For every boat owner, it’s important to give your boat’s motor a tune-up about once a year. If you are the type that wants your boat to last and has safety as a top concern, this will definitely help. Although these general steps apply to most types of boat motors, it’s a good idea to also consult your boat’s owner’s manual and to familiarize yourself with any specific concerns regarding your boat and your motor. However, for most types of boat motors, here are some simple steps for doing a tune-up on your outboard motor.

Make a point of visually inspecting it. Take off the cover so that you can see the power head. Then, start the motor and examine the bottom part of the unit for any signs of lubricants leaking out. Especially look around the screws that hold the housing. It’s normal to see a little bit of oil, but if there are any stains leading down from the propeller, this is a sign that there may be a serious leak on the inside. If so, this is something that probably needs a qualified mechanic for outboard motors.

Step 2: Carefully examine the propeller of your boat. Look for any small cracks or hairline fractures in the blades, and check for nicks around the edges. Also, look at the blades from multiple angles to make sure that they’re not bent or out of alignment. If any of these problems have developed, call a propeller specialist.

Step 3: Do a lubricant change. Remove the fill plugs and allow the lubricant to drain into a container. Then, consult your owner’s manual for the recommended type of lubricant, and replace it.

Step 4: Carefully inspect the lower unit, looking for any missing bolts or nuts. Occassionally, you can take a look at the diagrams in your manual. This will help you to make sure that all is in place. Check for any loose screws, bolts, or nuts and tighten them.

Step 5: Lubricate the grease fittings of the transom clamp bracket. Then, using a recommended waterproof grease, lubricate the swivel bracket and the transom clamp screw threads.

Ok now take that same grease and use it to oil all of the parts of the throttle. You may have to squeeze the throttle to gauge where the important moving parts are.

Step 7: Replace the spark plugs. First, lubricate all the moving parts in the power head, and disconnect the old spark plug wires. When adding your new plugs, tighten them first by hand and then use a wrench, but be careful not to make them too tight.

Step 8: Change the fuel filter at least once a year. It’s typically located under the motor cover on the engine side of the fuel pump, or it may be directly incorporated into the fuel pump. Of course, you can find out where yours is by consulting your owner’s manual.

Step 9: Turn on the boat engine, and make sure everything is running smoothly. Look for a flow of water at the rear of the engine, which shows the pump is working correctly. Then, after letting the engine warm up, go for a short ride and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Love boats? Read reviews of Sylvan Pontoon Boats and Sweetwater pontoon boats