How to Drain Water From Mariner Outboard Motors
Serious boaters know that when they haul their boat out of the water and back onto the trailer, their maintenance ritual begins. That's the time to flush the motor's cooling system with clear, fresh water. After you flush the motor, draining the water from your motor is essential to prevent rust from forming inside the motor. For the Mariner outboard to drain completely, the motor must be level, from front to rear and from side to side. Once the motor is level, you are dependent on a reliable helper: gravity.
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Instructions
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Release the cover lock on your motor's top cover and set the cover aside. Place the torpedo level on top of the motor's powerhead so that the level runs from the front of the motor toward the rear of the motor.
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Inspect the level's bubble. If the bubble is not between the index lines -- the two lines on the tube of liquid -- the motor is not level and will not drain. Turn your boat's ignition switch on to supply power to the tilt/trim system to adjust the motor's level from front to rear.
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Tap the "Up" side of your trim/tilt switch to rotate your motor upward, if the bubble is on or beyond the index line nearest the forward end of the motor. This means the front of your motor is higher than its rear. Tap the "Down" side of the switch to rotate the motor downward, if the bubble is on or beyond the index line nearest the rear of the motor, as this means the rear of the motor is higher than its front. Tell your assistant to watch the level and let you know as soon as the bubble is completely between the lines.
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Continue to tap the the trim/tilt switch until your assistant advises you that the bubble is centered. Check the level yourself to ensure that the motor is level from front to rear.
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Move the level so that it lays across your motor from side to side and look at the bubble. A level's bubble moves toward or past the index line on the higher side of the level. Move the trailer and boat, checking the level with each move, until the level indicates the motor is level or near level. After the motor has drained, replace the motor cover.
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Tips & Warnings
If moving the trailer does not completely level the motor on your boat and trailer, you can fine-tune the motor's side-to-side level by releasing a small amount of air from the trailer tire on the high side of the trailer. Remove the dust cap from valve of the trailer tire on the high side of the boat and press the valve stem with the tip of a Phillips screwdriver to let some of the air out of the tire, until the motor is level. Allow the motor three days to drain, then reinflate the tire.
Write "Tire Pressure" on a red, pre-wired tag and attach it to your trailer as a reminder to check your tire pressure, should you need to reduce the tire pressure on one side to level the motor.
