Written by: Emily Joswiak • February 22, 2022• Lifestyle

The Best Ideas for Storing an Outboard Motor

Follow the best ideas for storing an outboard motor to ensure that your engine is ready to power your various watercraft in the many years to come.

It’s never a good feeling when you get the watercraft out of the water. Nevertheless, it’s necessary to keep everything running smoothly for many years to come. After draining the oil and changing the filters, there’s one more task left to do, and that’s storage. Here are the best ideas for storing an outboard motor.

Don’t Suffocate the Motor

Wrapping an outboard with plastic ensures that any moisture trapped behind the cowl or that enters beneath the cowl cannot pass through the vents. Although it’s only condensation, this wetness can cause rust on electrical components, ruining the motor’s effectiveness.

Throughout the winter, the weather is volatile, with cold mornings and nights and warm afternoons. If the sun shines on your motor, the air will stick under the cowl, causing it to deteriorate.

Two tips can help prolong the lifespan of the outboard motor. First, spray down the powerhead with a water-displacing product—WD-40 is the most popular choice. Once completed, secure the cowl without covering it.

The second tip is to not cover the outboard, so the air can flow around the motor, specifically if you shrink-wrap your boat. Covering the motor can damage the inboard fuel tank because it does not get the air it seeks.

Don’t Forget To Tilt the Motor Back Down

An excellent benefit of an outboard motor is it drains itself. However, you must have it vertical to drain appropriately. When you tow the boat back home or to a storage facility with the motor tilting upward and forget to drop it before storing it, any remaining water can freeze and damage the motor.

Another potential issue is that precipitation might accumulate in the prop’s barrel and travel down into the gear case’s exhaust channels. Your gearcase can crack if there is a string of cold nights, so it’s imperative you don’t forget to tilt it down once everything is secure.

Grab the Propellor

Leaving the propellor on your boat offers an opportunity to any bystander to swipe it, so take it off. Plus, it helps to inspect the condition of the propellor when you extract it. If it’s in bad shape, repair it immediately to have it ready for the subsequent season. Most boat shops will be more than happy to help during the slower winter months.

Once the propellor is off, lubricate the shaft with grease so that it doesn’t crumble. Lastly, don’t start your motor when it’s out of the water. The sound it makes is powerful when you let it rip in a closed environment, but it can degrade your pump if it lacks water for lubrication.

When you need to find a safe place, follow the best ideas for storing an outboard motor to guarantee the best results when you get it out come spring or summer. A motor can last years with the proper care, which helps keep money in your wallet.

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