New engine maintenance

W

Wood Zeppelin

New member
I started getting the maintenance alarm awhile ago on my 2021 Honda BF100. The motor was put on about a year before I bought the boat, so I don't know the maintenance history. It now has 174 hours and I've owned it for a few years. I think the alarm started going off at 150hrs but I've ignored it until now.

I read that such an early maintenance interval on a new engine can be ignored until the next interval. What do people here think of this?

And I am ready to do maintenance, but what would it need after 174 hrs? Just oil engine oil change?

Any need to check gearcase oil / impeller?

Fuel filter / spark plugs?

Thanks!
 
Once a year for engine oil/filter, or 100 hours, if running hard. You can space that out to 200 hours IF you are mostly at displacement speeds. Many cruises we take, we change oil in the middle of the cruise.

Oils and filters are the CHEAPEST part of any engine maintenance~.!!

The impeller depends on what type of conditions. If around sand or abrasive materials, each 100 hours. Again under lesser conditions, then 200 hours--Impeller, 300 hours, 3 years or if stream is less.

Go by manual maintenance intervals. Do it more often, than not often enough.

I was commenting on another forum, out of 70 years skippering boats, and tens of thousands of hours at sea, I have never had an engine failure. That does not mean I have not have to trouble shoot, and solve engine issues, or that I have not have overheat (due to cooling plug up). I have only had to have commercial assistance--and that time it was optional, for a few hundred yards to place our lives 62 foot ketch thru the last lock into the Baltic sea from the Kiel Canal, and get to the British Kiel Yacht Club due to a transmission outshaft failure--not the diesel engiene. I had to pull the transmission, and get the correct parts, outshaft and bearings. I could have done it myself, except a ferry boat crossed right in front of me, ruining the drift I had calculated, turning the boat hard to avoid this dump ferry boat!!
 
After 4 years, you may be seriously due for maintenance. You can't be sure that continuing running won't damage your motor. New oil and filter are super easy and way overdue at 4 years, but at the very least look at the oil on the dipstick. If it doesn't feel really slick in your fingers, do not run your motor until you replace it. You should also probably at least check the quality of the lower unit lubricant, also an incredibly easy and important maintenance item. At this late date, I'd definitely take off the lower unit and replace the impeller...it is now 4 years old, probably at least partially hardened, and may damage the impeller housing if it is and you run the motor. I also have a 2021 Honda BF100, now with over 400 hours, and I've replaced the oil and filter 4 times and impeller 3 times...the first time for the impeller was 2 years and it was hardened and breaking apart. I do tend to take the CD22 into shallow water and sometimes probably take in muddy water. Seeing the bad condition of the impeller was amazing to me as my 2002 BF90 never looked like that when I changed them. After that I now replace it every 100 hours or 1 year. The motor can last several thousand hours if you take care of it (my previous 2002 Honda BF90 did). You can see how to do each of these maintenance items on Youtube if you don't already know how.
 
Thank you both for your helpful responses.

Tomorrow I'll start in on Maintenance!

BTW, when they say things like "100hrs OR 1 year".. say you barely used it in that year. What's the concern? Like with engine oil, is it that the oil could be getting water in it due to condensation? Or some other age related issue?
 
Yes, from the first time you start the engine with a new oil, there is contamination. It will eventually show up on bearing damage etc. There is more breakdown and contamination, the longer you run, and the higher speeds you run. I may go two years, but that would be rare. If I am shutting down an engine for the winter or I will not use it--I change the oil--cheap insurance--and with an extractor takes little time and minimal "mess".

Many of these engines can go to 10,000 hours, when used daily, not abused and regular full maintenace-as in Coast Guard, Harbor Patrol, and Law enforcement.
 
I have used dino oil in the older Honda's. There may be some advantage to the synthetic, but the way we run most of the outboads the old fashioned oil works fine.
 
WZ,
I work on all makes of outboards as a hobby and have done this for years, I also provide local outboard training. My go to 99% of the time for parts is boats.net easy to work with, they have real people to speak with, they take returns and they can get my my parts quickly if I need them.
 
srbaum":38in9py2 said:
WZ,
I work on all makes of outboards as a hobby and have done this for years, I also provide local outboard training. My go to 99% of the time for parts is boats.net easy to work with, they have real people to speak with, they take returns and they can get my my parts quickly if I need them.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip! Yes, I've used them before and it was great, thanks for the reminder.

