Outboard repair in the water? Bad idea?

[oaklake]

Hi all, please excuse me if this is a dumb question. I am mechanically inclined on most items but have never yet tried outboard engine repair. Here is the deal; I put my pontoon in the lake last weekend and since the water was low it was a b*tch to get in, probably more dificult to get out of the lake at this time. Now thats its in the lake it does not want to run under load, it just dies. From reading many posts here it seems likely that I should start with new plugs and perhaps carb cleaning. Is it out of the question to try to do this while standing in the lake at shore? I assume the biggest risk would be dropping parts in the drink? Any of you guys have any experiance or advice with this??

Thanks!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Outboard repair in the water? Bad idea?

it's not the best way, but i've done it. do the compression check first, and spark check, before tearing into it. don't get electrocuted.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Outboard repair in the water? Bad idea?

I've worked on a lot of motors knee deep. Best thing to do is find a screw on the motor that you can do without for a bit. Take it out and toss it to the water Gods. Then maybe the good stuff won't get dropped.