Wakeboarding - April 01, 2018

F

38 | BOATINGMAG.COM | APRIL 2018

BOAT DOCTOR ///BOAT DOC SPECIAL

SCAN ME

Maintenance remains the key to a better-

running engine and longer engine life. While

there’s more to know than any one article can

include, make these recommended checks of

the following five systems.

FIVE INBOARD

AND STERNDRIVE

ENGINE CHECKS

Some important chores to do to get your boat ready for

the season.

For expert advice, we

checked in with Volvo

Penta’s service training

center manager Ed

Szilagyi, Mercury

MerCruiser dealer

service expert Rob

Gina of Boatwrench in

Longwood, Florida, and

other marine pros.

1 FLUIDS Engine oil

should be a clean, am-

ber or gold color. Black

oil indicates old and

dirty oil; change it. If

the oil looks milky or

frothy, it’s contaminat-

ed by water — bring the

engine in for service.

Check power-trim

fl uid levels. Inspect

trim-pump reservoir

caps for the milk-carton-

like seal under the cap.

Discard this; it inhibits

venting and may lead

to leaks.

Remove the lower

gear-case drain screw

and check the condi-

tion of the lubricant. It

should be clean, amber-

or green-colored , and

not dirty or contami-

nated by water. Burnt

lube means improper

gear lash and impend-

ing failure; milky means

water is leaking through

a seal, which leads to

rusted gears, shafts

and bearings.

Don’t forget to inspect

engine coolant and

power and hydraulic-

steering fl uid levels.

2 COOLING Run

the engine on a hose

adapter or at the dock

to ensure proper

cooling-system opera-

tion before you go.

When the engine is

cool, check water hoses

for age, brittleness and

dry rot. Hoses should

be pliant yet fi rm,

not mushy.

3 DRIVES AND

PROPS Check the pro-

peller shaft for straight-

ness by standing directly

behind it and rotating

the propeller, watching

for out-of-true rotation.

Bring bent props to a

prop shop. Check for

fi shing line snarled

around the shaft where

it enters the gear case.

This common malady

causes seal leakage,

allowing water in, gear

lube out, or both.

Check for damage to

the skeg. Repair and

paint damaged areas.

4 BELTS Press be-

tween pulleys; belts

should spring back.

Look for cracks, brit-

tleness and dry rot, and

abnormal wear. Look

for thin areas.

Rusty, pitted pulleys

often indicate an

engine water leak.

Belt-dust residue

also indicates dam-

aged pulleys.

5 STEERING Steer

from lock to lock. Check

cables for binding or

stif ness. Clean crud

from steering rams.

Check hydraulic

steering for air pockets,

sponginess and/or er-

ratic operation. Repair

steering woes immedi-

ately, before using your

boat. —John Tiger

ILLUSTRATIONS: TIM BARKER

For an extended version of this

article with fi ve more tips, scan

this tag or visit boatingmag

.com/10boatenginetips.