store your tanks empty.

I have tried over the years to fine tune stuff that is just simply a waste of money. Those things include so much stuff, it is amazing. I do all my own work and see when and what manufacturers recommend. 99% of what they say in the time frame they say is not needed, impeller change every season, waste of money, tranny fluid every season and filters, waste of money, gas filters every season, waste of money, stabil in gas, huge waste of money.

I am not cheap, never broke down on any boat I owned, but really!! when I pull parts out that look as good as the new ones I put in, this is where I am now.

IMHO,
Just silly to waste this money, and it is a waste of your money!!!!

I could give you examples on gas and diesel, but will say with absolute conviction, what is recommended by the manufactures x that by three years and you're good to go. The only exception to that is oil changes and oil filters.

Just my successful 2C :)

Walter
 
Many moons ago, Les posted something about condensation. To paraphrase his post, "if condensation was to happen, we are talking about an ounce or so on an empty tank"

Walter
 
So to sum up, store you tanks either full or empty (or anywhere in between), use a stabilizer, unless you don't want to use one. Change your filters every season, unless you don't want to.

I think the only thing that we MIGHT agree on is to change oil and filters at the end of every season.
 
FWIW - this is what I think is a good approach...
- Change fuel filters when the vac gages show it is required
- Change the oil/filer at recommended hours or as test results dictate
- Pull impellers each winter to inspect and not take a set, also keep them from antifreeze
- Change trans fluid and clean filter every 2nd season or if high hours (500+) each year
- Coolant , same as trans fluids or test per manufacturer
- Fuel diesel , stabilize or not either full or empty (consider weight)
- Fuel gas, as low as possible with a decent ratio of stabilizer
- Zincs at 40% of original weight unless that does not normally last a season

Hope this helps
 
quote:
Originally posted by HOGAN

So to sum up, store you tanks either full or empty (or anywhere in between), use a stabilizer, unless you don't want to use one. Change your filters every season, unless you don't want to.

I think the only thing that we MIGHT agree on is to change oil and filters at the end of every season.

Click to expand...


Yes sir. Hey if it makes you sleep better to do more, than you should. Your know dummy mike, you're also not a novice, so with that said I get you get what I am saying.
 
Pull impellers each winter to inspect and not take a set, also keep them from antifreeze

I was with you until that one. I don't do that.
 
I don't pull my impellers either and never had one fail. I don't replace more than every 3-4 years either. So far they have looked pristine when 8 change them and no overheat issues.
 
"Pull impellers each winter to inspect and not take a set, also keep them from antifreeze'

If you do not use antifreeze for winterizing or choose antifreeze carefully so that it is completely safe for rubber the removal is not so important. The shorter the vane length from hub to tip and the higher the ramp at the eccentric the rougher a winter storage may be for any impeller. As some examples the impellers in my 115 Yamaha 4 strokes were very long (like close to 2") with a ramp that was not even 1/2" - very friendly to winter storage. Comparing that to one of the older inboard impellers I used to have (Hino EH700'S) the vanes were 1/2" long and the ramp was about 3/8th inches so that is not very storage friendly at all. This is typically why outboard impellers last so much longer than say genset impellers.
That combined with my very strong desire to avoid annoying problems on boat trips led me to 'build' a small cheap tool that allows me to pull both main impellers in less than 10 minutes without damaging them.
Much easier then to pull and inspect them each season and typically replace them every 3 seasons at our use rate of about 1,000 miles per year.

Hope this helps
 
quote:
Originally posted by Gregory S

I don't pull my impellers either and never had one fail. I don't replace more than every 3-4 years either. So far they have looked pristine when 8 change them and no overheat issues.

Click to expand...


I do the same thing and replace about every third season.
 
George recommended changing replacing impeller every 2 years. This mainly for preventive maintenance. The two biggest causes of engine failure were over-heat and water ingestion, closely followed by improper winterazation...cracked head or block. These three causes are intertwined. Overheat can crack or warp heads which can lead to water ingestion.

Most of the experienced boaters have developed a routine for their type of boating. Someone that runs 50 hrs a year would have a different maintenance schedule than someone going 250+ hrs a year. Changing oil once a year doesn't work for everyone.
 
I do have a few things I do that are time based. These are as follows:

Every 3 years: replace raw water impeller and engine plastic blue drain plugs. Replace housing only if scored.
Every 5 years: Replace cap, rotor, spark plugs, and carb internal fuel filter (external filter is yearly).
 
Well I am going to store my tanks a little under half way this winter and see what happens. I normally fill up before coming out but got hauled before I had the chance. I did add stabilizer while wintering the engines. I will fill up with fresh gas in the spring and see what shows up in my fuel separators.
 
I would use that old gas in spring at moderate load or less to be sure there were no problems before adding more to compound any problems.

Mixing old and new dilutes the old but prolongs the old. IMO getting the old down as low as possible before adding new reduces the time you have to think about having old gas.

This is the classic mixing problem our resident mathematicians can explain.
 
I have a gas powered truck used in my seasonal business. I park it the middle of november and start it up the first of april. I don't put stabil in the gas tank and I don't have a gummed up carburator in the spring. How come gas apparently goes bad in laid up boats and not my truck?
 
quote:
Originally posted by pocket change

I have a gas powered truck used in my seasonal business. I park it the middle of november and start it up the first of april. I don't put stabil in the gas tank and I don't have a gummed up carburator in the spring. How come gas apparently goes bad in laid up boats and not my truck?

Click to expand...


Your gas powered truck has a closed fuel vent system, meaning that air doesn't circulate through it.
A boat has an open vented system, the air that circulates through it contains moisture.
Coupled with the fact that the boat spends most of it's time, and is more likely to be stored, in a damper environment than your truck, even more of a chance for moisture to get in there.
Does your truck have a carb, or is it fuel injected?
It's not uncommon for the gas that sits in a carb for a period of time to turn to vanish and make it hard for fresh fuel to work it's way through. A fuel injected motor isn't quite as susceptible because of the pressure it operates under, and the gas isn't exposed as much to the air at the point of intake.
My household portable power stuff, snow blower, pressure washer, portable generator, etc., all have carbs. I mix stabil in with any gas I put in them, and then make sure to run out and drain any gas that is left in them after I'm done using them.
Some neighbors don't follow that routine, and have problems starting their snow blowers when the season starts. I usually wind up cleaning their carbs for them to get them going again.
Although I don't put stabil in the boats fuel tanks throughout the season, because I am going through the gas pretty fast, I do treat both tanks with it before I take that last ride so it gets good and mixed up and gets through the system.
It's cheap insurance, and so far I've never had a problem with my fuel in the boat.
 
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