Also....

Check the oil in the lower unit. Remove the bottom plug. if water comes out
or if the oil is milky you have trouble with the seals. Water can freeze
and break the lower unit casting and this becomes a very expensive repair.

If there is any sign of water and also look for metal shavings in the oil,
completely drain the unit and put in fresh oil before freezing weather
arrives.

Don Dando


"Boots" wrote in message
...
Outboards are self draining so don't worry about that. Just
remove the plugs and spray some oil made for lay/up in the
plug holes and pull the motor over a few time and reinstall
the plugs. When you run it for the last time put stable in
the gas and remove the fuel line and run it dry and go to
bed for the winter. Come spring connect the fuel line and
go.
"ironwarrior" wrote
in message ...

Definitely I would say common sense would tell you that
winterizing
would prolong the life of any motor being stored.

I just bought a new little fishing boat and am trying to
learn the
ropes on proper maintainance myself. The motor is just a
little 4
stroke 8 horsepower outboard, but carry's a pretty hefty
price tag new.
I want to make sure I take care of it.
I just made an engine stand for it using my old automotive
engine
stand. I just screwed some 2x6's on and made a nice flat
mounting
surface....works pretty good. The motor is new and has
only been run
a few times. I hadn't started it though for about 2-3
months or so
after buying it. It didn't seem to start right away... I
pulled and
pulled and nothing. I then waited about 5 minutes, and
tried
again...this time I could hear it try to start and after
like 5 -10
pulls it started (using the choke and had primed the fuel
with ball of
course initially). After I ran it and turned it off, it
started on 1
pull with no hesitation at all. I guess with these motors
you have to
start them regularly. I think it was dry initially with no
fuel in the
line or float.

In any case I was told the best way is to start it every
couple months
throughout the year. My question is, if I do that should I
remove the
gas line between starting times so the carb runs dry? Or
should I
leave fuel in the carb and fuel line between 2 month starts?
In
addition, is there anything else I should do? I heard
some say to
run some antifreeze through. Might be a good Idea to pour
some into
the garbage can when I run it. This way it cycles the
antifreeze
through the output hole.... Then the fogger spray I've
also heard
about? What is this stuff? Any advice would be
appreciated .


--
ironwarrior