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Winterizing Merc 8hp 4 stroke

T

tjlalmphere

New member
I had the motor maintained in September. Only took it out twice. Probably put 30 minutes on it, probably less. Do I need to change the oil? Run the engine dry of gas? It will be kept in a garage for the Winter, will be below freezing in there.

Thoughts???
 
Most outboards, if stored upright are self draining. I would peruse what the owners manual says about storing in freezing temps.
Personally, I wouldn’t change oil at 30 minutes runntime.
I would run the carburetor dry.
I would pull the gear oil plug, let a wee bit of oil out. If the oil is clean, no sign of water, put the plug back in. If water comes out, or oil is milky, drain it. Then get the lower end resealed.
 
This is all new to me. How do I run the motor dry? My tank is about 2/3 full. I was going to treat it with Stabil and that's it. And how do I reseal the lower end???
 
I suggest obtaining, & reading an owner manual as a start.
You are not running your external tank dry. With motor in a barrel, (or in the lake), disconnect the fuel line from the motor, & let it run til it dies…you are running the carb dry.
Stabil is fine, close the tank vent if it has a manual vent.
you do not have the skill to reseal the lower end. With motor supported upright, remove bottom drain screw, (refer to owner manual). Let a small amount of oil out. If oil is not milky, & no water, put plug back in, it’s fine. If milky, or water comes out, bring it to a shop & tell them to reseal it.
find manual here if you don’t have one
www.mercurymarine.com

| Mercury Marine

Manufacturers of outboard motors and MerCruiser inboard engines, with over 4000 dealers in the United States.
www.mercurymarine.com www.mercurymarine.com
 
Whatever fuel remaining in your portable fuel tank can be dumped into your car/truck. Come spring you’ll be starting off with fresh fuel.
 
A few months of sitting during winter will not hurt the gas. You can put Stabil in there but it's not necessary. It's always good practice to do an oil change before you put it up for winter and then again when you commission in spring. Oil is the absolute cheapest insurance you can buy.
 
o2batsea said:
A few months of sitting during winter will not hurt the gas. You can put Stabil in there but it's not necessary. It's always good practice to do an oil change before you put it up for winter and then again when you commission in spring. Oil is the absolute cheapest insurance you can buy.
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Your thoughts on 9 months of winter storage? In my area we really only have June, July and August of nice boating weather. The ice break up is usually first week in May and by the end of October/early November I’m starting to round up the ice fishing gear and waiting for the ice to thicken up enough to walk on.
 
William01 said:
Your thoughts on 9 months of winter storage? In my area we really only have June, July and August of nice boating weather. The ice break up is usually first week in May and by the end of October/early November I’m starting to round up the ice fishing gear and waiting for the ice to thicken up enough to walk on.
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I would never live in such climate, but gas won't go bad sitting that long. Seems like you do your "cruising" on frozen waters and are regularly buying fuel for your other gear so I don't think you're really at risk in that sense.
 
William01 said:
Your thoughts on 9 months of winter storage? In my area we really only have June, July and August of nice boating weather. The ice break up is usually first week in May and by the end of October/early November I’m starting to round up the ice fishing gear and waiting for the ice to thicken up enough to walk on.
Click to expand...
I lived in the North West Territories, Canada for a few years. We had 10 months of winter, 2 months of shitty skidooing. If your boat, or fuel tank is in a closed building, where you don’t get quick temperature changes (which result in condensation), you will be OK, especially if the tank is near full…no room for air to crate condensation.
So many malign the ethanol in fuel, & yes, in old systems where the lines are not compatible with ethanol, it’s an issue.
The biggest issue is when left for looonnng periods of time. Otherwise, all alcohols are very good solvents. That is the reason car engines go for 20+ years without ever cleaning a fuel injector. The ethanol moves small quantities of water through the system, along with keeping everything clean. It always amazes me how so many slag ethanol to no end, but will buy products such as Seafoam & swear how great it is at keeping things clean.
Have they ever read the MDS sheet…it’s an expensive way to put alcohol into you boat motor.
 
I will add that this is all happening at a molecular level. Water in fuel is contamination straight up, not from gasoline "separation".
 
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