T-8 Update TIPS

To anyone who has a Yamaha T-8 kicker motor. I just got back from a trip to Lake Pepin last weekend and had trouble starting my T-8. I just got back from the dealer and they fixed it. The problem? The idle jets were plugged with dried fuel. I asked the mechanic why and he just shrugged his shoulders and said that he has had this problem with other 4 stroke motors even a 250HP. His suggestion was to pull the fuel line off when you are done using the motor and run the fuel out of it. Especially if you don’t use the motor for a while like me. I didn’t have this problem over last winter when the boat sat, but with the very hot summer I guess the fuel dried out and left a residue in the jets which are very small. So from now on I guess I will have to run the fuel out of it when I am done fishing and hope for the best.

I would ask your mechanic if there is adverse effects to your fuel system sitting empty, with any seals drying out!!!

I don’t know much if anything about kickers, but is there anyway to put a fuel filter in your line? Would that help not plug up your jets? and instead dirty the filter?

It should only be a problem if the motor is not used for a while. Fuel breaks down very fast now a days. I would suggest adding seafoam or some type of fuel conditioner to the fuel, because as Gary said, there could be adverse effects from disconnecting the fuel line.

“old school” days, we never let anything that had fuel in it, sit dry. Otherwise seals and other fragile parts become dry and brittle, then leak like a broken dike…..

I second the Seafoam/fuel additive, I sometime do not run my kicker for months…I never have a problem(T-8 owner)I run seafoam or that other red stuff in my gass when I know i’m letting my rig sit for any length of time…

I put conditioner in my gas tank every time I fill it. It is not very expensive to do. Gary is right about the seals going bad. The conditioner is much cheaper than going to the shop for a clean out.

Thanks for all of your responses. I guess I’ll have to try an additive, although My father-in-law had a 15HP Johnson that he always ran dry and it lasted trouble free for about 20 years. Maybe because it was a 2 stroke and the oil remained in the carb.
As far as the filter, it wasn’t dirt in the gas that caused the problem, it was evaporated gas, I guess the jets in the carb are very small. I do know that if I don’t run my snowblower dry in spring I have to take the carb apart and clean the dried gas/oil mixture from all of the orrifices in winter to get it to run.
By the way what is seafoam? Is it the same as Sta-bil? Thanks again for all of your help.
Ray

Seafoam is very similar to that red stuff(Sta-bil, i couldn’t remember the name of it) Both have preformed very well for me..I get Seafoam at Fleet Farm…Sta-bil you can get most anywhere !!!

Good Luck !!

Thanks. I’ll start using it regularly.

Ray

Some of the residue that remains in the carb after it dries is varnish. Once it dries putting gas in it won’t disolve it. Use an additive for sure and a dry carb in time will dry out the gaskets because gasoline does have a little oil in it that remains from the refining process, not enough to lube anything but enough to keep the gaskets from getting brittle.