6 tips to get more value from your outboard service

Regular boat servicing is crucial to the health and longevity of your boat and motor. It might be one of those annoying costs that go hand in hand both boat ownership, but not doing them can be more costly. 
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To help save you money, check out our 6 tips to get more value from your boat service. 

1. Get your engine serviced regularly

​In general, we recommend servicing your outboard annually. However, it does depend on how often you use it. If you’re clocking up some serious hours, you may need to do it more frequently and even 6-monthly if you’re doing more than 100 hours in a year.

Outboard manufacturers insist on regular servicing to maintain your warranty. In general, a new engine will require a 20-hour service – after the engine is run in and then a yearly service for every 100 hours after that up to 1000 hours.

If you only get your boat serviced when things go wrong, just be aware that it starts to fall into the ‘repair’ realm and will likely cost more. 
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2. Use a reputable outboard service shop

Make sure you use reputable service shop with qualified technician's so that you know they've done the right training to accurately and thoroughly service and repair your boat. Outboards and marine electronics are increasingly technologically advanced, which requires specific training and tools to complete the work, so make sure your technician has the know-how.
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An experienced outboard mechanic will also be quicker at their job and can better fault find if needed - it’s likely there’s no issue they haven’t come across! Even if a younger technician works on your boat, it’s overseen be an experienced technician. 

3. Make sure your boat service includes 'the works'

This might not be the case with the 20-hour service, but for an annual outboard service make sure it covers the works – from bow to stern.  

With every outboard motor service we perform, we’ll run through a full service checklist, which involves checking the motor, boat and trailer. We’ll always start by looking over the engine and running it up and connecting diagnostic software, if any. We’ll perform a compression and spark test, inspect spark plugs for signs of water and wear, remove and test the thermostat, then drain engine oil. Fuel filters will be removed and inspected for water. 

At this point, we'll trim engine up and inspect trim and tilt rams and trim sender. We'll remove the gearbox, drain oil and inspect water pump impeller and flush out water galleries with hose.

Electrical items are an important component of boat safety. That's why we check everything from VHF (and call coast guard), fish finder, nav lights and bilge pump through to live bait tank and anchor winch. It’s also important to check the battery is charging and to load test it to make sure all your batteries can withstand the full load of all your electrics.

An often-overlooked part of a service is the trailer, yet without a sound trailer, you’re not doing any boating! Our technicians will look over the trailer, check for rust, check the winch rope, jockey wheel, test the lights and wheel bearings. We can also arrange a WOF if you need one.  

Remember even though every aspect of the motor is checked, it doesn’t necessarily mean the parts need replacing.
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4. Give your technician feedback on how the boat is going

If there are any issues with your boat that need to be addressed, let your outboard mechanic know when you book it in.

It’s likely these issues will be picked up during the service anyway, but it ensures that those niggly problems are fixed. For example, is your steering stiff or are your electronics playing up? Are you finding your motor hard to start? This is all helpful for the technician to know.

We’ll always go over a boat with the owner before we start a job and gather as much information as possible. That means the owner gets a boat back that they’re 100% happy with. 
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5. Avoid these common issues which can blow out your service cost

Usually a service cost will only increase due to the outboard mechanic uncovering issues once the engine is inspected or run up. Here are some issues, we commonly find, and some advice on how to avoid them!
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Water in fuel or stale old fuel
Water occurs in the fuel in every under floor fuel tank. It can be minimized by regularly draining the fuel filter trap that has a clear site glass, or you can unscrew to inspect contents. Plastic tote tanks can be tipped out once fuel is low, this will drain any bad items out before the outboard sucks it up. 

To eliminate stale fuel, disconnect your fuel line from the fuel tank and run your outboard dry. This will make it easier starting the next time you connect it up as you’re priming up from the tank as opposed to putting fresh fuel into the carburetors which are already full.

Nylon in the prop shaft
From time-to-time check if any nylon or fishing braid is wrapped around the propeller shaft which can cause seal damage and ultimately water to leak into the gearbox. This is the most common cause of gearbox failure. It’s as simple as removing the split pin and the nut and sliding the propeller off. When doing the nut back up it doesn’t need to be super tight, just firm.

Seized steering  
When your boat is in use, salt water tends to find its way into the steering cable as you turn. When it builds up and sits there it can cause the cable to seize.
 
To avoid seized steering, spray your steering rod that comes out on the port side of the engine with lubricant or oil. Turn the wheel lock to lock to lubricate cable on the inside. 

When issues are found make sure your mechanic gets in touch to get the costs approved before going ahead. 
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6. Look after your boat between services

The best way to look after your boat in between outboard services is to use it. Regular use keeps engine parts moving, avoids salt build up and ensures fuel stays fresh.

We also recommend keeping your boat in tip top shape by using our 9-step maintenance checklist.  Exclusive to GT Marine, our checklist will help protect your boat from all those areas on the boat that can cause trouble. 

And if you think your boat might be in need of some love, book an outboard motor service today. 

Want to keep learning? 

Check out our full range of articles on a range of boating topics here. ​