How often should you service your outboard?

Kbeever · Post by **Kbeever** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 11:23 am

I used to take my boat in once a year to get a tune up and replace the water pump but now that things are tighter financially, I want to maximize my dollar. How often should you have the motor tuned up? I have a 250 XS and run it about 2 days a month. Just got back from Havasu and it ran fine. (Last tune up over 2 years)

I know guys who haven't did any for 6-7 years and there boats run great.

Thanks for your input.

Keith

DeltaDan · Post by **DeltaDan** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 11:31 am

Plugs I remove and clean myself every 6 months and check the gap - Still no need to change them out as of yet.

Filters and Water Impeller - every two years ..... Unless you take out your L/U before that time comes due.

-- (Then have it changed while the L/U is already off.

)

Rick G · Post by **Rick G** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 12:50 pm

You should have your motor serviced and waterpump impeller changed every 2 years or every 100 hours. Just like your rubber windshield wipers it goes bad just sitting there. Also for those with the newer engines that have Mercury Factory extended warrantee's to keep the warrantee effective a service history must be kept. Twice a month's use is about 50 hours a year, so 2 years max. Plus if you are not under warranty, blow a powerhead and those services will seem cheap. Rick G.

drrakruz · Post by **drrakruz** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 8:18 pm

Kbeever wrote:I used to take my boat in once a year to get a tune up and replace the water pump but now that things are tighter financially, I want to maximize my dollar. How often should you have the motor tuned up? I have a 250 XS and run it about 2 days a month. Just got back from Havasu and it ran fine. (Last tune up over 2 years)

I know guys who haven't did any for 6-7 years and there boats run great.

Thanks for your input.

Keith

Consider the guys who didn't do anything to their motors for 6-7 years EXTREMELY fortunate. That would be like people who just put gas in their vehicles and never check the fluid levels, or even worse yet, "NEVER CHANGE THEM". With the superior quality of our fuel today <NOT>, everyone should be running the combo fuel stabilizer/cleaner. For $15, it treats 30 gallons of fuel. As for the service, the norm used to be once every two years. If you decide to compete and want "Turn-Key" performance and reliability, it's once a year baby. If you want to save money, learn to do it yourself. Lower-end oil changes are a piece of cake, and not that expensive. The way I see it, "You can pay now for the combo cleaner/stabilizer, and perform your own routine maintenance, or pay your outboard-tech later for the overhaul".

jimmy87 · Post by **jimmy87** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:06 am

its easy to do yourself.
lower end oil, impeller and water pump housing, spark plugs Thermostats every few years and that about covers it.
did I leave somthing out?

drrakruz · Post by **drrakruz** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:53 am

jimmy87 wrote:its easy to do yourself.
lower end oil, impeller and water pump housing, spark plugs Thermostats every few years and that about covers it.
did I leave somthing out?

Yes, fuel filter/water separator.

twister · Post by **twister** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 12:15 pm

Follow the mfg recommended schedule and you can't go wrong. With my experience, there are very little factory trained outboard mechanics in the Nor Cal area. At least they're no Evinrude mechanics. Do not trust a mechanic because they call themselves one. If you do go to a mechanic make sure they have they are properly trained. Here's a link to the recommended maintenance schedule for all Optimax engines. Do the maintenance and hope nothing else goes wrong--that's the name of the game.

http://www.mercurymarine.com/_media/pdf ... ptiMax.pdf

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 12:32 pm

DeltaDan wrote:Plugs I remove and clean myself every 6 months and check the gap - Still no need to change them out as of yet.

Filters and Water Impeller - every two years ..... Unless you take out your L/U before that time comes due. -- (Then have it changed while the L/U is already off. )

Then you have had your water pump serviced (how many times Dan in the past year)???

twister · Post by **twister** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 12:48 pm

Mercury, Sierra, and Mechanics are loving you guys if you change your impeller every year.

j10b · Post by **j10b** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:49 pm

For Full tournament year,60+ days on the water I would change the impeller 2x. Plugs and filter yearly. With ethanol you can never be too safe. Impellers are like 12 bucks.

Its 6 bolts put the motor in gear, pull the kill switch. One shake and its down. Its easy off. Kinda easy on. Install is in the reverse. If you need to you can push it up and have someone start it WITH THE KILL SWITCH PULLED! and it will pop into place.

