Should You Leave Your Outboard Up Or Down?

It’s best to tilt your outboard up when leaving your boat in the water to prevent marine growth from forming and from corrosion eating away at its metal parts.

Should outboard be stored up or down?

Should I leave my engine up or down? Simply put, if you are leaving the boat in the water, leave it in the up position to avoid growth. If you are leaving it out of the water, trim it down to drain the water and protect the Power Tilt and Trim seals from the sun.

What position should I store my outboard motor?

upright position
The best way is to either leave the motor on the boat or on an engine stand in an upright position, not tilted. If neither of these are an option, try to make sure that the engine is in an upright, self-draining position. If you can’t do this, be sure that the cooling system is drained completely.

Should boat trim be up or down?

Start with trim down: When you’re taking off from displacement speeds, most boats work best with the engine and bow trimmed down — this helps the boat rise quickly onto the plane. However, once your boat is on plane, it’s important to adjust the trim based on the sea conditions.

Should you store your boat with the outdrive up or down?

Should my sterndrive be stored in the up or the down position? Answer: If you store your sterndrive installed on your boat, you should keep it in the down position. Otherwise, the rubber bellows in the transom assembly can become permanently deformed and fail.

Is it OK to store an outboard motor on its side?

It’s almost never a good idea to lay an outboard motor down on its side or back.Mercury Marine recommends upright storage to allow the water to drain from the motor, but Mercury also says that a motor may be stored on its side after the water has drained completely.

Can you store an outboard motor lying down?

When you are storing a boat motor, you can never lay it on its side because you can possibly damage it or because of how fuel may end up leaking all over the place if you leave it lying on its side for prolonged periods of time.

Can you leave an outboard motor outside in the winter?

Yes, boats can be stored outside during any season of the year. You will want to make sure you winterize the engine, as well as the boat. Failure to take care of these key factors can lead to massive and expensive damage to the boat.

Why does the front of my boat go up?

Porpoising, or the bow bobbing up and dow, is caused by over-trimming at cruising speed; there’s no longer enough hull in the water to support the weight of the boat. Either trim down a little until the porpoising stops, or increase boat speed slightly to create more lifting force under the hull.

What is the difference between trim and tilt on a boat?

The difference between tilt and trim on a boat is referencing the location of the outboard or the drive of the inboard. Trimming is used when underway and goes about 20 degrees of the way up and tilting is coming all the way up for storage. Did you know there are ways to use your trim to improve your fuel economy?

Should you leave your boat motor in the water?

It’s best to tilt your outboard up when leaving your boat in the water to prevent marine growth from forming and from corrosion eating away at its metal parts. That being said, there are some instances when you may prefer tilting your outboard down.

Is it necessary to winterize an outboard motor?

If you want your engine to start in the spring and last you many years and plan on not using your engine all winter, you do have to winterize an outboard motor. Winterizing the engine helps to prevent damage during disuse, which is the chief cause for engine failure. Failing to winterize may lead to complications.

How often should you run your outboard motor?

A typical two-stroke or four-stroke outboard engine should provide 1,500 hours of run time. Based on the average use of 200 hours per year, this will last 7-8 years. However, changing your oil every 50 hours of operation and regularly flushing the engine can see your outboard engine last 10 to 20 years.

Can you lay a 2-stroke outboard motor down?

“Stowing a motor vertical is just fine for a 2-stroke motor, because a 2-stroke outboard has its oil mixed in the gas, so there isn’t an issue.”

How far below the bottom of the boat should the prop be?

If you have a short shaft motor, the top most part of the transom and the lower most part of the boat should be about 15 to 16 inches. For a long shaft, I think 20 to 21 inches is correct.

How long can you leave your boat in the water?

As stated above, as a general guideline, your boat should be stored in the water no longer than 30 days straight. That is if you haven’t taken special precautions to protect your boat and prepare it for longer-term storage.

Is it worth putting a new motor on an old boat?

A fresh outboard engine can give an old boat new life. If your boat fails the mechanical reliability test – or if it’s under-powered, overly loud, or otherwise lacking in the engine department – you can breathe new life into it with a re-power.

How long can a outboard run without water?

What is the maximum amount of time you can run a boat motor without water? The maximum amount of time you can run your boat motor without water is between 2 and 10 seconds if you must.

Is it OK to leave boat on lift during winter?

Many people choose to leave hydraulic boat lifts in over the winter. This is possible in areas where ice flows aren’t a concern. However, it is only possible so long as you properly flush the lines to ensure there is no moisture, and verify that the hydraulic fluid is formulated for winter weather conditions.

Do I need to winterize my 4 stroke outboard?

Like inboards and sterndrives, outboard engines are also subject to potential damage from freezing and from being laid up in disuse for months at a time. So outboards demand winterizing too.

What happens if you don’t winterize your outboard motor?

If You Don’t Winterize Your Boat, Here’s What Happens: Water freezes and expands and can damage anything it’s trapped inside. Water may seep into unprotected spaces to do this. Acidic and corrosive wastes, salt and corrosion buildup can damage delicate parts in engines. Fuels break down or grow dirty.