2 Stroke Outboard – Didn't winterize. Did I hose myself?

Guys – When I put my boat into storage I didn’t winterize my low hour late 90’s 15HP Evinrude in any way. My understanding is that if I ran good fuel (I did run one oxygenated mix in it at the end of a trip) in it I just disconnect the hose and I’m good to go.

I’m a week away from my remote trip to Ontario and running out of time. Question, if I do a quick tank or earmuff run and it seems to run fine after a few tests do I assume I’m ok?

I had new plugs and fluid last year and a total look over. Appreciate any help for me procrastinating as usual

You should take it to a lake close by and run the heck out of it to see if its ok. Did you at least run the motor out of fuel after you disconnected the fuel line?

Its probably not a big deal. If anything happened it would be in the carb. I would run some fresh gas with seafoam on muffs to get started. Since you have a week a test in a local lake wouldnt be a horrible idea before such a big trip.

If there was water in the lower unit, that may have caused a problem. If there was, there would be fluid leaking from it where the seal blew out. If it starts, and there is no fluid leaking, you should be good. Run it with the muffs and make sure it starts and have fun fishing. 2 stroke motors are pretty much bullet proof.

So what are you waiting for? Start that motor up. Not sure how else you will know if its good to go or not. Muffs are good but I would put it in the lake to. Run it several times. Never been there myself but have a feeling there are not many mechanics in Remote, Ontario. Change the lower unit grease. When was the last time the water pump was changed out?

If you didn’t put a stabilizer in the fuel replace all the old stuff 1st thing….

Suggest that you drain the carb bowls, seafoam in the gas tank and check and or change the lower unit oil.

If it ran last year put muffs on it and start it. If it starts let it run, shifting it in and out of all gears.

Then drain and change the lower unit lube, checking for contaminants.

Change the plugs, it’s easy cheap insurance. But if it starts and runs well you “might” be okay.

Put it in a lake and run it.

If it’s starting and running fine you should be good to go. Non oxy fuel is pretty amazing stuff imo. It there’s any hesitation or if you have the gumption before a lake test you can dump the old fuel and get fresh non oxy fuel.

If it doesn’t start or run, and you’re capable, a quick carb clean would be ideal, but if it starts and runs not absolutely necessary unless it calls for it by not starting or running correctly.

Outboards are pretty reliable with fresh fuel.

puddlepounder wrote:

If there was water in the lower unit, that may have caused a problem. If there was, there would be fluid leaking from it where the seal blew out. If it starts, and there is no fluid leaking, you should be good. Run it with the muffs and make sure it starts and have fun fishing. 2 stroke motors are pretty much bullet proof.

This would be your biggest concern if you stored outside or in the garage where it got below freezing. If there was water and it froze, big problem. I’ve seen where the lower unit housing would crack. If you kept it indoors, no worries there. I had a 97 Merc 15 that was in my basement for close to 10 years without running. Finally hauled it out and after a little squirt in the carb got it running and it still purred!! Sold it for $600.00

Doug I have a 2 stroke 40 horse and I NEVER winterize it Had it for 13 years and never had a run issue , put muffs on it a fire it up and see how it runs.

Good luck and have fun on your trip !

As others have mentioned water is the real enemy. If your lower unit is still good and you used good gas as you said my guess is at worst a jet could be gummed up pretty good in the carb.

Get some new gas and some seafoam and start that puppy up. My 96 Evinrude 70 was not winterized at all last winter. Used her on december 15th and put good gas with stabil in it. Come spring changed plugs, hooked her up on muffs, and she started and did not stall on the first turn of the key. I miss that motor and wish my current boat had a evinrude vs my Merc ELPTO.

Lots of good advice-I will add bring another motor, even a 5 hp-gotta know someone with a backup to help you-good luck

Mike is right. What are you waiting for? Fire it up and see what happens.

In all likelihood, you’re fine. That motor is an OMC design for the ages, the 15 you have is the absolute pinnacle of OMC small HP designs and one of the most reliable outboards on the planet. I have no doubt there will be 9.9 and 15 HP Johnsons and Evinrudes from the 1980s and 90s running just fine in 2080.

No need to putz with the carb and whatever now, pump up the ball and fire her up. She’ll either go or not.

A couple of things:

1. Running on the muffs is fine for seeing if it starts, but it does nothing to prove the water pump is working. The pressure of the hose is forcing water through regardless of pump function. Fire it up on the muffs to see if she pops, then lake or tank test to make sure the pump is working

2. There is no need to change plugs if it runs fine, but always have a spare set. Gapped properly!

3. Avoid Seafoam and other additives unless you’re experiencing a problem that they are designed to fix. Your outboard was designed to run on pure gasoline and good 2 stroke oil without snake oils, turnip juice, hair tonics, or any other additives.

4. Was there any sign of water contamination the last time you changed lower unit lube? If not, check the level and it’s good to go. You’ve put not even close to enough hours on it to justify a change.

If you take it to a lake, give her the Italian tuneup. Wind her up hard with a couple of drag strip starts/stops to work her a little.

Grouse

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Sums it up perfectly.

I all ways run SNAKE OIL ( Seafoam ) and Amsoil HP in my Opti and it has never been winterized and it is a 2000. I all so run 10% percent ethanol in it since I owned it and never a fuel related issue not bad for 16 years old.

