an education in.....

[Solent-Salted]

...... outboard engines.

Having spent a lot of time around boats, i have picked up the obligatory engine day to day maintenance.

But i want to learn more, i've been looking for places that will teach complete novices from the very basics up to complete rebuilds.

I'm more a a yammie user and would probably be looking to go that way if courses were inclined to follow makes.

Any advice, people to speak to, cogs to grease etc etc would be appreciated.

[Erin]

To be honest, most outboards are very similar to car engines. Obviously the differences include impellor and lower unit gearbox, but otherwise the mechanics and electronics are very similar to those in a modern vehicle. I think you would find that a simple car engine course supplemented with a yamaha workshop manual would pretty much teach you all you would want to know. Changing oil, plugs, filters etc is near identical. Carbs on earlier motors would be adjusted in a similar manner to those on a car or motorbike.

Once you get the cowling off, any mechanic should be able to recognise the components and work on a marine o/b. Rebuild techniques and principles are the same whatever engine. The nice thing about an o/b is you don't have to hoist it out the engine bay to work on it, it's pretty much already on a workshop stand bolted to the back of your boat.

The only thing that's tricky now is the diagnostics on modern units. You can't interrogate a marine engine without the marine software and appropriate lead on your laptop. So checking sensors and the like is not so easy, but that's pretty much the same on cars now as well of course.

[Solent-Salted]

Cheers Erin,

Much appreciated.

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Erin

The only thing that's tricky now is the diagnostics on modern units. You can't interrogate a marine engine without the marine software and appropriate lead on your laptop. So checking sensors and the like is not so easy, but that's pretty much the same on cars now as well of course.

The good thing about outboards (well at least on the E-TEC, can't speak for others but I know Suzuki diagnostics "can be got") is that you can effectively get full manufacturer diagnostics for next to nothing if you have an existing laptop. To do that on a modern vehicle you can be talking £15000 for a full dealer standard diagnostic kit, I know because I've got two in my day job... vehicle manufacturers would do well to follow the example.

[Erin]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

To do that on a modern vehicle you can be talking £15000 for a full dealer standard diagnostic kit,

Not entirely so. There are some very good aftermarket diagnostic kits for a few hundred quid.

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Erin

Not entirely so. There are some very good aftermarket diagnostic kits for a few hundred quid.

That's still a hell of a lot of money when

1) Using it would invalidate any warranty on a new car

2)A few hundred quid is a shedload more money than a manual for a 2nd hand car.

[9D280]

The problem is, depending what's broken / needs tweaked, in certain cases, you can do / alter ***k all without them......

[Erin]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

1) Using it would invalidate any warranty on a new car

Depends what you're changing really. With Vagcom for VDubs and Audis, it leaves no indication that you've been fiddling. It retains the dealers workshop codes, so assuming you don't bu@@er anything important like the engine or gearbox, then I can't see that warranty would be affected. I fiddle with mine on things like the infotainment and convenience settings (e.g duration of interior lights, tel kit, turning off the seatbelt chime etc)

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

2)A few hundred quid is a shedload more money than a manual for a 2nd hand car.

Cheaper than 2 hrs at the dealer for me.