boat engine maintenance | Outboard Motor Oil

Yamaha Outboard Maintenance Tips

When it comes to keeping your watercraft in working order, there is a long maintenance check list. Today we’ll focus on two parts of that list: power trim and tilt fluid, and lubricants. Be sure to regularly inspect the lower unit to highlight issues. To prevent such issues from arising, keep the prop shaft well lubricated and top up levels of trim fluids. Yamaha products, like Performance Power, are preferable.

As far as lubricants, Yamalube 2-m oil or 4-m oil is recommended for two-stroke and fours-stroke engines, respectively. It is imperative that all replaced or repaired components be bedded correctly, and then sealed and protected with lubricant. Lubricating parts also aids in motion and can extend the life of an engine.

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Checking for Compression

Air, fuel, compression, and spark are the four main elements that keep a two-stroke engine running. If any one of the four elements is missing or damaged, then the engine will not go. A loss of compression can be caused by several reasons, but the most likely culprit is a faulty seal between cylinder, piston or piston rings. Fortunately, this is an easy problem to spot and fix.

Start by removing all of the spark plugs from the motor and ground those spark plugs against the engine case. Take a compression tester and screw it into the spark plug hole of the first cylinder to be tested. Twist the throttle and kick the motor over a few times. Check the tester’s gauge; if the gauge reads at least 100-125 then you’re good to go, at least on that particular cylinder. While you’re poking around the insides of your motor, consider replacing your Mercury 2 cycle oil.

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Boat Engine Basics ~ Cooling

Last, but certainly not least, the cooling system of a boat engine is necessary for proper operation. However, where most other parts or functions of a boat engine are similar to that of an automobile engine, the cooling system is actually quite different. For a boat engine, raw water is pumped directly from the ocean, river or lake in which the boat is currently resting.

This water is then channeled through the engine block’s water jacket and is then circulated by the water pump where the water then flows into the risers. These specialty devices mix the boat exhaust with the water and the exhaust then forces the hot water back into the lake. And there you have it, in five days we have covered the basic parts of any boat engine so that, hopefully, you know a little more about its inner workings.

Keep your boat engine happy, clean and powerful with Evinrude XD 50 oil.

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Boat Engine Basics ~ Compression

Compression within the boat engine is yet another essential part of maintaining a steady operating vessel. The compression is more of an action that a specific part of the engine. Here are the basic steps that need to occur to ensure the proper compression within the boat engine takes place:

• The cylinder must not leak any power when the spark ignites the fuel
• The rings around the piston must press against the cylinder wall exactly
• The valve seats must fit exactly in their guides

The timing must be exact in all areas and the parts may not be worn down or damaged, otherwise the engine will not run at full power. However, you can help things along with the clean power of Yamalube 2W oil.

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Beginners Guide to Outboard Motors

This week we’ll be taking a good long look at one of our specialties. The outboard motor is an integral part of your boat and your boating experience. That’s why it’s helpful for you to learn as much as you can about how it works, how to care for it and how to use it properly to ensure a long life of dependable service. If you’ve just bought your first boat or you’re a seasoned waterman there’s bound to be something in our comprehensive guide that you’ll find useful.

Since we’ve done the research for you, you can save yourself the time and effort required to learn as much about outboard motors as possible in the shortest amount of time. When you’re just starting out it can be very confusing and often frustrating to try to find the right topics to research. And when you can’t find the topics how are you supposed to research them? The short answer is you can’t. Or, at least you can’t do it in a reasonable amount of time. For example, the amount of time you have between now and when you’re planning your next trip on the water. Stay tuned this week for some great tips and articles on outboard motors.

And don’t forget to take the best care possible of your Evinrude outboard motor with premium-quality Evinrude XD50 oil.

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Great Gifts for Boaters This Holiday Season: Part 1

The holidays are here and that means it’s time to start getting our holiday shopping out of the way. If you’re anything like me then you have a long list of folks to shop for andd you’re probably not looking forward to it. Fighting traffic, navigating throngs of people and standing in long linnes are only a few of the joys of the holiday season. Thankfully, though, we’re able to shop online for almost anything we could ever want or need.

Holiday gift shopping is no exception. So for the rest of this week we’ll be talking about the best in gadgets and gifts for the boating enthusiast in your life. With the number of high-tech gadgets available, and the age-old staples of every boater’s life, it can be tough to decide what to get for gifts. From the boater who has everything to the beginning boater our gift buying guide will help you become a gifting superstar this holiday season. And be sure to check out Evinrude XD100 oil for the 2-cycle engine owner in your life.

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Tips for Trailering Part 3

For anyone who’s never trailered their boat there’s a whole list of things you need to consider before running out and buying that brand new, shiny trailer. Things like the towing capacity of your vehicle are absolutely critical to purchasing a trailer. You don’t want to buy your brand new trailer only to find out your vehicle doesn’t have the necessary power to tow your boat.

A great way to get this information is to check your owner’s manual or find out if other boaters are using the same vehicle to tow their boats. Almost all family sedans are automatically disqualified because they simply aren’t designed to tow much of anything, much less a hulking mass of water-going equipment. Your best bet is a truck or SUV as these almost always have the power to tow a boat up to 25 feet in length. But you always want to check your owner’s manual to be absolutely certain. And if you own a Yaamaha engine check out Yamalube 2W oil and maximize your boat’s efficiency for saving gas on the water.

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Boat Engine Maintenance and Troubleshooting: Part Three

As the heart of the boat, the engine should be near the top of your maintenance hierarchy. Changing your 2 cycle oil is obviously crucial, but it’s not enough. Most marine engine damage stems from neglect of the cooling system. Since marine engines use the water they are in as a cooing agent, the contaminants in the water also flow through the cooling system.

The water filters are the most important component to maintain in the cooling system. Opt for the premium models with metal strainers instead of plastic. Maintenance of the cooling system is particularly significant if you are boating in salt water. If this is the case, check regularly for rust around the gaskets, which is an indication that salt water is leaking out of the system.

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