subject: How To Care For Your Speed Boat Engine And Trailer [print this page] It is vital that your speed boat, power boat or motor boat engine is well-maintained and trouble-free. The last thing you want is for your engine to fail whilst you are out at sea! A boat without an engine can quickly drift far out in even a mild off-shore wind or current.
So, unless you know what you are doing, I recommend that you have your speed boat engine regularly serviced by a qualified marine engineer.
Power boats are usually only used during the summer months and are not used during the winter. To protect it from damage during the cold, damp winter months, your boat should be "winterized" after the last use of the year and then "de-winterized" before using it for the first time next year. It's a good idea to have the boat engine serviced at the same time as it is de-winterized.
Motor boat engines are water-cooled. When the engine is running, impellor's draw water in to the engine. This water circulates around the engine, keeping it cool by absorbing the heat and then escapes as warm water through a small hole near the top. The jet of water escaping is called a tell-tale. If it isn't there when the engine is running, it means the engine is not being cooled and will over-heat which can cause irreparable damage. So you must turn the engine off immediately.
Never run a speed boat engine out of water. Even if you run it for a few seconds, the engine itself may not over-heat sufficiently to get damaged but the impellor can quickly over-heat and become damaged so that it won't be able to draw sufficient water to cool the engine next time it is run in water.
It is important to flush a power boat engine out with clean water after it has been used in salt water as salt water is very corrosive. Newer engines have a water inlet that you can connect a hose to, turn the tap on, start the engine and it will draw water through to clean the inside of the engine.
Older motor boat engines don't have this, so what you have to is cover the water inlet holes with flushing muffs (sometimes described as "rabbit ear" muffs) attached to a hose. Turn the hose on, then start the engine and let it run at idle speed for a few minutes. Look for the tell-tale jet of water which shows that water is being drawn into the engine and circulated around it. After a few minutes, turn the engine off then turn the hose off.
It is imperative that you look after your boat trailer. If your trailer becomes unusable, you can't transport your boat so your boat is unusable, too.
Boat trailers are made to fit a specific model of boat. They are not interchangeable between different boat models. So if your trailer becomes unusable, it will be difficult to find a used trailer that will fit your boat. You will probably have to buy a new boat trailer or have one made. This will be very expensive and the new trailer could easily cost much more than an older boat is worth.
To launch your boat, you have to back your trailer into the water. Water is corrosive. If its salt water, its even worse. And if you are launching from a beach, sand is also corrosive. So clean your trailer after use, inspect it regularly and treat any corrosion.
As you tow your boat, the grease around your boat trailer wheel bearings heats up and becomes liquid. When you back your trailer into the water, some of this liquified grease can leak out as water leaks in. So it is important to re-grease the trailer wheel bearings regularly.
by: Martyn Boaden
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