Vic.s
Is this it?
Awakening a Sleeping Outboard
I see a lot of posts from folks who have a motor that has been in
storage, belonged to their dad or granddad, or for another reason. I recently went through most of these steps myself in preparing a motor which hadnt been used for 15 years. Following is an attempt to provide a concise list of steps.
a reference
book is a must. Although some folks use Seloc or Clymer
manuals, they cover a range of engines and sometimes details are omitted. The reprints of the original OMC manualsare the most specific to your particular engine. Get one of them.
If any steps prove challenging or if there are questions about any of the processes, post a question in the applicable forum here at BOC You will receive an answer from one or more of the many experienced veterans here.
Lets get started.
Lower Unit Remove the prop and any
fishing line that may be tangled, wound around the prop shaft. If the shaft is splined, apply a coat of marine bearing grease to it before re-installing the prop. If an inspection of the prop indicates any damage that could cause a vibration or imbalance, replace it or have it repaired. The rubber
bushing securing the hub to the prop itself may also need replacing, but that probably cannot be determined until boat-tested.
Remove the drain
screw (bottom) from the lower unit and observe the quality of the lube as it exits. If it is milky, there has been water intrusion. If you observe metal shards, there may be
gear damage requiring a re-build of the
lower unit. If it is empty, there may be other problems. Remove the vent screw (top screw) to allow complete draining. If none of the above mentioned situations exists, fill with lube from the bottom screw hole until lube emerges from the vent hole. Lube should be available from any oil outlet and labeled as suitable for
outboardlower units.
Note: Electric shift lower units require different lube than
manual shift units. Check your manual.
After unit has been filled, replace vent screw using an appropriate new screw-head
gasket. Then do the same for the fill
screw, trying to prevent as little loss of lube as possible.
Water
Pump Using your manual as a reference, replace the water
pump if not the complete pump, by all means replace the rubber impeller. This is absolutely necessary on motors of unknown history or on motors that havent had a new one in a couple of years. Before re-assembling mid-section (lower leg), see next step.
Cylinder Walls If not already, lay the motor so the
sparkplugs are up. Remove them and put in a few squirts from an oil can filled with TCW-3 oil. Move the engine around so that the oil will contact cylinder walls. Allow it to soak for a day or two. By hand, rotate the flywheel a couple of times. If it resists rotating, allow to soak longer. When flywheel finally rotates freely, install new sparkplugs.
Spark Pull the
plug wires from the
sparkplugs. Your spark should jump a minimum of a 3/8" gap with a hot thick spark. If it doesnt, you need maintenance on the ignition system. Check the sparkplug cables for cracked insulation. Otherwise, the needed maintenance will be determined by type and year of motor youre working on. Refer to your
manual. Replace the spark plugs with the manufacturer's recommended plugs, keeping the old ones as spares.
Wiring Check all engine wiring for brittle insulation or fraying. This would necessitate re-wiring or installation of a new wiring harness.
Lubrication Lube all moving
parts including throttle linkage (white lithium) and
steering shaft(
chassis lube is OK).
Carburetors Remove and disassemble carburetor(s). Soak in carb. cleaner or spray with aerosol carb. cleaner, paying particular attention to all small passages and fuel-ways. Blow dry with compressed air, again, paying particular attention to internal passages. Reassemble using an appropriate carburetor rebuild
kit. If kit doesn't include a new needle and seat, get one. If the float is cork, replace it with a plastic one. Some
kits include them. If the float is plastic, make sure the integrity has not been compromised. Re-install and link and sync according to your
manual. Replace all under-cowl fuel lines.
Fuel pump Using your manual as reference, remove fuel pump and clean metal
parts with carb. cleaner. Install a new fuel
pump kit, or replace fuel
pump entirely. Replace fuel filter and any vacuum hoses that may be connected.
Fuel
tank Replace the fuel line along with the squeeze bulb (OEM bulb preferred). Note: on dual-line tank, there is no squeeze bulb. Drain fuel tank. With a flashlight, inspect for dirt, debris, or rust. If OK, rinse and refill with correct fuel/oil mix. If there are quick release connectors on the fuel lines, check the small o-rings at either end. Replace if necessary.
Controls - If remote control, check throttle and gearshift cables for proper operation. Mine were frayed and rusted and had to be replaced.
Carburetor Adjustment - For those small Johnson, Evinrude, and Gale motors with
adjustablejets.
(Carburetor Adjustment - Single S/S Adjustable Needle Valve)
Initial setting is: Slow speed = seat gently, then open 1-1/2 turns.
Start engine and set the rpms to where it just stays running. In segments of 1/8 turns, start to turn the S/S needle valve in. Wait a few seconds for the engine to respond. As you turn the valve in, the rpms will increase. Lower the rpms again to where the engine will just stay running.
Eventually you'll hit the point where the engine wants to die out or it will spit back (sounds like a mild backfire). At that point, back out the valve 1/4 turn. Within that 1/4 turn, you'll find the smoothest slow speed setting.
Note: As a final double check setting of the slow speed valve(s), if the engine has more than one carburetor, do not attempt to gradually adjust all of the valves/carburetors at the same time. Do one at a time until you hit the above response (die out or spit back), then go on to the next valve/carburetor. It may be necessary to back out "all" of the slow speed adjustable needle valves 1/8 turn before doing this final adjustment due to the fact that one of the valves might be initially set ever so slightly lean.
When you have finished the above adjustment, you will have no reason to move them again unless the carburetor fouls/gums up from sitting, in which
case you would be required to remove, clean, and rebuild the carburetor anyway.
(High Speed Adjustments)
At full throttle, with the proper size screwdriver, slowly start turning one of the H/S needles in segments of 1/8 turn, waiting momentarily for the engine to respond, then repeat turning. You will reach a point where the engine will start to die out. At that point, back that needle valve out approximately 1/4 turn. Now, go to the other
High Speed needle valve and repeat that procedure. At some point in that 1/4 turn out, you will find the smoothest high speed setting (you can now lower the throttle rpm). That will have both high speed needle valves set correctly, and at that point you can lift that center lever adjustment of that high ridge, keeping it lifted until the point is facing the engine, then lower it into its proper position. (When you turn that
lever now, you're adjusting both High Speed needle valves at the same time.)
