What Are the Basics of Flushing an Outboard Motor?
If you want your outboard motor to last for many years to come, flushing the engine is standard procedure. To prevent breakage and avoid the consequence and expense of having to replace your motor, you must take time to flush it. This gets rid of impurities that may have accumulated in the fuel and avoids further damage to the engine.
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Flush After Every Outing
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According to the Boatsafe website, flushing is a procedure that you should perform at the conclusion of every boating trip. The water in your tank must remain as clear as your hose water. Indeed, your boat comes into contact with all kinds of pollutants from the environment, such as dirt, sand and water that has undergone previous pollution. In the end these can affect the performance of your outboard, whose water and fuel content you must keep in a state of purity.
Use Rabbit Ears
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According to the Outboard Motor Oil Blog, this task requires the use of "rabbit ears," which are simply a couple of hoses that you fuse together with a metal clamp. This device will slip on to the lower unit of the motor, where you attach a garden hose.
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Check for Debris
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Carefully examine the water flow, and closely monitor the temperature of your water by placing your finger therein. According to both the Boatsafe website and the Outboard Motor Oil Blog, if your water is too hot, you should turn the engine off and allow for cool down. This is true especially in summer, when a really hot motor could actually produce a fire hazard. If the flow is weak, this should raise a red flag too. Both these symptoms should spark concern, for they indicate that debris could be trapped in the outflow tube of your motor. As the Outboard Blog points out, you should take a small piece of wire to remove the debris from the tube.
Discard Any Old Fuel
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Get rid of all the fuel from your previous trip. That includes any fuel residue. Do not recycle any old fuel. Run your outboard motor at the end of every flushing procedure until you have drained all of it out of your carburetor. As the Boatsafe website indicates, using old fuel could cause grave damage to your engine.
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References
- Photo Credit motor boat image by Ivonne Wierink from Fotolia.com