Greg_Cornish · Post by **Greg_Cornish** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 7:19 pm

My mechanic says to change the impeller every two years. I do it every year. Each year he shows me a beat up impeller and says, Man you're lucky you had me check that.

twister · Post by **twister** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 7:34 pm

Greg_Cornish wrote:My mechanic says to change the impeller every two years. I do it every year. Each year he shows me a beat up impeller and says, Man you're lucky you had me check that.

How many hours did you get on your impeller? What type of motor. Notice that Mercury impellers are a lot smaller than Evinrude.

DeltaDan · Post by **DeltaDan** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 7:58 pm

Phil wrote:
DeltaDan wrote:Plugs I remove and clean myself every 6 months and check the gap - Still no need to change them out as of yet.

Filters and Water Impeller - every two years ..... Unless you take out your L/U before that time comes due. -- (Then have it changed while the L/U is already off. )
Then you have had your water pump serviced (how many times Dan in the past year)???

Phil - You yourself should know that it was my first water impeller replacement for myself since I originally paid cash for my boat from you just some 17 months ago now. (And my Insurance covered it along with Team Inland-Marine working hand in hand on my loosing my L/U outside of Big Break earlier this year)

Do you know something that I don't ? ...And that I may now need to know

If so~ please feel free to PM what the heck you are talking about so you can further enlighten me please.

Cheers,

Always,
Dan

buddy brown · Post by **buddy brown** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 7:59 pm

I have the computer diagnostic done at least once a year, just to make sure that everything is good. This will tell you alot. I have my impeller changed every 1.5 years. Like rick g said the impeller will not work as well if you don't use it that often. By the impeller just sitting there for a time it will conform to the shape that it was sitting in and ultimately will not be snug up against the walls of the water pump, which in turn will impede the impeller from pumping adequate water. Just had my lower unit oil changed at 53 hours and some prop work done. Took it out a couple of days ago and it is running unbelievably good better and smoother than when I took it in.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:32 am

DeltaDan wrote:
Phil wrote:
DeltaDan wrote:Plugs I remove and clean myself every 6 months and check the gap - Still no need to change them out as of yet.

Filters and Water Impeller - every two years ..... Unless you take out your L/U before that time comes due. -- (Then have it changed while the L/U is already off. )
Then you have had your water pump serviced (how many times Dan in the past year)???

Phil - You yourself should know that it was my first water impeller replacement for myself since I originally paid cash for my boat from you just some 17 months ago now. (And my Insurance covered it along with Team Inland-Marine working hand in hand on my loosing my L/U outside of Big Break earlier this year)

Do you know something that I don't ? ...And that I may now need to know

If so~ please feel free to PM what the heck you are talking about so you can further enlighten me please.

Cheers,

Always,
Dan[/quot

Buying and paying cash for your Triton from me is not the topic ?
17 months, I'm still waiting for that free Delta fishing lesson ?
I'm sorry Dan. beings we never talk. I heard and just heard. must have been a rumor, that you hit the lower end twice in the dleta now and have had it replaced twice. Sorry if its not true. like I said it is only something I heard one day. Someone said hey arn't you the one that sold that Triton to Delta Dan. And that what they told me. Was a month or more ago.

Was not meant to be mean no offense meant...Sorry Dan

Have a nice day. Phil

j10b · Post by **j10b** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 7:07 am

Rick G wrote:You should have your motor serviced and waterpump impeller changed every 2 years or every 100 hours. Just like your rubber windshield wipers it goes bad just sitting there. Also for those with the newer engines that have Mercury Factory extended warrantee's to keep the warrantee effective a service history must be kept. Twice a month's use is about 50 hours a year, so 2 years max. Plus if you are not under warranty, blow a powerhead and those services will seem cheap. Rick G.

you mean 100 hours or 2 years which ever comes first right? Great advice. When you look at the price of an impeller vs a new motor its worth it.

Greg_Cornish · Post by **Greg_Cornish** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 7:20 am

twister wrote:
Greg_Cornish wrote:My mechanic says to change the impeller every two years. I do it every year. Each year he shows me a beat up impeller and says, Man you're lucky you had me check that.
How many hours did you get on your impeller? What type of motor. Notice that Mercury impellers are a lot smaller than Evinrude.

A 40 hp and a 150 hp evinrude