You might be mentally ready to spend hours on the water, fishing away. But is your boat physically ready? Here are a few basic steps you should take to ensure your outboard is just as ready for spring as you are.
- Drain and refill your fuel tanks. Even if you put marine fuel treatment in your tank last winter, ethanol will collectswater over the winter. So, dispose of all fuel over a month old.
- Charge your batteries or replace them if they are more than two years old.
- Replace your fuel filters, lower unit lube and spark plugs.
- Replace your water pump impeller if it is more than two years old.
- Check all steering, throttle, and shift cables and connections to make sure they work smoothly and are tight.
- Check the operation of the engine "kill switch". Run the motor and pull on the kill switch cord to make sure the engine dies instantly.
Those were our engine basics. Ready for a steps that might be a little more in-depth?
- Remove your prop and lube the prop shaft. Fishing line under the prop can cause failure of the prop shaft seals, and now is a good time for this inspection. Turn the prop shaft, checking to make sure it is not bent; then re-torque the prop to factory specs.
- Find and clean or change your oil injection units.
- Check all oil lines to make sure they are not cracked or so hard and brittle that they will break in rough water.
Last, of course, check your owners manual or factory service manual for its recommended service. And if you aren't the do-it-yourself type, not to worry - give us a call and we'll take care of it for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment