How To Winterize Your Stroke Outboard
Both 2-stroke and 4-stroke outboard motors should be winterized when they're not being used during the cooler months of the year. Winterizing is the process of preparing the motor so that it can be properly stored until it will be used the following spring. The first step is pulling the boat and motor out of the water at the end of the boating season.
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Things You'll Need
- Fuel stabilizer
- Flush muffs
- Engine oil
- Oil filter
- Pan or container
- Gear lube
- Power steering fluid
- Socket wrench
- Grease gun
Instructions
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1
Add a fuel stabilizer to the gas tank when it is about half full and then fill the tank to mix the stabilizer with the gas.
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2
Place flush muffs on the outboard, turn on the water and start the motor. Let the motor run, with the flush muffs attached, between 5 and 7 minutes. Running the motor will allow the gas/fuel stabilizer mixture to go through the motor.
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3
Change the engine oil and the oil filter, if the motor is a 4-stroke (2-stroke motors use a pre-mix solution of oil and gas, whereby the oil is added to the fuel tank, not through a separate oil pump. If you have a 2-stroke, there is no oil filter to change, so proceed to Step 4). Remove the drain plug from the motor and let the oil drain from the reservoir into a pan or container. Take out the old oil filter, replace it with a new one and then refill the oil reservoir. Make sure the oil reservoir drain plug has been replaced before adding new oil.
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4
Check the level of the hydraulic steering-fluid reservoir. Refill the reservoir if the level of the fluid is low.
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5
Change the lube in the lower drive unit on the outboard. Remove the drain plug and let the lube drain into a pan. Add gear lube back into the lower unit.
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6
Remove the propeller from the lower drive unit. You will need to loosen the nut that is used to secure the propeller to the lower drive unit with a socket wrench and then pull off the propeller.
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7
Check the drive shaft for any debris and then apply grease to the shaft from a grease gun.
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8
Place the propeller back on the lower drive unit and tighten the nut with a socket wrench.
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9
Remove all of the hose clamps and then disconnect the hoses to drain the water from the outboard.
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10
Trim or move the outboard to the down position to completely drain the water from the outboard.
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Tips & Warnings
A flush muff is a device that is placed over the water intakes on the outboard, allowing the motor to run when it is not sitting in the water.
Check the manual for your outboard for the correct type of engine oil to use with the motor.
Water that is left in the engine or motor during the winter can freeze and cause problems when starting the motor in the spring.
