TOPIC: Wet Boat Motor's ???

I know its bad but sometimes I wont flush the carbs untill 3 months after the last use. I know how important it is to do so and this is the last time that will happen. From now on after I trailer the boat I will run the motor dry if I dont think It will be used for a period of time...
I think it does help to flush the motor out even months later, what do you guys think about that??? Now how can you flush the carbs with out running it or taking anything apart??? Its a pain in the butt to fire it up with the water hooked up and battery charged just to flush it.... I better go buy some Fuel stabelizer and have that on hand too since I dont run my boats too often now days because of my schedule. Also have a nice day, Thanks, Mike

I dont know what motor you have but find the drain plug on or around the float bowl, on a mercury you can remove the brass plug at the bottom of the float bowl that allows access to the jet, add stabilizer to your fuel tank(I use Sea Foam it cleans varnish etc as well as stabilize the ethanol fuels), then use your primer bulb to flush out the lines or bowl , replace the plug let it sit over nite and flush again with your fingers crossed you dodged a bullett

Mike, when i plan on not using a boat(or any vehicle for that matter) for a while, ill dump sta-bil in the gas then run that fuel through the motor on muffs at an idle. Ill disconnect the fuel fitting and let it run till it runs out of fuel then store it. If its going away for a LONG time, doesnt hurt to fog the motor with a corrosion preventive measure. Never really had any issues following this procedure on any carb'd motors ive ever stored and they always fired right up when bringing them out of mothballs.

Dodged a bullet??? After only 30 days... I have a 81 merc 175hp with 3 carbs last ran in April. I have a 73 evinrude 50 last ran in May and a 86 mariner 90 6 cylinder with 3 carbs last ran in Febuary, ALL NEED FLUSHING, Am I screwd??? Oh and a 96 johnson 40hp last ran in 08 but That one os too late to flush now. I can only clean that one.
I hear you Jeff, Thats how I usually do it. Im thinking anout firing the 175hp merc today to flush it and be done with it, Id better go charge the battery now, Mike

Sitting for relatively short periods of time like that Mike, i wouldnt worry too much about it. It take a good bit of time and quite a bit of neglect to foul up the internals of a carb enough to make it run poorly.

My Challenger hadnt been ran since last August and i forgot to store it properly...fired right up and ran like a champ when we took it to Piru, what 8 months after i last used it??

If your that concerned about it, drain the carbs, open the butterflys and fog them really well with SeaFoam, let it sit for a little while, then run it. I wouldnt be worried about it though...unless it starts running like crap.

Well I charged the battery for half hour, hooked up the water hose, primed the buld, sprayes some starting fluid (bad I know) and it fired up on the second try. I ran it for less then 10 minuted then I cut the hose at the hose clamp on the part that enters the outboard. The fuel line is haed as a rock and I couldent pull it off. I should have heated it up with a torch to soften up the rubber (just kidding) It ran for about 3 minutes before the motor ran out of fuel. Im glad that one is done. I will (think) be running the 50 evinrude in a few weeks anyway and so that means the 90hp mariner needs to be drained but I might not get to that for 6 more months untill I finally get the motor hooked up and fired for the first time in my hands... ... I think It should be fine though since its a new motor to me and was laying down in my truck for 24 hours a few months back when I bought it from Ron64...
So its not good but not the end of the world to let the carbs sit with fuel in them for 3 months??? 6 months not so good, Mike

If I have time at the ramp, I unhook the fuel line and let the motor run until it runs out. Done this for 30 plus years, never had carb issues on any motor, they fire up every spring after sitting all winter. A touch of Seafoam in the first tank, all OK.

Just a thought.
Running the cabs dry might be OK on premixed fuel, but if the engine is a VRO, you are going to load the carbs and engine with excess oil and when it does fire up, you will be the center of attraction, until it clears out.
old darb.