Honda Winterization - Help/advice needed

RonJr

RonJr

Member
I now own a 2006 16 cruiser with a 50hp Honda. The boat/motor sat unused for 4 years, so the carbs needed cleaning. The Honda now runs fine. I've never winterized an outboard before and the manual says to:
Add a fuel stabilizer
Drain the fuel system, including draining each of the carbs
Change the engine oil
Pour a table spoon of oil down each spark plug hole

Is this what most of you do to winterized? Like I said I've never done it before. Would someone in the PNW be willing to walk me through it? I'm happy to pay you.

The fuel in my 2 6gallon tanks is non-ethanol, and treated with marine Stabil. I would really like to pour the fuel into my truck and start fresh next year. Does anyone know of a spout that can be attached to a Honda-branded tank? How do you empty your portable tanks?
Thanks for any and all advice!
 
For draining the portable tanks before, Ive poured the fuel into a clean bucket and tranferred it that way.

I may not have the best winterization advice, but we have two 40 hondas on our boat, and a honda 50 on an aluminum boat that I work on. So 3 of these same motors. For putting up for a while, I just drain all the fuel out of the carbs using the drain screws. I also leave the motors tilted all the way down so theres no water left in the lower unit to freeze. Thats basically it. If your going to use all fresh fuel than I wouldnt worry about using a fuel stabalizer.

I plan to change the oil in the spring before we start going out again. I may change the lower unit oil at that time too.

We've never had any problems leaving the motors this way over winter.
 
My good friend is a certified honda outboard mechanic for a local marine place, and she told me to leave the motors slightly tilted, or the oil will seep past the rings. She noticed a big puff of smoke at first start up, so by leaving them tilted down all the way a little oil was getting past the rings.

That might not be a bad thing if your leaving it for a while to lub the cylinders, is my thought.
 
I've always fogged a carb engine THEN drained the carbs. Buy fogging spray, spray in the air intake until engine quits. Then follow the other advice. Don't forget the fuel filter change either now or in the spring before recommissioning.

Charlie
 
You want to change the oil (engine hot, running before change)--before the winter. If you wait, the acids and moisture in the current oil will attack the internal metals, with which they are in contact .

I agree with fogging the engines.

I would use a siphon to remove the fuel from the 6 gallon tanks and put it into your truck.

Start with fresh fuel next spring.
 
Your getting a lot of advice so I'll keep mine to a couple of points. We have now have a 50 EFI, but had a 75 carb. First the easy way to drain the portable tanks is to acquire a small electric pump and simply pump the fuel into your truck. We have one left over from the days when we had a kerosene heater in garage, and it runs on 4 D cells. The nozzle will fit into the truck tank filler, no muss, no fuss. We just did it a week ago. If you can't find one, I'll get the name and send it on. Second, since it is tough to pour oil into horizontal plug holes, we use a product with the name of marine Engine Store. It is an aerosol and is easy to squirt into the cylinders. Our 75 was 12 years old when we sold it and we never had an oil consumption or ring sticking issue. Third, if you are going to run it in your driveway, be sure to tape over any additional water intake ports. Our 50 has a third one that has to be blocked or the water pump will not prime to circulate water through the engine. Finally, when you are finished don't forget to remove the tape on the blocked port. I forgot this year and woke up in the middle of the night remembering I needed to do it. Next morning I went took it off. If you have questions, let me know
Jack
 
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