| It's hard being a boat engine! Unlike its
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| | years of good service. You should take
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| automotive cousins, a boat engine is run
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| | care whenever you complete a voyage to
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| at extremely high RPM's and under quite a
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| | ensure that all electrical components are
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| load when in operation and it sits in
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| | turned off and, if you have a main
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| storage a whole lot of the time. It's
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| | battery switch, be certain that it is
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| kind of the worst of both worlds. Today's
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| | turned off. Whenever the boat is stored
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| marine engines are very well made and
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| | for any prolonged period of time, the
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| unlike their predecessors, really
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| | battery cables should be disconnected.
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| experience very few mechanical problems
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| | Lower Unit Lubrication - The lower part
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| if they are properly maintained.
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| | of your outdrive or outboard engine is
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| Water Pump Maintenance - Most marine
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| | filled with a lubricant fluid that keeps
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| engines are cooled by their pumping of
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| | all of the moving parts properly
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| lake or ocean water into the engine from
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| | lubricated and running smoothly. The
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| a pickup in the lower unit of the
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| | reservoir should never contain any water
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| outdrive or outboard engine. This water
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| | in the fluid. The drive should be
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| is circulated by a water pump that
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| | inspected at least annually to ensure
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| contains a rubber or plastic impeller or
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| | that the drive is full of fluid and that
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| fan which pulls the water from the lake
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| | no water is present. This is relatively
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| and pumps it up and through the water
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| | simple and inexpensive to accomplish.
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| jacket of the engine to keep things cool.
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| | Electronic Control Module - Most modern
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| As you might expect, there are sometimes
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| | marine engines are controlled by a
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| impurities in the water or the operator
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| | computer call an 'Electronic Control
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| (somebody else, I'm sure) that runs the
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| | Module' (ECM) which regulates the flow of
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| lower unit aground and the impeller picks
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| | fuel and air as well as the timing of the
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| up sand, dirt or other grit. These
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| | ignition system. Another valuable
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| foreign substances wear on the impeller
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| | function of the ECM is that it stores
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| and sometimes cause it to shred into
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| | operational data while the engine is
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| pieces and fail. Also, if the engine is
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| | running. Certified marine mechanics have
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| stored for a period of many months,
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| | digital diagnostic tools which can be
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| sometimes the rubber of the impeller gets
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| | connected to the ECM to learn the running
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| brittle and cracks up. In any event, it
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| | history of the engines as well as any
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| is simply a good idea to proactively
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| | problems.
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| replace the impeller every 3-4 boating
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| | Anodes On the underwater section of every
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| seasons. If the impeller fails while you
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| | outdrive and outboard engine, there are
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| are running and you fail to notice the
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| | one or more little metal attachments
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| temperature rising, your engine can
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| | called 'anodes'. They are usually made of
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| easily and quickly overheat and self
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| | zinc and are designed to attract stray
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| destruct.
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| | electrolysis. This occurs when stray
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| Oil Change - Marine engines are typically
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| | voltage in the electric system of a boat
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| not run more than 60-80 hours per year
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| | is transmitted through the metal parts of
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| and, therefore, do not require oil
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| | the boat in search of a ground. The
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| changes very frequently. Usually, it is a
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| | anodes are designed to be sacrificial and
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| good idea to change the oil (and filter)
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| | to absorb the stray current and gradually
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| once per year at the end of the season.
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| | deteriorate. This process is magnified in
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| If the old, dirty oil is in the crankcase
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| | salt water. At least once a year, you
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| when the engine is stored in the off
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| | should check your anodes for decay and
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| season, it can turn acid and damage the
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| | replace those that appear to have decayed
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| internal engine components it is supposed
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| | greatly. Replacement anodes are not
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| to protect. Of course, 2 stroke outboards
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| | tremendously expensive and they serve to
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| have no crankcase and therefore no oil to
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| | protect your boat from some serious decay
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| change. On these applications, it
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| | of some very expensive metal marine
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| certainly does pay to stabilize any fuel
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| | parts.
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| remaining in the tank and to fog the
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| | If a marine engine is properly
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| engine with fogging oil before storage.
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| | maintained, it should give you many years
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| Fuel Injectors - Most newer marine
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| | of trouble free operation. It should be
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| engines are fuel injected and, when fuel
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| | important to you to know a qualified
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| is permitted to age and thicken during
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| | marine technician in your area. As with
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| storage, the fuel injectors can easily
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| | most things, "An ounce of prevention is
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| become clogged and may fail at the start
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| | worth a pound of cure". Have a great
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| of the season. To avoid this occurrence,
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| | cruise!
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| it is a good idea to run some fuel
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| | Don Seibert is a veteran of the U S Coast
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| injector cleaner mixed into the last tank
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| | Guard and is a retired marina owner and
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| of fuel before the engine is put up for
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| | boat dealer, His websiteMore Free
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| storage.
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| | Boating Articles, has many more free
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| Battery - If you take care of your boat's
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| | articles related to recreational boating.
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| battery, it will provide you with several
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