Springtime Maintenance

[Lucky13]

What's everyone do for springtime maintenance as far as their motor's, boat, and trailer?

I have both a 2 and 4 stroke motor.

[DangerDan]

Spring time Maint. my ass!!!! I don't do that sort of thing. It's always a refit, refurbish sort of project with my boat for the spring. Well, maybe in time that will change.

To answer your question though. This year, I've done and/or will be doing total rewire, after the fiberglass shop for some serious cleanup,(filling, buff & seal of gelcoat) then back to my house for electronics which include: Humminbird 981C and Cannon Speed & Temp. ( already have GPS) After that, to an upholsterer for the bimini to the arch I added last year and then then back to fiberglass shop for re-work (missed spots and two extra holes, (oops). After that to the seasonal resting place at (*******) for the anti foul to be re-done.
And if anyone should ever wonder about my boats name "Zero Balance" (wife chose the name) This should cover it..:lol:

[Priority1]

Well Lucky, My boat's been in my nice warm garage and I have been doing little things to it all Winter. Right now I have the Outdrive pulled and the Lower unit taken apart. I need a water pump, so I'll order the parts Monday. I also need to put on a Swim Platform that I made over the Winter. The platform is used to hold my cooler. Most of my gauges didn't light up so over the Winter, I thought I would just have some bulbs to replace, but I had to do some re-wiring because of the former owners sins. She's looking good, and will be ready to rock in a week.

[tubejig]

I don't do a heck of a lot but put add the stuff I bought all winter. One thing I do every year is pull the wheels off the trailer, check for wear on the tires, look at the bearings and give em some grease. I also make sure that no mice have gotten in over the winter and chewed on anything. I learned that one a few years ago when a mouse got in and chewed a hole into my freshwater intake for my livewell. Dang boat filled up with water so fast it was like leaving the plug out. I replace the plug every season as well. The only thing I have to install is a Panther electric steering unit for my kicker.

[richie722]

For my 14 ft boat with 15 horse 2 stroke:

1. Make sure trailer lights still work. (Repair if needed)

2. Grease trailer bearings every other year or so.

2. New spark plugs. (engine fogging in the fall can foul them out)

3. Run engine on a hose to make sure it will start at the launch.

4. Charge depthfinder battery.

5. Check lower unit oil level. (I change it when putting the boat away in the fall)

[lkmifisherman]

All I have to do is drop the rigger/rod holder board in, mount the electronics, check the air in the trailer tires, make sure the batteries are charged and I am ready to go....I can be on the road in less than an hour so I can stop off somewhere and put 80 gallons of fuel in the boat, 60 gallons of fuel in the truck and add another $100.00 for 3 fishing licenses...That's close to if not over $350.00 just to get to the lake...but I got all this new gear for Xmas that is just dieing to get wet...

lkmifisherman

[kroppe]

New plugs and lower unit oil. Wash/vaccum the boat, clean out storage compartments - sandwich from last year, rotten worm cartons, soda cans, etc.

Check nav lights, radio, bilge pump, fire extinguisher for proper charge. Charge trolling batts. Put plug in!

Rotate trailer tires, grease bearings if so desired. Check all lights and replace bulbs or fix wiring as needed.

Check hitch mechanism. The fold down thingie.

[slivoskisp]

Got a new kicker and took it out last weekend to break it in . Opened up the big motor to get the webs out and she start hesitating at 5100 RPM's. So I am trying to get that worked out. The place that put the kicker on just teed the fuel line to the kicker. I figured the big motor (125 Merc 2x2) might be sucking air. I am installing a fuel/water seperator and am hoping that will fix the air problem (if that is the case) and also get the much needed water seprator on. Any one got any ideas about the hesitation problem...I am all ears.

[DANIEL MARK ZAPOLSKI]

Have You Run A Compression Test On All Cyclinders? If Not, Do One You Should Have Less Than A 10 Lb Max. Difference In Them. If Over That You Have A Ring Job In Store For You. You Can Also Buy A Can Of Carbon Deposit Cleaner And Spray That Into The Cyclinders And Let It Set In There For About 4-6 Hours ( Not The 15 Minutes It Says On The Can) And Then Run The Enginge To Get All That Carbon Out ( You May Have A Stuck Oiler Ring) And This Could Fix It. That Can, Can Be Bought At Any Boat Dealer For About 7-8$ Or Less

[slivoskisp]

Dan,

Have not run a compression test yet. I have installed the water seperator and took the rigged up tee set-up that the marine did to set up the kicker. I am hoping that is was an air problem and this will cure it. I'll find out this weekend when I take her out. If I do need to run a compression test I'll need some advice.....not much of a motorhead, just enough to get in trouble.

Thanks for the reply

[enfield]

For my 14 ft boat with 15 horse 2 stroke:

1. Make sure trailer lights still work. (Repair if needed)

2. Grease trailer bearings every other year or so.

2. New spark plugs. (engine fogging in the fall can foul them out)

3. Run engine on a hose to make sure it will start at the launch.

4. Charge depthfinder battery.

5. Check lower unit oil level. (I change it when putting the boat away in the fall)


All good things to do. I don't change the plugs until after the running test -- if it starts and runs good, new plugs won't make it run any better, and you stand a greater chance of a new plug going bad than of a known good plug failing. I also change the fuel filter every spring. If I don't the engine will remind me in the middle of a lake in July. It takes a loooong time to get back to the ramp with just the trolling motor. Been there, done that.

I keep my starting and trolling motor batteries indoor and charged over the winter. I top off the charge in the spring before I install the batteries.

The next boat trailer I own will have sealed LED lights. I'm tired of fixing the lights every time I hook up the trailer. :smile-mad

[SalmonBum]

I do all the maint. I can in the fall. This way, if I do find a problem that I can't fix, the shop can work on it all winter during their slow time rather than the spring when they are swamped.

[DANIEL MARK ZAPOLSKI]

As Far As The Air Compression Test Goes , It's Very Easy To Do. First Go To Any Auto Store And Buy A Tester Fo About 10-20$. Then Pull Out A Spark Plug And Hold The Tester In The Spark Plug Hole And Have Someone Turn Over The Engine And Read The Pressure. Make A Written Note On Which Plug It Is And Lbs Read. Then Go On To The Next One And So On Till You've Done All The Plugs.
*******make Sure You Draw A Pitcure Of The Engine***** And Write Down The Pressure For Each One , Keep This For A Record And Do This Every Year At Least Once. This Is The Only Way To Make And Keep A **true**record Of Your Engine Performance I.e. Cyclinder #1 Was 120lbs In 2003 #1 Was 118lbs In 2004 And So On. Doing This Will Tell You A Lot About Those Rings ( Compression Ring On Top And The Oiler On The Bottom Of Piston). This Test Can Save You A Ton Of Money And I Mean A Ton$$$$$$$$$
Tight Lines And Sure Knots

[kroppe]

slivo,

How old is the motor? Hesitating at high rpms can also be bad plug wires. I had a Mazda Miata that ate a set of plug wires every year, and it sputtered under load or high rpm. Good wires, too, it was something about that engine. If the wires are old put new ones in. Not hard to do or terribly expensive.

[slivoskisp]

Kroppe,

It's a 99 Merc 125 2 x 2. I have alot of suggestions from everyone and it's appreciated. I will be taking it out this weekend, I have installed a water seperator and anti-sipon to the kicker. i hope that solves it. If does not, wire replacement is probally a inexpensive try. I am hoping for an easy fix.


DAN,

THANKS for compression class.......wish I knew that when the engine was new, although I may find the info in the specs.