Getting an outboard serviced - where to go?

HeidiHeidi

We bought a 4HP Yamaha outboard about 10 years ago - it was a year old, but never used (so we were told, and it looked brand new).

We've had nothing but trouble with it from day one. I'm no whizz on engines, but my BIL is good with them, and does what he can to keep it going. However, it's permanently unreliable, and will start one day and not the next. It's been back to the the guys who sold it to us (whom I won't name in fairness to them, although they don't inspire us with confidence going on our experience over the years) numerous times, and still it just keeps giving us problems.

Every winter it's flushed out, the spark plug changed, and other stuff that I don't know about. I'm assured it's not rocket science, yet we can't keep the bloody thing going.

When we put it back on the boat a couple of weeks ago it started no problem, happy days. Next time out, it was like it was choked with dirt somewhere - would only keep going at full throttle with the choke out, and even then it'd eventually cut out.

It's gone back to the place we bought it from - AGAIN - but this is the last time we want to use them, we're convinced they're not doing it right or are missing something.

It doesn't get a whole lot of use - maybe once every couple of weeks to get us on/off the mooring (we mostly sail on and off) and out into the bay. Is underuse a problem with outboards? Everyone else with small outboards is in exacly the same position, but yet theirs always seem to start with one gentle pull of the cord!

So.... the TL/DR version is - can anyone recommend a place that would (reliably!) service a small outboard for us when it no doubt gives up on us again in a few weeks' time? We're in south Dublin.

Cheers!

fergal.b

Give these a go http://www.killenmarine.ie/ they should be able to sort it out for you, or you could try these but they are not south side.

http://www.clintonmarine.ie/

http://www.greenhobbymodel.com/greenemarine/

These outboards are very basic and there are only a few things that can go wrong with them, they need compression, fuel, air and a spark then all you have to do is set them to get the right amount of each Some things you can do.

Make sure your fuel is fresh.

Check to see if the vent screw on the tank is open.

Use an in line fuel filter and check the fuel line for any leaks or places where it can suck in air.



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HeidiHeidi

fergal.b wrote: »

Give these a go http://www.killenmarine.ie/ they should be able to sort it out for you, or you could try these but they are not south side.

http://www.clintonmarine.ie/

http://www.greenhobbymodel.com/greenemarine/

These outboards are very basic and there are only a few things that can go wrong with them, they need compression, fuel, air and a spark then all you have to do is set them to get the right amount of each Some things you can do.

Make sure your fuel is fresh.

Check to see if the vent screw on the tank is open.

Use an in line fuel filter and check the fuel line for any leaks or places where it can suck in air.



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Cheers Fergal,

The fuel was fresh. The vent was open (and always is opened before trying the engine, kept closed when engine not in use). Is the in line filter for an external tank? We use the engine's own tank if that makes any difference. (I'll pass all the above on to BIL in any case).

fergal.b

If it's a built in tank it may have one inline to the carb like the pic or a mesh under the filler cap.

pedroeibar1

+ 1 on Killen Marine - on Barnhill Rd in Dalkey, next to the bridge. They've always been good for me.

Underuse is not a problem - I have a longshaft 1990 Yamaha 6hp on a holiday boat and it gets used very irregularly but does not have starting probs. Your problem sounds like dirty fuel/bad filter or maybe loose linkage in the choke/throttle controls.

moonshadow

+ 1 For Killen marine,left an engine on a small rib with him a few weeks ago ,they seviced the engine.lowered the leg as requested....BUT wanted us to sign a disclaimer because the original steering was not good after testing the setup...we agreed so he fixed it.
Good service.
Good advice.
Good reccomendation.
Good stuff!!

HeidiHeidi

It's Killen we've been dealing with all along! I'm not blaming them for our woes, but we do seem to be awfully unlucky where engines are concerned.

Turns out the thing was full of salt, and corroded badly. He couldn't say how the salt was getting in, except to guess that maybe it was through the vent on top. Can't for the life of me see how that might be avoided!

The upshot is that the carburettor is shot, he's having one more go at fixing the float which isn't floating properly any more, and if that don't work it's a new one.

But given that a new carb costs over 1/3 the price of a new engine, I think we'll be trading up! (or down, we'll go for a lower HP, lighter engine next time).

Thanks for all the responses in any case.

I don't think there's any easy (ie cheap) way out of this one!

fergal.b

The last small carb I worked on looked like this.



The old float looked like this next to the new one.



Now it looks like this so don't go buying a new one unless your sure it's fecked altogether, if they can't fix it drop it down to me and I will have a look at it. If you can post a photo of how it sits on the back of the boat I might be able to work out what's going on, maybe it's sucking in splashes of water through the air breather ?

HeidiHeidi

That was Killen's guess (re the air vent). I don't see how that can be prevented though. The engine sits to one side of the transom, tilted up when not in use (vent always closed tight). I don't have a pic, I'm afraid, and can't get one now cos the thing is in hospital!

The carb also has a crack in one of the mounts for the float, and he says the pin is completely seized and reckons he'll break something else trying to get it out. However, he's going to have a go. The whole lot is still with Killen.

What I don't understand though is that the engine seems to have been soaking up salt the whole time (this isn't the first time that corrosion has been mentioned) - if it's being taken in through the vent, then surely that's something that would happen every outboard? Yet everyone else's seems to operate beautifully the whole time! And if not through the vent, then how the hell is the seawater getting in???

Anyway, we'll see what the next report is.

Thanks a million for your very kind offer Fergal, but I'm guessing we'll either get a broken carb back, or a working (for the moment) one. Fingers crossed for the latter!

pedroeibar1

Could it be that you sail off the mooring, have your race and then use the engine to get back to the mooring? Meanwhile, the cooling water that remained in the exhaust was able to flow/penetrate the cylinder when the boat was heeled over and/or the engine in cooling created a vacuum and sucked it in? Killen should know if this is possible.
FWIW I bought a secondhand flywheel & starter gear from them years ago and it still works perfectly.

HeidiHeidi

We'd more usually use the engine to help get off the mooring if it's exceptionally windy. Very rarely would we use it to go onto the mooring (flat calm would be the only time). But I suppose the same principle applies!

Killen weren't hazarding a guess in any particular direction, the just mentioned the top vent possibility.

Anyway, we apparently have a cleaned up carb, with the float operating on one mount, and an ENORMOUS bill for our troubles :eek:

Here's hoping it lasts a long while!!!

fergal.b

You could try draining the carb bowl if the is not going to be run for a while or when you are flushing it with fresh water disconnect the fuel line and let it run dry. Another option might be to put a plastic bag over the engine when not in use.





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HeidiHeidi

fergal.b wrote: »

You could try draining the carb bowl if the is not going to be run for a while or when you are flushing it with fresh water disconnect the fuel line and let it run dry. Another option might be to put a plastic bag over the engine when not in use.





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AFAIK the draining of the fuel (line),and flushing through with clean water, was done before we laid it up. But the engine wasn't in use for 18 months, so clearly some salt was left in there and had a long time to do its stuff. If the engine lasts the season, we'll be looking carefully into flushing every last mm of it in the autumn!

I wonder would dunking it in the bath work (only joking!!!)

In the meantime we'll make a roll of plastic bags part of the equipment inventory

Thanks again to everyone for the info/suggestions.

Roeboats

Another tip, when laying up the motor for the winter, take the engine cover off and spray the cylinder block, everything in there and into every crack and cranny with WD40 or some such. I do it until the WD40 is dripping off.
It will displace any water that is on the engine and protect it from corrosion. It has worked for me for many years so far. You could do it to the carb between sails too. A quick blast before you leave the boat.