Who has starting doing all their own maintenance?

[lrdchaos]

Prior to this boat I had the shop complete all my maintenance. I had the drive pulled every couple of years and still had a coupler failure. I’m thinking about doing all my maintenance on this boat. Maintenance will include oil, drive oil, winterization, and pulling the drive to check alignment and other issues that pop up. Has anyone went down this road? Other than a drive stand and alignment tool, what would you recommend? It seems that there are a ton of instructions and YouTube videos to walk me through most everything…including rebuilding the drive if necessary.

 

[racerone]

U-tube can be a good teacher.------But I have seen some presenters that had some wild ideas and were not experts in the field !

 

[Scott Danforth]

Use @achris videos in the stickies.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I do almost all my own maintenance. It is not hard to learn, and as long as you know your limits, it’s a great way to save a lot of money and time. There are lots of folks here who have tons of expertise and are very generous in sharing it.

 

[tpenfield]

I've never had a shop even look at my boats over the years. I have always done my own maintenance and improvements . . . just don't know any different.

Lots of folks on this forum do their own stuff . . . and there are many experienced and knowledgeable folks here who help out.

 

[Scott Danforth]

been turning my own wrenches since I was 3. that is what I was taught by dad. only use the dealerships for warranty work.

 

[Drivewayboater2]

Agree with those above. You can do your own maintenance. With the correct manual and help from the folks on this forum you can do just about anything. Ive been an outboard guy for 25 years and a couple years ago purchased a project boat. Spent last winter tearing down and rebuilding an alpa 1 gen 1 outdrive. It is a great way to learn about your equipment.

 

[lprizman]

Started about 8....

Dad what's that dripping on my head, as I loosen the oil filter 70 LTD

I'm filling the battery, use your wrag...

I ain't got one....

You will next time...and don't tell your mom

 

[Lou C]

Start out with a factory shop manual, drive jack and alignment tool. Set of sockets in SAE and metric most fittings on older engines are SAE. Spark plug sockets extensions crow foot wrenches ratcheting box wrenches also. Take your time to learn. Not everything on you tube is correct. I’ve been doing auto maintenance since 1972, starting with our 72 Chevy Impala 350, and various air cooled VWs. Still at it 49 years later. Big difference between maintenance and minor repairs and major repairs. The jump in skill level is very big there so start small. Our boat has not been back to a mechanic in many years. I have all the special OMC Cobra shift cable tools and can set up one of these so it shifts with one finger...just takes patience...
Use good tools
Read the manual
Ask on here
Take your time
No short cuts

 

[Commander_47]

I do all my own maintenance. It's the best way to make sure it gets done. I will offer a big suggestion: Don't skimp on tools. Buy the right tools for the job. I offer a few suggestions, but by no means the final list.

1. The appropriate alignment tool for the coupler. Normally cost about $50.00. It is a long, heavy steel rod carefully built to your boats specs that will check and even adjust the bearing a little to align your coupler.

2. Oil pump out. These are available almost anywhere and allow you to pump out your old oil with a 12 volt pump. You will also need a hose and container for the old oil. You may also need a McGyvered oil filter wrench to reach the filter. Some of them are kind of hard to get to.

3. A multimeter. A necessity for checking and tracing bad electric connections.

4. Prop wrench (I have several. The floating one is the best. I have lost several in the water)

5. Small mirror on an extension, and an extendable magnetic tool retriever. You will absolutely drop tools in the bilge.

6. Out drive oil fill kit. This is an inexpensive plastic tube and pump kit. You fill the out drive oil from the drain plug. You need the kit to pump the oil in the bottom and up to the top.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Many dealerships refuse to work on motors 10 years old or more.

 

[poconojoe]

I always do my own repairs and maintenance.
I don't trust anyone with any of my machines.
Anything I'm not knowledgeable about, I just ask on this forum and the experts are always willing to help out.

If you are handy and have the proper tools, you should be able to do most minor or intermediate repairs and all of your general maintenance.

 

[Lou C]

Just a few of the things I've aquired over the years.
Old school I/O engines are very simple especially if you understand carburators....not many left with points and condenser ignition though!