Tom P. wrote:

I all ways run SNAKE OIL ( Seafoam ) and Amsoil HP in my Opti and it has never been winterized and it is a 2000. I all so run 10% percent ethanol in it since I owned it and never a fuel related issue not bad for 16 years old.

Fuel injected outboards are different than carbureted outboards. The fuel is under pressure in the system and nothing needs to be done to winterize. Never try and run an efi outboard out of fuel.
Putting in sea foam now will not help much. It wont unclog a pilot even soaking in straight sea foam. Put it in your fuel in the fall. Good luck

The pros and cons of seafoam and non oxy fuel vs corn fuel has been debated to no end. If it works for you, keep doing it. I personally have had good results with non oxy and using seafoam in certain applications. Neither non oxy or seafoam is a good replacement for regular maintenance and just running motors. Probably the worst thing for a motor is sitting idle for extended periods of time. Everyone has an opinion about ways to do things and their own experiences, but if something different works than your particular way of doing things doesn’t make it wrong cause it differs from how I’ve learned to do things. Like grouse was saying about those darn bullet proof omc 9.9 and 15hp’s I think they could run on moonshine mixed with vegetable oil and somehow still work. I personally own 5 of them plus an 8hp and a 6hp and all are pretty bullet proof other than a few issues with the throttle linkage cogs on the pre 86 or 87’s.

Just another comment on the 15’s. You guys are spot on. I have always wanted an Evinrude 15 and got an old one two years ago to put on a much newer lund fishing boat. It aint pretty but it runs well. Cracks me up when it start on first pull and runs full speed most of the time. Will plane my 14 ft lund. I always have my eyes open for a deal on a good looking 15.

basseyes wrote:

Neither non oxy or seafoam is a good replacement for regular maintenance and just running motors. Probably the worst thing for a motor is sitting idle for extended periods of time. Everyone has an opinion about ways to do things and their own experiences…

This is exactly right. A motor that is run regularly and maintained on a regular schedule is the happiest motor and lasts the longest.

This issue of running Seafoam as some kind of gasoline daily vitamin supplement is that nobody out there has done a true A vs B test to see if there are ANY benefits or harm stemming from running it on a daily basis.

Seafoam is a powerful fuel system detergent, and it contains solvents that are NOT present in normal gasoline. Also, many guys are under the impression that Seafoam somehow removes or “converts” ethanol found in gasoline or otherwise renders the ethanol “harmless”. This is NOT the case, gas with ethanol is gas with ethanol. Seafoam just adds more chemicals to the mix.

I, for one, would like to see a SCIENTIFIC study of the effects of fuel system additives of various types used on a regular basis over the long term. With the sheer numbers of guys that are running very high doses of additives in gasoline now, I have strong suspicions that there are growing numbers of cases where failures that are blamed on that old bandit “ethanol” may have other causes.

I have yet to encounter an properly set up and maintained small OMC outboard from the 1970s to 2000s that didn’t run like a Swiss watch on pure gas and good semi-synth oil.

Grouse

Any suggestions for oil? I will be running today to get fresh non oxy and do my test run tomorrow.

I hunted for that 15hp hard. Found it and responded to an ad within 10 minutes of posting. It looked brand new under the cowl and it had maybe 40 hours on it

I think I paid $900 and felt like I got a steal. Love OMC. Grew up on them.

Apparently didn’t remember anything, but grew up on them!

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>basseyes wrote:</div>
Neither non oxy or seafoam is a good replacement for regular maintenance and just running motors. Probably the worst thing for a motor is sitting idle for extended periods of time. Everyone has an opinion about ways to do things and their own experiences…

This is exactly right. A motor that is run regularly and maintained on a regular schedule is the happiest motor and lasts the longest.

This issue of running Seafoam as some kind of gasoline daily vitamin supplement is that nobody out there has done a true A vs B test to see if there are ANY benefits or harm stemming from running it on a daily basis.

Seafoam is a powerful fuel system detergent, and it contains solvents that are NOT present in normal gasoline. Also, many guys are under the impression that Seafoam somehow removes or “converts” ethanol found in gasoline or otherwise renders the ethanol “harmless”. This is NOT the case, gas with ethanol is gas with ethanol. Seafoam just adds more chemicals to the mix.

I, for one, would like to see a SCIENTIFIC study of the effects of fuel system additives of various types used on a regular basis over the long term. With the sheer numbers of guys that are running very high doses of additives in gasoline now, I have strong suspicions that there are growing numbers of cases where failures that are blamed on that old bandit “ethanol” may have other causes.

I have yet to encounter an properly set up and maintained small OMC outboard from the 1970s to 2000s that didn’t run like a Swiss watch on pure gas and good semi-synth oil.

Grouse

I think I would rather listen to Mercury marine and what they recommend. Here is a link most can be skipped until the bottom of what Mercury recommends in there outboards.

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=20401

Tank Run as updated in that other thread worked great. Smooth as silk now after running a few minutes with fresh non oxy and mobil oil. Peed great and shifts without issue.

Thanks guys!

Doug Larsen wrote:

Tank Run as updated in that other thread worked great. Smooth as silk now after running a few minutes with fresh non oxy and mobil oil. Peed great and shifts without issue.

Thanks guys!

Good to hear.