Additional
Maintenance Tasks


Other Key Maintenance Tasks

There are a few other important things to go along an eye on when it comes to outboard maintenance.

Bank check your possessor'south manual for your particular outboard'due south schedule, and keep note of when to check on them by watching your hour meter, or by using the MyYamahaOutboards app.

Water Pump OverviewImpellPump.gif
Your h2o pump is responsible for keeping your engine absurd. It's a simple system that works very well. Cooling water is drawn in through the intake grates on your lower unit, upward to and through a rubber impeller keyed to the drive shaft on top of the lower unit. It's then pumped upward into the powerhead of your outboard.

There it circulates and eventually exits back down through the propeller to help continue information technology cool from the outboard'south exhaust. A telltale hole emits a small, visible stream of water after it has passed through the powerhead, to help indicate that cooling water is flowing.

Troubleshooting the Water Pump
So how tin can you lot tell if the outboard water pump has problems? If water should stop flowing from the telltale hole on your outboard, or if the stream becomes weak, carefully check the outlet tubing for obstructions. Mud daubers and other insects love to call these places home, especially during periods of extended storage.

Not all outboards volition emit waterflow from the telltale pigsty at idle speed, fifty-fifty when operating normally. Once RPM increases a scrap, all the same, you should see it. If y'all don't, go along a shut sentry on your temperature gauge and listen for a alarm horn. Additionally, Yamaha outboards have an RPM reduction mode (as practise most brands), which will limit the engine RPM if an overheat status is detected.

Deformed Impeller
Time without use tin can lead to the impeller "taking a ready," or becoming permanently plain-featured, due to its off-center positioning within the cup. This condition makes h2o flow much weaker.

Additionally, periods of non-employ tin can cause the rubber to become more than brittle, possibly fifty-fifty breaking pieces off and sending them into the cooling system. For these reasons, it's all-time to replace your water pump impeller or the entire h2o pump assembly when servicing these items. It's also important to never rotate your outboard's crankshaft or driveshaft in a counterclockwise management.

Tip: The prophylactic impeller is located inside a stainless-steel loving cup, and it uses the h2o for lubrication. If this water is non present, the friction of the safety on stainless steel will very rapidly overheat and destroy the rubber impeller. This is why it's imperative NOT to operate, or even plow over, your outboard without there existence a proper supply of water to the outboard beforehand.

Inspect it Annually
As a full general rule, inspect the impeller and water pump associates every yr if operating in common salt, stagnant or turbid water, and supercede if necessary. The debris in these waters acts similar sandpaper. If operating in freshwater that is articulate and clean, this interval may likely stretch to ii seasons, provided no dry out operation has occurred. Be sure to cheque your owner'south manual for your outboard'due south specific service interval.

Tip: If you lot're at all uneasy well-nigh performing impeller/water pump inspection and replacement procedures, have your local Yamaha Marine dealer do the work. They have the tools, materials and training to do it correct, for your peace of listen.

Cheque Belts and Hoses
Any belts and hoses your outboard has need to operate in the brutally harsh marine environs. Give them a glance once in a while, and heed the manufacturer's schedule for their replacement.

If yous detect cracking or fraying, be rubber and replace. Do non attempt to "flip" a chugalug to extend its life, nor handle the chugalug with lubricant of any kind on your fingers. Keep these safety from spray-on lubricants, too.

Tip: Yamaha 4-stroke outboard timing belts and HPDI® 2-stroke outboard high-force per unit area fuel pump belts are cogged and Kevlar®-impregnated, making them super-tough and non-stretchable. Yet, Yamaha recommends they be changed every five years or 1,000 hours.

Supersede Spark PlugsSparky.jpg
As a general rule, pull 4-stroke outboard spark plugs every 200 hours or every other flavor and check for proper colour and habiliment. They should be a low-cal chocolate-brown color and take relatively abrupt edges. When necessary, replace with the exact manufacturer and office number that your outboard'due south manufacturer stipulates.

The brand type and style of spark plugs used in your outboard are by design. They contain specific operation attributes that are engineered into your outboard. Those little markings and numbers on your spark plugs comprise a wealth of data about heat range, thread depth, etc., so don't second-guess or try to cross-reference hither. Your outboard's operation depends on it.

Audit Air Intake Passages
Be sure to bank check the air intake passages for any obstructions such as bird nests and other debris brought in past diverse critters. Look under your cowling, as well. Information technology doesn't take long for your outboard or boat to go habitation to local birds and bugs, and it can exist a real headscratcher when it comes to performance-loss diagnosis.

Review Thermostats and Pop-Off Valves
These are responsible for regulating the operating temperature of your outboard. Simple and constructive, they're best observed through whatever signs of alter in the engine's operating temperature.

Operating in saltwater tin can cause deposits to build up, causing the valves to stick open up, which tin can over-cool the outboard and forestall it from reaching proper operating temperature. Small bits of debris in the cooling water tin can get lodged between mating surfaces and cause the same status. If this happens, removal and cleaning is most oft the fix. Cheque your owner's manual for specific replacement recommendations.

Your Outboard at Your Fingertips

The MyYamahaOutboards App
Dealer-completed service. DIY maintenance. Track it all with MyYamahaOutboards. Information technology puts your complete outboard maintenance history at your fingertips. Plus, you tin keep custom trip logs and checklists, request service and then much more.