[salmonslammer]

Because they short out then your motor burns up....Then you don't have a boat anymore.... Don't believe me...Come over and look in my driveway..... Learned the hard way on this one...

 

[TONGA]

oooh ,that hurts ,,,,so what exactly did you have ? and what is left of it?

 

[Getaway]

Why would you wrap an electic blanket around an outboard motor?

 

[andy capp]

I was wondering the same thing

 

[FIJI]

.....because the elec. blankie goes well with the bedtime story when you tuck your outboard nitey-nite ???

 

[salmonslammer]

Hadn't winterized it yet and I have a pair of bad seals in the lower unit so I know there is water in it. I was still planning on fishing yet this month so I figured it would work for a few days till the temps came up. Used to do that with my I/O all the time. I had the blanket on there for 2 nights with no problems. Seems the cord shorted out about 6" above the contol box and POOF. Thank god I never used the thing in the house. Only time it got used was wraping up motors and keeping puppies warm. Bet ya I never use another one!!


Weird thing is that I was looking under the cowling and everything looks in order. No burned up lines or melted wires or any other signs of damage. Now the outside is a different story. I'm sure that all the seals in the lower unit are shot. I brought the cherry picker home tonight and am going to drag it out to the workshop for another rebuild this winter. Hopefully a little sandblasting and some new paint and it'll live another year. Can't kill them old mercs anyway.

 

[andy capp]

If your worried about water, just crack the top oil plug. I still dont understand the electric blanket, is it just on the lower unit?

 

[salmonslammer]

Yep, just had the lower unit covered.

 

[RJF]

Wouldn't water drain out of the "lower" drain plug. Oil floats on top of water. Just loosen the lower plug. Let the water out. I realize this is a little late. Sorry about the damage to the motor.

 

[SARDog]

People do that all the time when they wind a heat tape around their water lines. Can't cross the wires or they act on each other and them poof! No house.