LeeRoy's Ramblings

It has been my observation that probably 95% of boat owners have very little idea of the operation of their

motors, or what it takes to maintain them.  THEREFORE these articles are dedicated to that 5%.

Information & Repair of Outboard Motor Universal Type Repairs Other Than OMC
First off I probably should apologize as these outboard motor repair articles started out designed for someone with some basic knowledge of how motors operate.  It has become apparent, because of increased correspondence that an increasingly number who use my articles have almost no knowledge of even the principles of mechanical operation of these devises.  Therefore I am in the process of re-writing existing articles, or adding other articles directed toward what many of us shade-tree mechanics have taken for granted.  These articles are not meant to replace factory service manuals and I recommend that you do purchase a manual if you intend to work on any motor other than change spark plugs or gear oil.  My articles may explain examples of what you will run into (& many times goes way beyond the manual, BUT DOES NOT replace it).  Here, you have to have some basic mechanical knowledge, be able to read and understand AND be able to apply it and not be all thumbs.   Again, these are not meant to replace the service manual.  You can many times purchase manuals off eBay.  Also there are good repair forums on the internet, one being iboats.com however, if you go there, please first use the FAQ sections or do a search of the forum for your problem.  In all probability you may be a newbie to the forum, but your issue probably has came up many times before.  And if you do ask a question, be specific as to the make, year, model & hp of your motor AND give a history of repairs, if any, plus a detailed situation you are experiencing, if these are recurring problems, or if the motor is new to you.  Also when you log on to ask a question, use a descriptive header line, not just "PLEASE HELP" .  Do not expect an immediate response, as any answers you receive will be from other members who have a life off the internet.  If you get no response in a few days, it may be that your question is not worded with enough clarity, OR no one at that time has a proper answer.  Remember a bad response answer is worse than no answer at all.   Or you many make another later post changing the title & also rewording the question for better clarity.  And please refrain from posting in a texting type abbreviated, no punctuation format, which is HARD to read when related to trying to really understand your problem, accepting the fact you probably have little knowledge of normal technical outboard motor terms. And you have to realize that replacement parts for many of these old motors may not available today.  Yes, you may be able to improvise at times, but will it stand up under extended usage possibly leaving you stranded?  For those of you who are tied to a I-Phone or your computer, and have never considered going to a established marine repair shop that may be able to really help you with personal experience and possibly some used parts, you may be chasing your tail for a long time Now I would like to address another issue, although pretty much in line with the opening paragraph.  I repeatedly get inquiries asking if I would clarify some sections of my articles.  I try to do this almost daily, BUT if you are NOT anywhere mechanically inclined, or have never done any outboard repair, YES things can be totally foreign to you.  My comment back to one man who did not understand my boat related words, was that if a person was writing a computer repair manual, you have to use computer terms.  My suggestion at that point, take it to someone who can fix it.  OR take your repair SLOW, remove a part at a time, take photos & be very observant of what location and what it is connected to BEFORE it comes off.  Then look at my instructions, it now may become a lot clearer to you as you get into the project.  AND if you do inquire about your specific problem, remember that I do this for FREE and it bothers me considerably if you ask for my expertise and input, BUT give me nothing as to previous repairs that you have already done, OR why you did them.  Then when I reply, you say that you have already done that.  OR you contact me but do not give me the title of my 60+ outboard repair articles that you are referring to.   AND most of these in queries want my response within hours.   Kind of makes me a bit less interested in helping if you are that narrow minded as I flunked mindreading school years ago & learning by Osmosis is rather slow.
	This links to many sources of current or obsolete/used outboard motor parts.
1 OBMR	History of Mercury	New  02-19-12
2 OBMR	History of Yamaha	New  02-19-12
3 OBMR	History of Honda	New  02-19-12
4 OBMR	History of Scott Atwater	Updated 01-02-22
5 OBMR	History of Private Brand (House Brands) Outboards	New  02-04-21
6 OBMR	Yamaha Outboard Motor Date Code	New  05-05-15
7 OBMR	Tips On Buying a Used Outboard Motor	Updated 07-04-23
8 OBMR	How to Flush / Test Run an Outboard Motor, Off the Water	Updated  11-07-20
9 OBMR	How to Remove Stale Gas / Rust From Fuel Tanks	New  03-25-22
10 OBMR	Carburetor Repairs for Small Outboards	Updated 08-31-22
11 OBMR	Overview & Insight into Repairs of Older Outboard Motors	Updated 11-29-20
12 OBMR	Trouble-Shooting Basics on Starting a Motor That is Resisting	Updated 03-10-21
13 OBMR	Untangling the 2 Cycle Fuel-Oil Controversy	Updated 11-04-22
14 OBMR	Spark Plug Identification & Cross Reference Codes	Updated 02-26-23
15 OBMR	Runaway Outboards When Using Muffs	Updated 11-29-20
16 OBMR	Removing the Flywheel	Updated 11-29-20
17 OBMR	Reviving an Outboard From a Watery Grave	Updated 11-09-20
18 OBMR	Picking a Marine Mechanic	Updated 11-09-20
19 OBMR	Most Boats & Motors are Ruined by Negligence	Updated 11-29-20
20 OBMR	Removing, or Repairing Stubborn Bolts & Seized Pistons	Updated 05-29-22
21 OBMR	Frequently Asked Outboard Motor Questions	Updated 11-29-20
22 OBMR	Exploring Storage of Gasoline & Outboard Oils for 2 Cycle OBs	Updated 04-07-23
23 OBMR	Store a Boat With a Empty or Full Fuel Tank ??	Updated 11-09-20
24 OBMR	Water Pump Impeller Change - How Often ?	Updated 01-02-22
25 OBMR	Outboard Jet Maintenance	Updated 11-09-20
26 OBMR	Transom height/shaft Length & HP to Boat Length Calculating	Updated 11-29-20
27 OBMR	Sears GameFisher, Japanese 3hp, Getting it Running	New  02-07-23
28 OBMR	Clinton / Eska Outboards	New  04-21-23
29 OBMR	Chrysler / Force / GameFisher  9.9/15hp Outboard Repair	Updated 06-02-21
30 OBMR	Mercury 4.5 hp 1975 - 1985, Getting it Running Again	Updated 05-17-22
32 OBMR	Firestone 5 hp 1952 Outboard Bringing it Alive Again	Updated 03-04-23
32 OBMR	Replacing a Water Pump Impeller on a Yamaha T8	Updated 11-10-20
33 OBMR	For a Link to Other Outboard Repairs Not Covered Here	New  04-21-23

Originated 01-10-2013 Last Updated  10-02-2023                                                                                          
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