Engine Maintenance Poll

[jergofish]

I was wondering how many of you do your own engine maintenance all the way from a simple oil change to complete overhauls? I've set up a poll to reflect the responses.

Two cycle owners, please ignore the oil change and filter portion of the poll and answer the best match.

[Jan from Humboldt]

I don't have the gear to do a proper tune up but I do change plugs and all oil and can change belts and stuff as nedded.

[Putershark]

I moved your interesting thread to the engine section (logical) and I think you need to also edit / add to your poll too see how many have the dealer to perform all service work so you get a larger cross section of actual owner service

Even though I could rebuild one if needed, I don't want the headache of minor service work and having to deal with oil disposal, etc. The word "Tune Up" though has been dead since the days that points and condensers went away. The only tuning is made by the CPU on most modern engines and at a rate of about 10 times a second. Today though spark plugs and fuel filters are the only wear / service item routinely changed most engines

[jergofish]

Putershark, when I said tune-up that was supposed to take in the older engines as well as those you plug in and check with a diagnostic machine. One of the things I plan to do is research whether it's feasible for me to buy the Suzuki book and the "diagnostic computer" necessary to check engine functions and do my maintenance myself. Unfortunately I have a distrust of yard mechanics and would rather do my own work, not for the joy of it but because I REALLY want to know that it's done EXACTLY right. I can't call AAA on the water and being broke down on the water, even with U.S. Boaters towing is a much bigger hassle.

[Putershark]

Oh I agree on the dealer trust factor, flip side of the coin (take if from a former service director) when you do have a warranty related issue (worse so if a major failure) their will be less factory "push back" on the repair "if" a dealer has preformed the service work Sure made my life easier going to bat for my customers when I had all the maintenance records when dealing with factory guys and even more important when looking to secure some factory good will for repairs after the normal warranty period. This though is why it is so important to have a good working trusting relatenship with your dealer and it is as important to shop / select one you like working with "before" you buy your boat

As far as having all the needed test equipment (which is not cheap by the way) it will tell you if you have a fault code and some will even give you report of how the engine (history / big brother) has been ran... Interpreting those fault codes though and not just changing expensive sensors is what takes skill and past history working with such engines day in and day out to really gain. Nothing wrong with getting a second opinion on any needed repair, but I have seen many a loose wire, loose ground or weak battery create a lot of false trouble codes with engines for sure. Just something else to consider before chucking down hard earned cash for test equipment that may never get used

[jergofish]

Putershark, thanks for the insight. It is frustrating though that I brought my engine in for its 20 hour check which as I understand it is basically change the oil and filter. Check fluid level in lower unit, tighten up all mounting bolts, plug in diagnostic unit, and perform a visual inspection and get charged $189 for what at the most is 45 minutes of work. At the same time, the oil fill cap was left off and when the engine was tilted up, a quart of oil spilled all over the front of the engine and into the engine well. I was leaving for Mexico in eight hours and wasn't able to do much of a clean up. It's still grimy around the area and I'll have to take it to a spray car wash when I get home.

As an alternative to bringing in the motor every 100 hours and enduring a $189 bill, (I'll put on 50-75 hours every month MINIMUM) I'll save my oil and filter receipts.

After the first ten hours I did some fuel and mph tests and wrote them down. WOT was 45mph @ 5900.

I did not get to run the boat under the same conditions after the 20 hour, and towed it directly to Mexico. the boat was tested in cool fresh water, (65 degrees), in a low humidity (35%) climate, air temperatures in the high 80's, low 90's and on California gas which I understand has a good portion of ethanol.

When run in Mexico in salt water, high humidity (75%), high air temps, 90's, high water temps, 85 degrees, on straight 87 octane unleaded, the boat is only capable of 5000 RPM WOT, 36 mph, and is using slightly more gasoline per RPMs. In addition, for the first two weeks it would load up when first started and idling for any period of time until it warmed up. The loading up has stopped but the performance is still way down.

When I return to NorCal I'll have an almost empty tank. I'll scrub the bottom and refuel using NorCal gasoline, and then run the same tests I did after ten hours. If I don't get close or better numbers than I did after ten hours I'm going to visit the dealer and we'll have a long discussion on why I lost 900 RPM after the 20 hour check and mess I had to deal with. Two other Suzuki dealers are in my area and although neither sells Triumphs I will check them out if I'm not satisfied with my dealer's response. It's just that I hate having to two places and would rather do one stop shopping, boat and motor maintenance.

[My Half]

I own a 75 hp Yamaha 4 stroke, but this story is not about me. My friend has a 100 hp Yamaha and this year got it ready for the season. Oil change filter, plugs etc.
He put it in the water and have no top end power.
Took boat and engine to marina, $1,100.00 later engine was ready. Problem no Water separtor on engine ! Carbs had to be rebuilt.

Leason I am installing a Water Separtor on my engine this weekend !

[aronlevin]

I did a entire rebuild on my Johnson 25 hp 2 stroke. My triumph is too new to have needed any major maintenance (Yamaha 115hp)

[AstroDiver]

I have changed the engine oil & filter, lower unit's lube and spark plugs so far. If changing the spark plugs is considered a "tune up", then I voted wrong. I bought the water pump impeller and a shop manual. I dred dropping the lower unit but it has to be done.

[MolarBoater]

I am with Astro but will probably stop there. There use to be Suzuki DF 140 tune up videos on their website as well as how to replace impellar and it was so simple. Not equipped to check timing etc but after 5 good years, is it time to bite the bullet and have an "official" tune up? (2002, first oil change was $115.....at dealer, that was the last time they saw me!)