Crank the engine (on muffs) run at idle, and squirt your fogging oil or get some Sea Foam (and put in a spray bottle), or Deep Creep in the aerosol, and rapidly spray all 3 carbs back and forth till you stall the engine out.

Then, at the bottom of each carb on the port side is the drain plug with gasket. Drain the bowls and replace the plug....a wad of paper towels can be used to catch the fuel as there isn't much room in there.

Remove the fuel line and if you have a connector, push in on the center pin (engine side) and drain any fuel from there.

Now you can remove your plugs, spray, pull thru, spray, and reinstall the plugs (to be cleaned with chem tool spray or replaced next season).
------------------
Then go drain and refill your lower unit.....with new blue seals on all 3 screws.
Fill procedure (if you don't have a manual) is to remove all 3 screws...one on underside of gearhousing, other two are side by side just above antivent plate...can't miss them....shiny SS just like the lower one.

Old fluid should be blue-green or black, not milky which indicated water intrusion.

On refilling, insert pump in lower hole and pump till solid (keep filling till the bubbles all but disappear) gear oil comes out the upper front hole...install screw with new gasket. Continue filling till oil comes out upper rear hole in the same manner and do the same with the screw.

Then have the lower screw with new gasket ready and pull out the fill spiggot and rapidly insert screw. You will loose a little oil but that is not a problem. Just minimize it.....Merc knows you will loose a little and spec how much which is way more than you will loose if you do as I said.

Then go and drain your fuel tank and don't forget the gas in the hose....a wooden popsickle stick, trimmed to fit works great on the connector seal.

HTH

Mark

 

[Fenwick2]

Re: My new boat 90hp was not winterized, what to do?

"Then go and drain your fuel tank and don't forget the gas in the hose..."
I have been lead to believe one should store a gas tank full, after adding some form of stabilizer, to avoid condensation. Have I been Misinformed?

 

[Texasmark]

Re: My new boat 90hp was not winterized, what to do?

If you store it full you have to consider contaminated fuel. If you store it empty you are guaranteed fresh fuel when starting out next season.

Condensation is the only concern and depends upon tank material and weather conditions. You don't necessarily accumulate condensation, especially on plastic tanks you dry out good (hair dryer works) and seal up.

To have condensation, you need moist air. No moist air, no condensation.

Additionally, if you should get some water in it, before filling, get a paper towel and one of those long shaft grabber finger things and soak it up.

That's what I did when I had to store things.

I do the same thing with my lawn equipment and never had water in the tank and they used to be metal tanks.

Mark

 

[Fenwick2]

Re: My new boat 90hp was not winterized, what to do?

Rear Admiral Mark,
Thank you for clearing that up. I now understand you are referring to small portable tanks. Here in Wisconsin we have sever weather changes. From -20 to 90 plus degrees and condensation does happen. How much I don't know but this new gas does attract water or so I've been lead to believe. I don't believe everything I read nore do I think I'm a expert on anything. I learn something new every day.
My tank is 56 gallons, built in and there is no way I can run it dry. Well I have on one occasion but only to replace the tank but that is as they say another story. I store, short time, with Mercury fuel stabilizer toped of as do most of us up north. Some of us fish until ice up and that can be as late as January. Temps are very cold at that time of the year or can be.
This, fuel storage, (full or empty?), has been discussed in detail on the G.L. Angler site. There is a post about a new fuel stabilizer made for the ethanol gasoline made for boats by Stablil on the same site.
I respect your option on this subject but it is not applicable with larger tanks I.M.H.O. I guess we have to agree to disagree on this on even though we are on the same page.
Respectfully yours

 

[chadfish]

Re: My new boat 90hp was not winterized, what to do?

Thanks for the replies and the great information!

 

[Texasmark]

Re: My new boat 90hp was not winterized, what to do?

If I had a large tank with a large swing in temp, I would still empty it best I could and consider a water separator in the the fuel line. I never used one in a boat but diesel farm tractors use them all the time. The fuel floats on the water. It has a drain plug on the bottom and you drain till fuel comes out.

As far as filling the tank and worrying about condensation, I doubt that you can fill the tank completely, and the top will "sweat" as much as anything, so you will still have some moisture present.

You hear varying stories about "stabil" and other preservatives. I personally don't trust them with the stories about today's fuels. I mean, E10 contains alcohol, and alcohol combines with water to make the blob.

Other problem with long term storage is the evaporation of the violatile elements of the fuel over time, leaving the heavier parts that, I'm told tend to have problems combusting alone; makes for excessive combustion byproducts in the engine.

I do use Sea Foam in my fuel but that is for engine hygiene, not necessarily moisture absorption.

Years ago, when I had a large built in tank, I decided the answer was a product that absorbed the water.......well what do you do with it once absorbed?

In my case the product made a gooey blob liken unto mucus from your nostrils and it wound up in my fuel line (don't know how it got through the filter screen in the tank) right at the engine connector, which clogged my fuel line and shut me down, in the middle of open water, with a very good chop going. Was not fun; have not used it since.

Best I can do.

Good luck.

Mark

 

[Texasmark]

Re: My new boat 90hp was not winterized, what to do?

Update: Rather than start a new thread, I'll add this tidbit of info to this one already addressing the subject.

Out of curiousity, upon being concerned about ethanol and Stabil fuel stabilizer, and hearing of a new compatible product, I went to Gold Eagle's (who make Stabil) web site this am. I noticed on their home page, upper right corner, that they do in fact have a new product out primarily directed at the marine community that is made for ethanol.

Soooooooooo. Looks like I will use some new Stabil if I don't drain my tank and since folks say that today's fuels go bad in as little as a month or two, might just keep some in the tank, butttttttttttttt it says nothing about water, just gum and varnish. So, that takes us back to the water separator if moisture is a problem.

My 2c.

Mark