MAINTAINING YOUR OUTBOARD MOTOR
BY JOHN BERRY
The reality of fishing the White and Norfork Rivers is that we are often doing this from boats due to variations in the water level caused by generation. The key to success and safety is to have a reliable boat. Reliability translates into having a working outboard motor for your boat. The only way to ensure that your outboard motor is reliable is to properly maintain it.
The most important single thing that you can do is to use the proper fuel. The gasoline you put in your automobile probably contains 10% ethanol. This is unsuitable for your outboard motor. Ethanol is a solvent and will dissolve or weaken fuel lines and other plastic parts. While there is an additive that you can use to overcome the effects of the ethanol, the best strategy is to just avoid using it all together. There are several local service stations that sell ethanol free gasoline. My mechanic, Floyd, says that most of the repair work that he does is due to the use of fuel containing ethanol. You should make sure that your fuel is fresh. If you do not run your motor often the gasoline can age and break down. It will have a lower boiling point, which will cause your engine to perform badly or even result in permanent damage to your pistons. You can add a fuel stabilizer to your fuel to prevent this from happening.
The next thing that you can do is to use the proper oil. I have a two cycle engine and I carefully add the proper concentration of oil to my boat fuel as specified by the manufacturer (fifty to one for my motor). If you add too much oil to the fuel you can foul your sparkplugs. If you add too little oil to your fuel you could damage your engine. It is also important to use the proper oil. I use Quick Silver motor oil which is manufactured specifically for use in my Mercury engine. If you have a four cycle engine the oil and fuel are separate. It is important to check your oil level every time you go out. Change the oil according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Your lower unit gets quite a bit of abuse and needs some regular attention. The lower unit is the drive shaft and transmits the energy from the power head or engine down to the propeller. This is the part of the engine that sticks in the water. You need to use a skeg guard. The skeg is the bottom part of the lower unit right in front of the propeller. It is designed to protect the propeller. The skeg is the part of the motor that takes the hit every time you bump a rock. The skeg guard reinforces the skeg and helps protect it and the propeller.
The lower unit is water tight and filled with water proof grease. There is a waterproof seal behind the propeller. As you operate your motor in the river you can run through monofilament line and get it caught behind the propeller. Over time this can destroy the seal and allow water to enter the bottom bracket. To prevent this you should occasionally remove the propeller and remove any monofilament that has accumulated there. You should also check the lubricant in the bottom bracket for any water infiltration. There is a screw at the lower end of the bottom bracket (check your owner’s manual for its exact location). You can remove the screw and look for any water to drip out. The bottom bracket lubricant is lighter than water and the water will settle to the bottom. If you detect any water, take your motor to your outboard mechanic to replace the water proof seal. If you do not do this you can destroy your bottom bracket, which is very expensive to replace.
You need to occasionally take your outboard motor in for a tune up. I do this once a year. Floyd changes the spark plugs, replaces the lubricant in the bottom bracket and checks everything out in general. He adjusts the engine and runs it for a while to make sure that everything is functioning properly.
I have noticed that on the water the two most common problems are fouled spark plugs and damaged propellers. As a result I carry a spare set of spark plugs and a spare propeller with me at all times. It is also imperative that you carry the tools necessary to change out the spark plugs or replace the propeller. I carry a spark plug wrench with a screwdriver attached (supplied by the manufacturer of my outboard motor) and a crescent wrench that fits the nut holding on my propeller. I have never actually used them myself but have loaned them to stranded boaters that I have met on the river.
When I come off the water, I disconnect the fuel line on my motor, while it is still running, after my boat is on the trailer. This runs all of the fuel out of the motor. If you leave fuel in the motor, it can gum up the carburetor. This could be an unnecessary and expensive repair to clean the carburetor. It only takes a minute to run out the gasoline.
If you keep these suggestions in mind, you can increase the life of your outboard motor and rely on it to start promptly and take you where you want to go.
ASK JOHN
David F. asks: I was fishing the Norfork the other day and my buddy was catching a lot more fish than I was. We were both fishing zebra midges in the same run and he caught ten times more trout than I did.
David, it was probably your presentation. The key to success is to achieve a perfect drag free drift. make sure that you are also fishing at the proper depth.
John Berry
[email protected] www.berrybrothersguides.com
