Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Saturday 28 March 2020

Useful websites for helping you service your four stroke small outboard engine

Below are some useful videos and websites I have found about servicing our small four stroke outboard engine.

It is my intention to do the following on my outboard - for the very first time I might add - so I will be approaching this with some trepidation - and fear of what the Missus will say if I cock it up! This isn't necessarily the order I will do things in by the way:
  • change the engine oil
  • change the gearbox oil
  • check and if necessary replace the impeller
  • check and if necessary replace the spark plug, little squirt of oil into engine cylinder block
  • dismantle, clean and reassemble the carburettor (yikes, a tad ambitious I'm feeling)
  • check fuel hoses
  • grease all moving pieces - tilt bolt, transom screw lock threads, engine swivel points, gear shift handle parts, 
  • exterior clean
  • remove prop, check prop (cracks, chips, distortion)  and shear pin and replace if necessary.
  • check pull cord for fraying
  • check anti corrosion anodes
My last service cost  around £70 plus labour of £50 - which felt rather expensive to me. I wasn't convinced that everything I was told had been done, had in fact been done!

Anyway, if you take an outboard to sea I guess its good to at least know some of the basics in trying to maintain or trouble shoot any issues that might arise.

Below is the useful stuff I found:

https://www.tohatsu.com/int/tech_info/oil_change.html

https://www.pbo.co.uk/expert-advice/how-to-service-a-2-stroke-outboard-engine-24833

https://www.pbo.co.uk/expert-advice/how-to-recover-an-immersed-4-stroke-and-other-maintenance-tips-from-the-honda-institute-60143

https://www.pbo.co.uk/expert-advice/clean-outboard-motor-carburettor-step-step-58809

https://www.followingseas.media/blog/2017/1/30/fixing-that-pesky-outboard

Video wise - I looked at lots but these I particularly found helpful













I guess its time to pucker up courage and give it a go. The impeller change and carb clean are the two bits worrying me!


3 comments:

cayosmon said...

Oh, boy, changing the impeller....most difficult job I've ever done on my 5hp Mercury; maybe the hardest boat-related job I've ever done! It was getting things back together that was the problem. It's worth it to pay someone to do it, at least for me! Love the posts. Cheers!

Unknown said...

Try Douglas Hopwood in Links on the Drascombe site. Special section on outboard servicing. V useful I think.

steve said...

cayosmon - I am dreading that bit and I may well still chicken out of it. dreading it - but then nothing ventured nothing gained is there?

Unknown - found that link - was useful - I had most of the stuff already in my various posts but thanks for the tip off - will go back and look at it again.

Take care folks - stay safe and well now and thanks for getting in touch