Caring For Your Outboard Engine

Boats are just like cars in that if they sit around for long enough they’re probably going to need some maintenance before they can be operated again. Unless you’re in Florida or southern California, it’s likely that you’re not taking your boat out for most of the year. One of the most important things you can do to keep your boat in tip-top shape is to check its oil. A dry engine can mean a dead engine and engines are expensive to replace.

Here’s how you can check your boat engine oil:

1.) Use a light-colored rag to wipe the engine oil off of the dipstick. The dipstick will usually be color colored in order to tell what level the oil is at.
2.) Hold the oil end of the dipstick next to the light-colored rag. If the oil is at the “full” line, your engine oil is at a good level. If it comes up to the “low” line, you need to add some Yamalube 2w oil.
3.) If you notice that the oil is dark, or contains dirt and sand particles, change the oil. If the oil is a deep yellow in color, the oil is fine. Check the boat engine oil before each outing.

Checking your boat’s oil

It’s the same process as checking the oil in your car, but just in case you don’t know, here are the steps to check your boat’s oil:

1. Pull out the dipstick (which usually has a yellow handle at the top), and wipe off the oil with a light colored rag to check its color. If it is dark or has particles such as dirt and sand in it, it needs to be changed. A recommended oil type is Yamalube outboard motor oil. If it’s a caramel color, it is fine.
2. Put the dipstick back in, and pull it out to check the oil level. If the oil only reaches to the “low” line, you need more.
3. Check the engine oil before each outing; this will allow you to detect leaks early on.

What to do with old motor oil

Each month, more than 16 million gallons of used oil is disposed of improperly – which is more than was lost by the Exxon Valdez supertanker off the coast of Alaska. If everyone in the United States who performed their own oil changes recycled that oil, it would be enough to power 50 million automobiles every year. And the used oil from one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water, which is a year’s supply of drinking water for 50 people.These shocking facts should be widely known, but unfortunately, they aren’t. People continue to improperly dispose of their oil, which not only damages the environment, but further depletes oil supplies. The United States produces 1.3 billion gallons of waste every year, but only 800 million gallons are recycled.

But recycling used oil is extremely easy – and beneficial. All you do is take your used Yamaha 2m oil and others to almost any local gas station, garage, or oil change station, and you’re done. There’s nothing else to it. And that re-used oil can be even more efficient than the brand-new bottle you bought in the first place. It takes 42 gallons of crude oil to produce 2.5 quarts of motor oil, but only one gallon of used motor oil to be re-refined into the same amount. So help the environment, and don’t add to the looming energy crisis – recycle your used motor oil.

Early uses of oil

As the patent medicines of the late 19th century firmly secured their hold on the American public, pharmaceutical companies began to search out more creative sources to find these “miracle drugs.” And crude oil was one of those discoveries.

An 1855 ad urged people to buy Samuel Kier’s Rock Oil before “this wonderful product is depleted from nature’s laboratory.” The tonic – which was made from petroleum – was touted as “bubbling up from the salt wells near Pittsburg” and claimed to be a cure for everything from diarrhea, rheumatism and ringworm to deafness.

Ingesting crude oil can lead to depression, severe vomiting, poor coordination, immune diseases, and even death. So if you’re feeling sick, don’t reach for a bottle of Yamalube 2m oil – save that for your outboard motor.