Having a healthy running outboard is critical, because nothing puts a bigger damper on a day of fishing than having engine issues.
The best recipe for having a fine-tuned outboard that won’t give you problems is taking some preventative measures to make sure you squash any potential issue before it has the chance to develop.
Over the last number of years, we’ve learned a lot about our outboard engines, as well as fuel systems from the guys at Sea Foam.
I want to share with you three simple steps that you can do each spring to ensure that your boat will be running tip-top for the entire season.
Step #1 is to begin with a low tank of fuel. When I say “low”, I’m talking one, two, three maybe four gallons of fuel in the system.
Step #2 is adding a cleaning concentration of Sea Foam or Sea Foam Marine Pro to the fuel – roughly four-to-ten ounces of Sea Foam per gallon of gas.
Step #3 is to get out and run the outboard or whatever marine engine you have. You want to run it hard.
The more heat and compression you have, the better the Sea Foam is going to work to clean the entire fuel system. If you do this every spring, it’s like hygiene. It helps keep the engine clean and you can be sure that your boat will be running the best it can for the rest of your fish season.
We have another in-depth breakdown of this strategy with Sea Foam’s Brian Miller that you can watch by clicking right here. Brian discusses what happens to your fuel when you leave it in the tank for long periods of time, and how Sea Foam can work to mitigate the impact it has on your engine.
Boats and outboards are a big investment. It only makes sense to take every possibly preventative measure you can to make sure it’s running great and lasts as long as possible. The alternative is less time on the water fishing with family and friends, and that’s an option we’re most certainly not okay with!
Hopefully you learned something and this helps you maintain a healthy running outboard.