Hey there folks well here's what I got and I'm looking for some insight/advice: I have a couple boats I haven't used or cranked since before covid hit, and I have no idea if they need to be drug to a shop for going over after such an idle spell...one is a 14' Monark with a 25 hp and the other is a 16' Polarcraft with a 25 hp...I think I'll be looking to sell them once I get a plan how to go about making sure they're worth a fair price to a buyer...so, should I stick them in the shop to get them up to snuff and then put them up for sale, or advertise them for sale as is, or something else? They both ran fine before they got sat down in early 2020, that's about the best I can say...thanks in advance for any advice or counsel from any folks that know this stuff...

Running fine in 2020 means nothing to a buyer. I would get them running before selling. A buyer will low ball you if they can't test the motor before buying.

Thank you FN, that makes good solid sense to me...so if anybody has any thoughts on a square-dealing boat service Sherman/Denison/Texoma area I'd be much obliged for the reference!

get some fogging spray and fog both engines well, let sit a day or 2.

in one of your tanks mix 2 of the large cans of seafoam marine or 3 of the smaller cans, and gas/oil as you normally would.
after they sit a day or 2 with the cyls. fogged try to start them (you want the mix in the carbs) and let sit another day.

after all this start them and run them varying throttle from idle to wide open but don't hold high rpms, just rev it some.


this should clear out any and all carbon, clean the cyls and carbs. let them idle till at operating temp before you play with the throttle.



if that won't work then a shop.

Hey there Hop, thanks for that! Is the seafoam the fogging spray, or is fogging spray used before the seafoam procedure? If the fogging spray is the 1st step before seafoam, do I pull the plug(s) and spray it in there or in the carb, or ? Sorry to wart you for tech advice but if I don't it's hopeless lol...

If they have sat unused since 2020, I wouldn't even crank them until I replaced the impellers.

sta bil has the fogging spray, it's a light oil aerosol.

pull plugs, spray liberally in hole, pull starter a few times to move pistons then let it sit with plugs back in.

next day try to fire it with the seafoam mix to clean things. if an outboard sits long the rings can rust to the cyl. walls. won't happen often but even after just sitting the cyls. need some lube prior to starting.

and as said, I would change impellers out.