 

[JimS123]

I have done MOST of my own maintenance since I bought my first boat 53 years ago. But some things I leave for an expert. For example, after doing bellows once, I won't do it again.....LOL.

I have a trusted expert mobile mechanic that comes to my house, and I used to have him over about every 5 years just in case he sees something that I missed. Now, after selling that &*^%$ I/O and replacing it with all new 4-stroke OBs, there is hardly any maintenance left.

 

[Lou C]

True the 4 stroke outboards, are great for low maintenance.

 

[jhande]

I'm 62 and have been doing automotive mechanic work since I was a kid helping my dad. I've progressed over the years working at garages and dealerships. I can diagnose problems and fix anything now that can go wrong, from oil changes, building race engines, electronics, etc...

I can't really offer any advice regarding marine applications as I'm just learning a few things.

I would however agree with some of the above comments regarding tools. I would like to add that you don't need really expensive tools such as Snap-On but you don't want those cheaply made in China or Taiwan tools either. I would go with something along the lines of Kobalt, Craftsman or something with a lifetime warranty even from an Auto Parts store.

I would shy away from those combo starter kits, things like 250 tools for $299 (just an example). Instead I would start with a 3/8" drive shallow sockets in SAE & maybe Metric (deep sockets if you can afford them), a few different size extensions, a swivel and of course a ratchet & spark plug socket LOL. A nice combination wrench set from 3/8" - 3/4". Of course a few pliers, vise grips, screw drivers, small pry bar, hammer and a multi-meter. Then any specialty tools for your application needs.

Just a note:
I prefer 6-point sockets over 12-point, less chance of stripping nuts and bolts.
Reason I'm not a fan of those starter sets... Usually they skip a few sizes of commonly used sockets and wrenches. Also they sometimes include duplicate tools and tools you'll probably never use.

 

[froggy1150]

Also for electrical troubleshooting get a incandescent high watt test light. Meters will indicate voltage present but if the connection isnt good the light will be real dim.
And be careful with frozen hardware. A snapped bolt can take a easy job and make it horrible. Drilling out broken bolts is an art. If the drill drifts into the parent metal usually that part is scrap. Get a good penetrating oil like aerocroil and if something wont break loose or is hard coming out use lube and gentle heat, tap head with hammer etc.....
Cherry picker or some kind of hoist to lift the heavy things like your outdrive

 

[Captain Caveman]

I am 45 and do most of my own maintenance on my 60yr old small outboards, and also my 2009 Suzuki 90hp. With 12 years of use under its belt, I took the Suzuki in last fall and paid $725 for them to do a full winterization, impeller, plugs, etc. This spring I noticed that they didn't tighten the bottom screw in the lower unit so it leaked all over my neighbor's garage floor throughout the winter. It could be coincidence, but the motor died on it's third trip out this season. It ended up being a dead IAC valve.

I take it to the pros when I can't do it, but learned an expensive lesson about letting the "pros" handle routine maintenance. Oil, filters, impeller, and plugs would have cost me about $150 and I would have done it all correctly.

 

[Lou C]

I am 45 and do most of my own maintenance on my 60yr old small outboards, and also my 2009 Suzuki 90hp. With 12 years of use under its belt, I took the Suzuki in last fall and paid $725 for them to do a full winterization, impeller, plugs, etc. This spring I noticed that they didn't tighten the bottom screw in the lower unit so it leaked all over my neighbor's garage floor throughout the winter. It could be coincidence, but the motor died on it's third trip out this season. It ended up being a dead IAC valve.

I take it to the pros when I can't do it, but learned an expensive lesson about letting the "pros" handle routine maintenance. Oil, filters, impeller, and plugs would have cost me about $150 and I would have done it all correctly.

I'd get the shop manual for the Zuke and do it yourself. We have a little DF 2.5 for our dinghy and it is hardly any work to maintain. The biggest job really is the impeller in the lower unit.

 

[hugh g]

I did the maintenance on my Cobra for years & bought a shop manuel & learned after a shop said they could adjust the shift cable on a Cobra & they screwed it up. I haven't owned a boat in a couple years & one of the things I miss about owning one is just tinkering with it. I'll be 64 in a month but I sure do miss it! At today's prices for even a used one it looks like I'm done & I don't want or need a project boat.

Enjoy that boat while you can.