Storage tips for small 4-stroke outboards

1. Lay the engine on the correct side

All portable 4-strokes have supports to indicate which side they should be laid on the floor. Incorrect storage will cause engine oil to leak out of the crank case. This makes a mess but only causes long-term damage if you fail to replace the lost oil before starting the engine.

All Honda portable 4-stroke engines have supports to indicate which side they should be laid on.

2. Drain water cooling systems

The cooling galleries throughout the engine will naturally drain with the engine in the upright position out of the water. If you operate your engine in salt water, refer to the manual for how to flush the system through with fresh water. But if there is any danger of sub-zero temperatures while the engine is being stored out of the water, it is important to expel the last few drops from the cooling system as follows:

1. Disconnect the killcord

2. Remove the spark plug cap

3. Gently pull the starter coil half a dozen times. This will slowly turn the impeller and expel the last few drops of water from the system.

3. Preventing corrosion on cylinder bore and piston rings

Outboards are rarely stored in climate controlled conditions, so to prevent the cylinder bore and piston rings from getting rusty, take the following precautions:

1. Having disconnected the killcord and removed the spark plug cap, unscrew the spark plug.

2. Squirt about a teaspoonful of oil in through the plug hole and gently pull the starter coil half a dozen times before replacing the spark plug. Expect a few minutes of smoky performance when restarting the engine as this oil burns off.