5 Outboard Maintenance Mistakes YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE! | BoatUS

[@victoriaperson-goral704]

Thank you for the video. I am starting with zero knowledge about engines and had to search Zinc's but this type of informative videos go a long way to ensure I am taking care of my baby

[@boatus]

Hi Victoria. Thanks for watching and congrats for taking the opportunity to learn more about your boat and maintenance! This year I'm seeing a lot more women seeking information on engine repair and maintenance, which is exciting! Make sure to search our channel for other videos on anode/zinc replacement as well as other maintenance topics. And you can also find tons of articles on our website www.boatus.com/expert-advice. Finally, don't forget to subscribe to our channel for notification when we post new videos regularly.

[@jonperley7304]

Fishing line is a KILLER!!!👍

[@boatus]

It really is, Jon. And lots of folks forget (or don't know how) to check for it. thanks for watching!

[@tonkacaptain]

Thanks for the tip about the cotter pin. I just took our outboard prop off but didn't think about how straightening and re-bending it weakens it. Good tip. Love all the maintenance videos, please keep them coming!

[@boatus]

Glad you found it helpful. We've got lots more maintenance vids on the calendar, so don't forget to subscribe to our channel to receive notifications when new videos are uploaded.

[@extrememiami]

Great video. I've always said that yamaha needs to come out with a sacrificial zinc kit with ALL the zincs needed, not just the 2 main ones. It's not easy finding them all. My motor has FIVE under the cowling and 2 obvious ones. Another tip is to freshwater rinse under the hood and then dry and spray down the entire engine with silicone spray, this prevents all the normal rust. My yamaha outboards are from 2004 and not 1 single spec of rust anywhere. Using yamalube ring free in the gas also helps prevent a stuck ring. Another tip is to check or replace the thermostat. That's pretty easy and fast also. I like how the title of section 2 is "check your Tommy Bell" lol. Now with his accent that's all I can hear. Thanks for the video.

[@boatus]

Tommy Bell! 🤣😂 That's hilarious! I'll have to go in and update the auto chapters, though I kind of like it as-is. Yeah, it would be helpful for companies to sell full kits to ensure you at least check all of them. Some of these anodes you'd never find, and how many people actually read the owner's manual? Perhaps they aren't wasted as fast as some of the others -- or maybe the company wants to ensure they sell more engines. Thanks for the other recommendations. We always suggest following manufacturer recommendations. Be careful with using products that could be harmful to the marine environment and delicate ecosystem. Thanks for watching -- and for the laugh this morning!

[@burtwest2424]

Thanks you guys are great with all the help videos. I always learn something every time I watch.

[@boatus]

Thanks so much for watching, Burt!

[@trygveknudsen3809]

Thanks! Watching from over in Norway! One other common mistake many people do is they either paint over / put grease on the zinc anodes. That prevents the anodes from doing their job... and something ELSE will corrode instead.

[@boatus]

Thanks for watching, Trygve! You make a really excellent and important point If anodes are painted over, they can't do their job.

[@krysis7271]

I’m a mechanical integrity inspector for refineries. Fairly new to boating, but sacrificial materials is a very common thing on pipelines and inside of refining facilities. Knowing about them fairly in depth makes me a feel a little dumb not realizing that it would be common on motors designed for the water lol

[@boatus]

Welcome to the world of boating, Krysis! We're not born knowing everything, which is why we put together these videos. I've had boaters with two decades experience admit they learned something from one of our "basic" videos. We love making boating better for our viewers and members. You might be interested in our video on anode replacement: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn3FmKCAdsh6jposi=tAmiCP9p6BiyJN4s These are super critical, unless you have a lot of money to burn to replace critical components. Thanks for watching. Please be sure to subscribe if you haven't done so already so we can keep bringing you helpful educational video content. And please let us know if there are any specific topics you would find useful.

[@roughas100]

Just on tip #3 , the sacrificial anodes (zincs) under the engine cowling are internal , inside the water jacket, yes the bolt holding them in is outside the engine but not the zinc itself . Only discovered my outboard had 3 of them last month after owning the outboard for 5 years. Luckily they were only about 30 % to 40% eaten away. The external ones are all probably less 10% corroded ( 90% of the zinc still there ) makes sense for a trailer boat I guess.

[@boatus]

Exactly, Bradley. Thanks for the great reminder. Glad you discovered them before it was too late!

[@TH-vf5st]

Thanks a ton! All great advice. I wasn't that tuned into the zincs on past OB motors but with my new Yamaha I certainly will be!

[@boatus]

You're welcome, Tom! Glad you found it helpful. Yeah, lots of folks forget about the anodes on the outboard. You might find this video helpful as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn3FmKCAdsh6jpo. Be sure to subscribe to our channel for notification when new videos get posted. We've got lots more helpful how-tos coming up this summer!

[@jamestenney8633]

Thanks! Please do more of these!

[@boatus]

Thanks, James! Make sure to subscribe to our channel if you haven't done so already. We've got a great series of engine maintenance videos coming up over the next month or so, including how to do a compression check, and what things you need to check on your outboard before every trip, as well as at critical maintenance hours.

[@capt.bobroemer7784]

While you are right there checking the prop shaft for fishing line, also feel the leading edge of the propeller to check the condition of the cup on each blade. Check for cracks and pitting.

[@boatus]

Great tip!

[@husseinal-asadi3674]

Thanks this was really useful!

[@boatus]

Thanks so much for watching, Hussein!

[@Mkushi97]

Side cutters to take out the split pin !

[@richardsaiz4794]

Thanks Lenny awesome video. I really appreciate info like this.

[@boatus]

Glad you found it helpful, Richard! Be sure to subscribe to our channel to be notified when new videos are published - we've got a bunch more great maintenance videos on the lineup!

