Outboard Motor Maintenance
Part of maintaining your boat is the outboard motor maintenance. After running the motor in saltwater while fishing you will want to flush it with fresh water. To properly flush the motor, you should hook the water hose to the flush valve or hook the “Mickey Mouse Ears” up on the water intake. The Mickey Mouse ears is a device that has a cup on either side that will fit on the lower unit of the engine and pushes water through it. The water should run through the engine while it is running for at least 20 minutes. Another part of the maintenance is taking the cowling off and checking all the lines, spark plugs, and connections. Making sure there is no rust building up on the motor. After checking the components under the cowling, to preserve the life of the motor Corrosion X should be sprayed on all electrical parts to keep them from rusting. Checking the oil levels in the external reservoir as well as the internal reservoir will ensure the engine will function properly. Making sure the oil is changed at least once a year and the oil filter is also changed. It is recommended for every 100 hours put on an outboard motor, it should be inspected.
