Outboard Engine Maintenance – Part 1

Part One

Keeping your outboard in good condition can be done even if you’re not a mechanic – Regular attention and preventive maintenance can save you £££ come serving time and keep your outboard running smoothly throughout the season.

Pre Season

If you are not a mechanic, the first step is to find a reliable marine engineer – in the Solent we are lucky to have dozens if not hundreds to choose from. I’ve used several on both my smaller outboards and the bigger ETECs and always had a decent service. I used RIB forums to get a feel for who was worth approaching and who the cowboys were.

Begin every season with a professional service. You should have your outboard engineers at the very least test the spark, run a compression test, pressure test the lower unit, check the seals and water pump, test the warning alarms and, in general, go over the outboard’s most vulnerable areas to check for any signs of future failure or deterioration.