Dry start an outboard

[CMorg]

I was thinking , I ran my outboard ( idled actually ) one outing last year. I had it winterized last year in the fall. I really hate to drop 75+ on getting it done again this year no more than I used it. Can I just dry start if for a second to shoot the water out , then shut it down ? Would this be safe , it does sit outdoors , sits really close to my house , keeps alot of the wind off it.

[bamabassman]

Cmorg, i just take off the bar and drop the motor all the way down so the water drains out the motor and foot. I don't "winterize" my boat. BUT, i do live a bit futher south than you do. So..........i probably been much help to ya. Sorry pal.

[CMorg]

Well , does it freeze down there ? And isnt there still water in the motor somewhere ?

[bassboogieman]

I think I'd fog the engine again before putting it away. If you didn't run it all year, the engine didn't get any lubricaltion. I don't think I would let it set another winter without, firing it up and fogging it. Remove the plugs when you shut it down and spray a couple seconds of the fogging oil in each cylinder then reinstall the plugs. You likely can get away with not replacing the lower unit lube, but I still would pull the drain plugs to be certain there was not water intrusion due to a bad seal. You won't need to drain but a little oil to tell if it's good. How long since you replaced the impeller? Even with little use you should do that every couple years, three at most.

[Abbeysdad]

You can do it, but you should winterize.
1) Put proper stablizer in the gas and mix
2) Run the engine dry
3) Pull the plugs and spray fogging oil, rotate fly wheel and spray with fogging oil again
4) Reinstall/torque plugs
5) Drain and replace lower case gear oil
6) Pull prop, inspect, relube, reinstall
7) cover to ensure water stays out

Since it hasn't been out much you might skip the lower unit/prop service, but the rest is well worth the effort (or the service cost).

[cdy20i]

Yes there is a lot of parts that could give you trouble if you don't . I fish year round and keep by boat inside i still have heaters for it.

[bamabassman]

Yes it does freeze here. I am in the northeast part of Alabama. Up in the mountain area of the state. We have already had several nights of temps below freezing. Gonna be a hard winter for us. So far i haven't had a problem with water in the motor. I will most likely fog it next spring, that is if i don't go out when it warms up this winter. Jan and Feb ar the coldest months for us, then some days in March it'll be cold. But up there where you are, you might want to do what you are talking about. then get yourself a really good insulated motor cover. I think it'll be worth the money for you. I want to get one for mine too. This is a very important investment, a boat, so anything preventative is a good thing i think.

[Abbeysdad]

I think there may be a slight misconception here? Cold is not the problem. We have some deep lakes up here that don't freeze over with bubblers at some launches - fishing boats are launched all through the winter! (I guess as long as you dress REAL well 'n warm it's okay...although I think it's much nicer by a warm fire dreaming of fishin come spring!)
They just need to ensure that they trim down all the way to get the water out after they pull her out of the water.

The fogging oil sprayed in the cylinders is to prevent corrosion as she sits without running for a long period of time. You don't need any kind of insulated cover, just a cover to keep the weather out (which could be plastic or the tarp that's covering the rest of the boat).

Bama, you could just as easily slap on the rabbit ears and start her up once a week or so and run her just a bit.

Btw, I saw a sad thing just yesterday as I was driving. A nice (fiberglass) boat was well covered but with CLEAR PLASTIC. The plastic looked heavy enough, but I can't say if it was UV stabilized or not. Ultraviolet light eats plastic and vinyl...and since fiberglass is a fabric soaked with polyester resin, it's plastic. Anyway, boats should always be covered to shield against the rays of the sun to prevent fading and damage.
(when I was 'shopping' for used boats, I was amazed at how so many obviously went uncovered and suffered from severe weather damage - much of it from the sun.)

[Captmikestarrett]

It freezes here and I used to winterize 15 years ago but no more. Just till the motor down, hook up the battery maintainers, open all the hatches, and cover.

