Honda BF15

I know there are lugs on the s

I know there are lugs on the side of the engine to store it horizontally and decals all over the engine on which side it's supposed to be on. I also know they prefer vertical storage. I've read the manual throughly on this subject. Why am i so paranoid about this? Does carrying the engine by it's carrying handle cause oil to get into the combustion chamber? Does setting the engine down with the carring handle up cause oil to get into the combustion chamber? How about lifting the engine with a lifting davit by the carrying davit?
Sorry for the paranoia but this is the first 4 cycle I've owned.

"If you leave in laying on the

"If you leave in laying on the incorrect side will cause oil to find its way into the cylinders. Carrying it by its handle for a short time or lifting it by its handle to put on a boat normally will cause very little leakage to matter.

As a new four stroke owner a couple of things to remember are change the oil, filters and gear lube per the maintenance schedule and be sure not to put too much oil in the motor. A little below the full mark is better than over the mark. It will make a big difference in starting and performance.

Laying on the wrong side, oil will actually run out of the motor as well as into the cylinders. It can get to the point where the motor will not even crank because of the oil in the cylinders. If it does, you have to remove the spark plugs and crank the engine to clean out the cylinders.

This pretty well goes for almost any four stroke motor out there.

Generally, I have found it best for two people to carry a 15HP. A couple of ways. If you want to carry it upright, on either side of the motor, each person grabs half of the handle and half of the handhold just below the hood clamp on the back.

The easiest way that I have found is with the motor standing...one person to grab the motor at the powerhead on the side that should be layed down. The other person, even a kid, can then grab the gear case area and carry it that way.

There are probably other ways, but these work for me. My boss just grabs it and carries it...but he is an ex professional football player.

These motors are pretty resilient. As long as you are aware of the issues, you should be able to cope. We have sold many of these to rowing clubs around the city. There is probably 800 plus hours put on them each year and the kids do everything wrong with them that you can think of. The only ones that were broken beyond repair are the couple that were laid on the wrong side, all the oil ran out, and they ran it. It locked up.

Lesson...after you have moved it around in any unusual way, be sure to check the oil. The manual says to check the oil before each use anyway.

One more thing...be sure to always use some sort of fuel treatment with every fuel fill. Something like PRI-G, Sea Foam, etc. work both as fuel stabilizers as well as fuel system cleaners. The passages are so small in the four strokes, that they easily get clogged if the fuel goes bad or motor is not used all the time

Enjoy your motor...you should have many pleasant years of use ahead.."