Marine Engine Lay-Up: A Step-by-Step Guide to Decommissioning, Inboards, Stern drives and Outboard motors - Paperback

The good news is that any reasonably competent Do-It-Yourself wrench bender can winterize an outboard motor, sterndrive, or inboard marine engine. And a DIYer can work on the carburetor, lower unit and do tuneups. This book tells you how. As a bonus to explaining how to do a professional-grade winter lay-up, this book also details how to Service, Diagnose, and Repair Marine Engines of all propulsion types. Coverage includes information on:

• Spring commissioning procedures

• Tuning an outboard, inboard, or sterndrive.

• Rebuilding a carburetor

• Servicing an outboard motor's water pump

• Surveying a marine engine

• How Reverse Osmosis water maker can kill an inboard.

• The mysteries of skeg and anti-ventilation plates.

• How to maximize starting battery life.

• How to stabilize fuel to prevent gummed up carburetor.

• How to tell if there's water in the gas in seconds and without tools.

• Why it's important to keep maintenance records.

• On whether or not you need to dose fuel with an octane booster.

• Why crankcase oil should be changed warm.

• How to determine whether an engine is overheating with a splash of water.

• How to interpret lower unit health by smelling and rubbing a splash of drained gear case oil between your fingers.

Besides the practical knowledge, this title features a special section replete with forms to record work completed.

Be advised that this is not a shop manual, so in other words, it is not a Chilton or Clymer style manual. But instead, its marine mechanic workbench notes relate how any reasonably competent Do-It-Yourselfer can accomplish otherwise expensive procedures on his own, saving money and gaining knowledge in the process.