I brought my boat/ motor in for some general maintenance today . My motor was running strong with no issues but I thought it wouldn't hurt. I had bought some parts online from Browns Point Marine for my Suzuki 1999 DF 70. I replaced the timing belt, replaced the High Pressure and inline fuel filters, replaced the impeller/pump kit, they did some adjustment on the throttle cable and gear shifter. Mechanic said he replaced the timing belt but the old one was still okay, everything was good and that they don't motors like that anymore. I'm glad I finally got around to doing some motor maintenance . Labor was $ 129.99 / hour . So with parts and labor it was about $ 1000.00 , that's about $100/year for for the 10 years since I own my boat not including winterizing and gas. That's really is cheap for all the enjoyment I get for six months of the year fishing.
General Maintenance Out Board
- Thread starter Tug
- Start date
On newer fuel injected 4-stroke modern outboards; what maintenance is really needed other than oil changes, bottom end gear lube, fuel & oil filters? Every few hundred hours maybe the impellor, timing belt, and spark plugs could be changed out, and perhaps the valve lash checked? With shim under bucket valves even those take a long time to need adjustments. What else is being done with these $1000 maintenance bills?
Knipet":33z5fw27 said:
Well, until about two weeks ago, I didn't have a "newer fuel injected" outboard on my boat. But, anyway, it doesn't take much to get the bill up to $1000 around here and it's not all outboard work anyway, at least for me. There always seems to be something amiss with my non-hydraulic steering, my prop is dinged and I have take that in to get that fixed, the trim tabs are acting up, the motor tilt switch on the motor stopped working, the bracket that holds and raises the kicker motor doesn't work anymore and I need to get that replaced, bottom painting, there's always something and sometimes many somethings.
PaulNBriannaLynn
New member
That doesn't seem too bad at all. We had a Parker with a 225 Yamaha on the back. I told the local boat yard to get it ready to go offshore, I needed to trust it. So he did all the usual maintenance, impeller, lower unit oil, greased all the zerts, changed the filters, etc., the bill was around $1400. I was a little shocked I'm not gonna lie. I normally do it all myself, and will continue to do so unless its outside my comfort zone.
PaulNBriannaLynn":2din2b3s said:
This assumes that you can trust the mechanic who does the work. Yeah, there may be a warranty on the work, but that's not going to help you all that much when you're offshore and the motor quits.
I prefer to do all the work on my engine that I can. That way I know the work is up to my standards.
ssobol":1f3dz2di said:
I wholeheartedly agree with this comment. I am somewhat mechanically inclined and have gone to the internet to learn on how to maintain our Suzuki outboard motor. I replaced the internal anodes at 260 hours (photo of these anodes are in our C-Brats album as they look pretty bad) as they were actually overdue for replacement according to the Suzuki recommended maintenance interval. My wife helped me to replace the impeller at 300 hours (as it helps to have a second hand to raise the lower unit for reinstall) and to have done all of the oil and filter changes ourselves. It feels good knowing that the job was done correctly and that we saved money in the process.
ssobol":3cumwhdy said:
I'm not worried about the quality of work from my mechanic. I used to do much more of my own work, and will likely do more again some day when the kids are grown. I enjoy it. However, I'm at a point in my life right now where I have more money than time, more dollars than sense, and I only do the things that only I can do.
srbaum
Member
Tug,
The flush port on outboards, does not take the water in, on the inlet side of the pump. The engine should never be operated, while flushing, with the flush port.
As a side note, I find that the outboard retains the water, while flushing, with the flush port, much better, if the outboard is tilted up.
I overhaul a lot of outboards and this question has come up many times...When I went to Yamaha school, shortly after flush ports, were installed on outboards, I asked this question on day one and the tech, did not have a fast and solid answer, but found out shortly, what I have stated above...
The flush port on outboards, does not take the water in, on the inlet side of the pump. The engine should never be operated, while flushing, with the flush port.
As a side note, I find that the outboard retains the water, while flushing, with the flush port, much better, if the outboard is tilted up.
I overhaul a lot of outboards and this question has come up many times...When I went to Yamaha school, shortly after flush ports, were installed on outboards, I asked this question on day one and the tech, did not have a fast and solid answer, but found out shortly, what I have stated above...
Related... when running the outboard on trailer with muffs, could I or should I put it in gear at all? My muffs stay on just fine and I've only idled in neutral so far, but I've wondered if putting it in gear once in awhile might be a good idea (taking care to keep things clear of the prop, obviously).
Pat Anderson
New member
When using the flush port we now put the SaltAway dispenser inline with the water inlet. The major issue (NOT the only issue!) when the mechanic at Sportcraft was inspecting the old Honda BF150 for potential trade-in value was that the everything was encrusted with salt. Understandable, since in 2017 we ran it for eight months every day, starting and ending our cruise in salt water, with only a few opportunities at a few marinas for fresh water flush. From here on out, the new Suzi gets flushed after every salt water outing, and gets SaltAway on all those flushes!
srbaum
Member
Gary,
With muffs on and running the outboard, you can shift gears. Aside from testing, it really does nothing to improve the fresh water flush process. It can though, raise your blood pressure, if the muffs start to slip, or you have a person, passing, near the stern of your vessel, if in gear.
With muffs on and running the outboard, you can shift gears. Aside from testing, it really does nothing to improve the fresh water flush process. It can though, raise your blood pressure, if the muffs start to slip, or you have a person, passing, near the stern of your vessel, if in gear.
Fortunately the only thing I’ve had to pay a pro to do was a re-seal of the lower unit after 10 yrs of use and a repair of the skeg after hitting a submerged rock. I wasn’t at the helm when that occurred.
For the re-seal, I drained the lower leg oil as I do every spring and discovered water (white, foamy gear oil) in 2019. Off to Performance Marine in Everett. Their Suzuki guy is a real pro. He even taught other Suzuki techs. Some upper seal has worn out. No damage discovered. Just a re-seal and new synthetic gear oil installed. IIRC it was about $450.
I do all the other maintenance myself; oil, filter, fuel filters, impeller, plugs...
For the re-seal, I drained the lower leg oil as I do every spring and discovered water (white, foamy gear oil) in 2019. Off to Performance Marine in Everett. Their Suzuki guy is a real pro. He even taught other Suzuki techs. Some upper seal has worn out. No damage discovered. Just a re-seal and new synthetic gear oil installed. IIRC it was about $450.
I do all the other maintenance myself; oil, filter, fuel filters, impeller, plugs...