[@Crazyreseller]

Anodes are very important to check in saltwater, if you run in fresh water they should last a very long time if not indefinitely.

[@boatus]

You're correct that saltwater causes much more galvanic corrosion than freshwater (saltwater acts as a giant battery), but it's still important to check your anodes regularly in freshwater. Freshwater contains minerals and other substances that can also corrode metal over time. You may be correct that anodes last longer in freshwater, but you never want to take that for granted. It's an expensive mistake! Thanks for watching, Wild!

[@bubba.watercraftj7269]

Could you post some PWC maintenance and winterization videos?

[@boatus]

Thanks for watching, Bubba. We will certainly put that on our future video list for consideration.

[@filjorge6122]

thanks for the tips

[@boatus]

Thank you for watching!

[@p3teytran]

Would've been awesome if we got more close ups of the anode on the bracket. Couldn't see what you were referring to

[@boatus]

Thanks for the feedback, Peter. We will keep that in mind for future video shoots.

[@jayjohn52]

I am having an issue with my Honda outboard motor. Can you answer a question please?

[@boatus]

Hi JayJohn. Send it over and we'll see if we can help you out. It's often difficult to troubleshoot long-distance, but it might be something we can help with. If not, I will direct you to Tom Neale, our technical expert and author of Ask the Experts in our magazine to see if he has any answers for you.

[@steveduncan131]

What are the numbers I’m looking for when I do a compression check on my 2001 200 four stroke

[@boatus]

Thanks for the question, Steve. It's not as much about the number as it is that the cylinders register within 10% of each other. Have a look at our compression test video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3LciWSLqr2bl6c Hope you find this helpful.

[@stephenpaul6457]

Wow super sir...I am also obm repair technician....I am Stephen...

[@boatus]

Thanks for watching, Stephen!

[@familiamotarica6616]

Hello and thanks for the video! I got question. I know that the gear oil is sealed into the lower unit. So could I hypothetically change the gear oil while the lower unit is apart from the rest of the outboard ? Of course I would hold it straight. I have a Honda bf30 attached to a 10m pontoon boat and I can’t afford taking out of the water at the moment. Thanks again

[@boatus]

Thanks for the question, Familia! Absolutely, no problems there. The only thing we might mention is that you'll want to make sure the lower unit is secured in an upright position somehow so it won't fall over or otherwise allow for spilling the old oil as it comes out, or the new oil as it goes in.

[@familiamotarica6616]

@@boatus wonderful!!! Thanks a lot!

[@mikehiddemen3652]

What does “look at the zinc tabs” mean?

[@boatus]

Thanks for the question, Mike. The trim tab is the small circular item with a fin mounted to the underside of the engine's anti-ventilation plate, that he points at. It's a sacrificial anode, so it essentially wears away over time and needs to be checked annually to see if it needs replacement. You can learn more here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn3FmKCAdsh6jposi=tRULOvujUPwVK1VX Hope this helps.

[@bmzaron713]

Is there any first hand experiences with cottor pin weakening, that seems extreme

[@shabutir1820]

Not that I know of, but they are made out of soft metal that will break easily the more it is bent. So its entirely possible that making the same bend more than once could risk it snapping off, and thus rendering the cotter pin useless and the nut coming off and all going down here from there. Cotter pins are pennies, why not invest in a box of them and replace them every time you take the prop off instead of taking that risk? Its worth the cost in my opinion to know you dont have to worry about it.

[@DLJFunk]

where can I get one of those prop wrenches

[@boatus]

Hey, Darryl. You can purchase a prop wrench for under $20 at just about any marine supply store, like West Marine. Alternatively, a regular socket wrench of the correct size will work just as well.

[@robertpoole91]

You should have showed how much to tighten the bolt.

[@boatus]

Hi Robert. Thanks for your feedback. We will make a better effort in the future to be more specific on things like that.

[@michaelphinney9294]

What about two stroke engines?

[@boatus]

Thanks for mentioning two stroke engines, we will be doing some additional videos featuring two stroke outboards soon, so please be on the lookout for these in the coming months!

[@johnmoseley4827]

I am new to boating, I just bought a Tracker 175. Can you explain what the "Zinc"'s are and how to tell if they need replaced? Or what they are?

[@boatus]

Great question and super important! You can read more about this at www.boatus.com/magazine and search "anodes." We have quite a few articles that cover this. Also, we have a video that may give you some useful info at kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn3FmKCAdsh6jpo. Hope this helps!

[@eddunbar3403]

would have been much more useful doing this on a motor with some hours on it. The prop never comes off that easy. And so much more useful to show line being taken off and showing an actual zinc being replaced. Also the difference between salt water and freshwater "zincs".

[@boatus]

Thanks for the feedback, Ed. It was not meant to be an all-encompassing how-to video. We do have other videos available that teach you how to replace "zincs" (anodes) as well as how to remove/replace a prop. You can find them by searching our channel, or click on the following: Replace prop: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmPQeaVjZsibrZo and replace anodes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn3FmKCAdsh6jpo And if you want a more in-depth explanation of the different types of anodes, you can view one of our articles at www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2017/february/the-battle-against-underwater-corrosion. And if you do a search for "anode" at BoatUS.com/Expert-Advice, you'll find a bunch of other related articles. Hope this helps.

[@pablocercado6301]

Como prendo un motor 100 4tiempo sin morse

[@boatus]

Hola Pablo. Yo no hablo Español. ¿Qué es "Morse"?

[@zash008]

go to this yamaha website and choose which engine you have and select "Scheduled Service Parts" and it will give you all the part numbers for that engines anodes and an exploded view diagram of where they are. www.simyamaha.com/