New 5hp questions

I just bought a 5hp kicker for my boat. At the end of a trip the manual says to flush with water for 10 minutes then pull the starter cord a few times to get rid of water in the pump. It then says to drain the fuel out of the carb if its not going to be used for a bit. 10 minutes seems excessive to me and is getting the water out of the pump that critical. And can I drain the fuel by cutting the gas supply and running the engine until it quits? That's what I have done in the past with small 4 stroke engines. Thanks for any help.
Robert

I think the flushing is for ,if you use it in salt water. You shouldn't drain the carb on the four strokes it screws up the O ring gaskets. Your best to use fuel stabilizer. Then drain the carb through the float bowl drain and pump fresh gas into the float bowl when you want to use it again.

I do use it in salt water. A ten minute flush still seems like a long time to me. As far as the fuel goes how long can I leave it in the carb before I would have problems with stabilized fuel. If I start it every two week or so and let it run for 5 minutes should that avoid problems?

mechanicman said:

I think the flushing is for ,if you use it in salt water. You shouldn't drain the carb on the four strokes it screws up the O ring gaskets. Your best to use fuel stabilizer. Then drain the carb through the float bowl drain and pump fresh gas into the float bowl when you want to use it again.

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mechanicman said:

I think the flushing is for ,if you use it in salt water. You shouldn't drain the carb on the four strokes it screws up the O ring gaskets. Your best to use fuel stabilizer. Then drain the carb through the float bowl drain and pump fresh gas into the float bowl when you want to use it again.

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What’s the reasoning behind draining the float bowl if I’m running stabilizer?
Robert

A carburetor with an empty float bowl will NOT suffer from clogged / plugged jets.-----So if it sits for a month drain the carburetor.-------If you can clean the carburetor yourself ( no $ spent ) then no need to drain it.

I agree with racerone.....and you!

There's really no need to drain the carb if you consistently use stabilizer AND fire it up and run it every two weeks or so.

But, if you don't want carb problems, completely drain the carb AFTER running the engine with the fuel line disconnected any time you think you will be letting the outboard sit unused for longer than 2 or 3 weeks.

Even stabilized fuel will begin evaporating and leaving deposits on the float chamber walls. If there is ANY moisture in the fuel ( most gas has a little and alcohol blends absorb moisture) it will contain mineral deposits that will drop out in the carb too.
That is a formula for clogging the tiny passageways and orifices in your carb. That's why Honda provides a drain for you to use.

As far as a 10 minute pump flush, I imagine that there may have been an argument in the meeting they had for developing the owners manual. Some wanted a 5 minute flush and some wanted 15. So, they settled on 10.

I see that as a suggestion, not a hard and fast "spec". But....if you've ever opened up the thermostat housing on an outboard operated in salt water and had your heart sink at the site of aluminum oxide being eaten off of your expensive engine....you may find yourself WISHING they would have said 15 minutes. It's really all up to you.

Good luck.

jgmo said:

I agree with racerone.....and you!

There's really no need to drain the carb if you consistently use stabilizer AND fire it up and run it every two weeks or so.

But, if you don't want carb problems, completely drain the carb AFTER running the engine with the fuel line disconnected any time you think you will be letting the outboard sit unused for longer than 2 or 3 weeks.
.

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So I am a bit confused. Mechanicman man said not to run the carb dry because of the o rings drying and you guys say it's ok to run it dry. Thanks in advance for any clarifications.
Robert

If you were to buy a new carburetor for your motor would it come full of fuel in the package ??-----It may have been on a shelf for 3 years with no fuel in it !----Would you expect it to work like new ?-----Not sure why folks say that gaskets / o-rings deteriorate when dry !

racerone said:

If you were to buy a new carburetor for your motor would it come full of fuel in the package ??-----It may have been on a shelf for 3 years with no fuel in it !----Would you expect it to work like new ?-----Not sure why folks say that gaskets / o-rings deteriorate when dry !

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That makes sense. Will running it dry remove the fuel from the bowl or do I need to drain it as well after it dies.
Robert

Drain it AFTER it dies. Running it until it dies clears the supply line and fuel pump. The carb will still have a small amount in the chamber that needs to be manually drained. This PREVENTS problems and will NOT hurt the orings.

The two most critical orings in the carb are NEVER submerged in fuel anyway.

racerone has it right.

Good luck

jgmo said:

Drain it AFTER it dies. Running it until it dies clears the supply line and fuel pump. The carb will still have a small amount in the chamber that needs to be manually drained. This PREVENTS problems and will NOT hurt the orings.

The two most critical orings in the carb are NEVER submerged in fuel anyway.

racerone has it right.

Good luck

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Thanks. Really appreciate it.
Robert