If you see oil drip any time from the prop or lower unit during the winter you need lower unit seals. If none you are good to go. Change water pump every two or three years.

Also let me add all my motors are saltwater motors and have that extra drain hole on the lower unit.

Sometimes in Feb. I get the urge to fish power plants.

Spraying the engine with fogger is still a good idea.. but PITA if I get that Feb. power plant urge..

Capt Mike

[woody]

Originally Posted by CMorg

Well , does it freeze down there ? And isn't there still water in the motor somewhere ?

This is one of the advantages of the Outboard engine, that they are self- draining. But keep in mind though, to do this the motor must be 'trimmed down' to allow the water to drain out properly.


-Mark

[bamabassman]

Abby you are right my friend. And i do slap on the rabbit ears once in a while. But thank you for reminding me pal.

[CMorg]

Awsome , thats for all the input. I really dont use the outboard much , as my lake is a 9.9 and under. I did run it this august for a day , but mostely idleing. I have owned the boat for 3 years now , have had it serviced every year , but never replaced anything.

[bassintom]

Do not ever dry start an outboard..Never. You may get lucky a couple of times but running dry will destroy your water pump impeller.

[Abbeysdad]

Originally Posted by bassintom

Do not ever dry start an outboard..Never. You may get lucky a couple of times but running dry will destroy your water pump impeller.

I guess I misinterpreted the question and went on about winterizing. I think there is little/no need to ever 'dry start' an outboard. I suppose you 'could' very briefly as the engine would take awhile to overheat, but then you have to ask... why do it? Outboards pump up for cooling, so if the motor is trimmed down (and out of the water of course) all of the water simply drains out.
I know of guys up here in the frozen north that fish year round and just ensure to drain the water after each outing so it doesn't freeze which could damage the pump and/or create a blockage preventing engine cooling next time out.

[Bender]

Originally Posted by bassintom

Do not ever dry start an outboard..Never. You may get lucky a couple of times but running dry will destroy your water pump impeller.

I second that. Even a few seconds can cause the impeller to fail. I know from experience even though it wasn't me who started my motor dry.

[CMorg]

I will not dry start the outboard. I didnt know that the water drained out. I am not smart about somethings , this is one of them. I figured there was still water in the engine somewhere , and by dry starting it , it would just push that water out , and be dry inside. But , now I know. The motor is down...

[RichZ]

I use my boat all winter long. The river stays pretty much navigable, although we do have to bust an inch or two of ice for a mile or so every now and then to get to fishable water. But the longest it might go without being used is 3 weeks or so, so I don't winterize, other than to make sure there's no water in the lower unit, and to keep the cooling system water free by trimming it all the way down and running it for 15 or 20 seconds every time I take it out of the water, then trimming it all the way back down when I unhook it and cover it at home.

[nofearengineer]

While winterizing my outboard last week, I accidentally "dry started" it. The stupid muffs just don't fit the water intakes that well. It was a good 30 seconds before I got water coming out of the pee hole. I'm pretty sure there was less water pressure than before. Oh well, I was going to replace the impeller in the Spring anyway.

I will not use those muffs anymore. I bought a big plastic tub that I will continuously run water into and tilt the motor into. Foolproof, even for a dummy like me.

[woody]

Bryce,

Unless I'm changing the impeller myself, I wouldn't wait till spring to have it in the shop. I would think that, that has got to be one of their busiest times of the year. With that being said, you may not be able to get out on the water as soon as you would like. ..something to think about..


-Mark

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by woody

Bryce,

Unless I'm changing the impeller myself, I wouldn't wait till spring to have it in the shop. I would think that, that has got to be one of their busiest times of the year. With that being said, you may not be able to get out on the water as soon as you would like. ..something to think about..


-Mark

Yeah, I'll be changing it myself. I got a hold of a service manual (the same one the shops have), and I think I can handle the task.

[zooker]

I agree with woody.. Right now and again during the first warm weekend -normally march here-marina's get swamp with guys needing there boats worked on RIGHT NOW!...

zooker