Outboard motor winterizing.
 

Which is better to protect the motor from fuel going bad?
Leave gas in the carb with Stabil, or drain the carb?

This would be the best method to be honest.

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey...our-engine.asp

Forgot to mention, winter is the best time to get maintenance on your boat and trailer done. I had to replace the leaf springs on my old trailer once a season this was the time. Also redid the bearing grease, took off bolts and nuts and put a little lube on them as they will become a pain if left for years. Check and replace lights/ wiring as well.

Put a cover on the boat and don't allow water or snow to build into a single spot on the cover, I have seen guys that used a 2X4 in the center of their boat to keep things from puddling but it puddled anyway. When you get a few hundreds pounds of packed snow on the canopy they had a dent and cracks through their deck where the 2x4 applied the weight.

"Backin the day" I had several 4 & 6 cylinder carbd outboards & while I certainly never had to deal with corn juice like we have today, I still pulled the fuel line at the end of the day on the trailer at the ramp & I let the motor run til it died. Never a fuel problem.

Now I have 3 outboards, a ol 2cyl 50hp carbd Erude on my 16ft aluminu basser. I still pull the line at end if day & run it til dead. I have a 150DI Erude on my 22ft deckboat. Obviously can't pull that line but I keep Stabil Marine in it (1oz to 5gal, all the time). I do the same with my Mercury 225XS Sport (a high perf Optimax) on my 21' Allison basser. I run a can of B12Chemtool thru each of them 2ce a year! :s4:

I use Stabil Marine in essentially everything I have that burns gas (7 vehicles, 3 boats, 3 ATCs & lots of gas powered tools on my farm). & Stabils diesel formula in my 70hp Kubota. I'm also a big believer in 1-2 cans of B12Chemtool in everything 1-2x a year (NOT the tractor!)

Draining my carb is easy using the drain plug. Would that be as good as running it til it stops? I'd prefer to just drain it because the boat lives in the driveway, and not on a lake.

Well the problem with just doing the carbs is the fuel still in the lines will separate with the ethanol, possibly even eating the lines on the inside and dropping their octane levels over the course of the winter. So if all you do is the carb you are still going to pump bad fuel into it come spring.

Thanks. I would drain the hoses too. It's easy enough to pop open the ball checks at each end and let it run out. Definitely don't want the ethanol eating them. Had that problem in the past.

Yeah, things to keep in mind when doing this.

1. If you have a fuel/water separator you may drain that as well or wait till spring, just do it before running new fuel into the lines.

2. If you have a fuel primer bulb ensure it doesnt get squeezed closed (collapsed) with pressure. Have replaced a few of these do to this, sitting all winter collapsed on itself messed with the fuel flow valve built into it, its cheap, easy to replace but not an issue you want to have out on the water.

Osdog you're right the corn juice fuel is CRAP! That's why the Stabil Marine is important, the fuel will be treated at least. That's why I run it year round.

I likewise DONT fill up the fuel tank before winter like the old days with gas. I run it down as low as I can & then if its still over a 1/4 tank I'll drain it next spring & replace with fresh fuel. If its a 1/4 tank or less I'll fill the tank with fresh fuel & treatment first tie out next spring. No sense running 6mth old corn juice thru a motor, there's just no sense in it.