Art Coe wrote:

Appreciate some thoughts on putting my outboard motor (30 hp
Mariner)back into service. I knew it would be out of operation for
awhile so I flushed it out good, ran the carb dry, changed the lower
unit oil, squirted some two stroke oil into the cylinders via the
spark plug holes and pulled the starter cord a couple of times.

Time slipped on by and the press of other things kept me away from my
boat. Now, when I'm ready to start using it again, I realize that 10
years have passed since I "serviced" it. I'm not sure how to proceed.
Do I have a piece of junk, suitable only as an anchor or scrap
aluminum? Should I simply get some fresh gas, hook up the battery and
try to fire it up? Should I tear it down and replace gaskets, pump
impeller, etc. before trying to fire it up?

Any advice appreciated.

Couple of years ago a neighbour gave my son a '64 Evinrude 18hp which
had been "stored" (lying in the dirt) under his cottage for at least 15
years of Canadian winters.

I took the lid off and gave it a visual inspection. One of the fuel
lines was obviously unfit for service (rotted) and was replaced. Pulled
the spark plugs, they looked good and were gapped right, so back they
went. Changed the gear oil, then installed it on a 12' aluminium cartopper.

The motor started third pull and ran very nicely. My son has been
running it almost daily for the past two seasons. It broke a reed last
spring, but apart from that has been absolutely reliable.

IMHO, don't mess with it unless you know it's broken :-)

Sunny