Question: I'm not used to working on newer/Honda outboards. I used to keep an old Evinrude running and it was more straightforward. Two questions:

(1) When the Honda manual says the changing the gearcase lube is recommended to be done by a shop, how am I supposed to interpret that? Can't I just open the lower drain plug, drain it, fill it, replace plugs!?

Also, it says when doing an engine oil change, to replace the drain plug and drain plug washer. Is this really necessary? Do shops actually do this?

Thanks!
 
WZ,
Lower unit oil change is the same as with your older engine. If the oil is milky in color, then the seal below the water pump and or the seals forward of the prop are bad. As to the gasket or o’ring on the two fasteners, it’s always best practice to replace them. I also always finish the job by using a handheld impact tool to finish tightening those fasteners.
Lastly always remove the prop each year, to lubricant the shaft with waterproof grease and to inspect the area between the prop’s thrust washer and the seal forward of it, for debris like fishing line.
 
My answer to these questions,,,

Question: I'm not used to working on newer/Honda outboards. I used to keep an old Evinrude running and it was more straightforward. Two questions:

(1) When the Honda manual says the changing the gearcase lube is recommended to be done by a shop, how am I supposed to interpret that? Can't I just open the lower drain plug, drain it, fill it, replace plugs!?

Yes, what you describe works. However, there is a fitting and pump that can assure that it is filled completely. You remove both plugs to let it drain, and then you screw in the filler plug on the bottom and pump until oil comes out the top plug. Adding the thick oil from above and completely filling the gearcase isn't easy. I'll add the link to buying it on Amazon at the end of this post.

Also, it says when doing an engine oil change, to replace the drain plug and drain plug washer. Is this really necessary? Do shops actually do this?

"Replace" can have several meanings...I don't think it means "use a new drain plug" here, but "Put the drain plug back in". I do use a new washer, and lubricate the plug so that it doesn't seize.

Thanks!

https://www.amazon.com/SeaSierra-Marine ... hdGY&psc=1
 
one more thing...if you take long trips, you'll want to change the oil with your boat on the water. An oil change pump can do this handily and you won't get any oil in the water. If the oil looks really good after removing it, I often don't worry about the filter for a cycle or two. Your new Honda100 (a fantastic motor IMHO) will let you know if your oil pressure isn't good, but not if the oil has deteriorated. If you haven't done this yet, you'll want to hook up and use the full host of engine information that the built-in NMEA provides. It'll even tell you mpg and estimated range if you put in your total gasoline volume when you fill up. It is truly amazing the difference in mpg at different speeds from trolling below hull speed to full throttle. Here is the link to the oil pump on Amazon...

https://www.amazon.com/6L-Extractor-Aut ... hdGY&psc=1
 
srbaum":13lbs1dy said:
WZ,
Lower unit oil change is the same as with your older engine. If the oil is milky in color, then the seal below the water pump and or the seals forward of the prop are bad. As to the gasket or o’ring on the two fasteners, it’s always best practice to replace them. I also always finish the job by using a handheld impact tool to finish tightening those fasteners.
Lastly always remove the prop each year, to lubricant the shaft with waterproof grease and to inspect the area between the prop’s thrust washer and the seal forward of it, for debris like fishing line.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I wish they sold an "oil change kit" for this..
 
I'm not sure what type of gear oil and oil filter the 2021 BF100A takes. Does anyone know how to find this info for sure?

Boats.net says they need to serial# of my motor to be sure. I don't have that right now.
 
Do yourself a favor and buy the pump attachment that screws onto the bottle. Most of those will have multiple threaded tips for all manufacturers and the Honda, too.

Found a maintenance kit for 90 HP. I would think it would work for 100 HP. Might want to give them a call to find out for sure. Do you have an owners manual? Found an online Honda owners manual and the specs are same for 90 HP as 100 HP.

https://www.boemarine.com/outboards/hon ... e-kit.html
 
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