You run it at WOT in neutral? One these days that flywheel is going to take the top of you cowling and maybe your head with it.

I have an old ( 1980) OMC V4. I never do it. I just tilt it up and install the transom saver. Most of it runs out. I use seafoam in the gas every now and then, too. Never had a problem...not in 13 years.

No in gear.

I've got a 1998 40 hp Mercury/Force. When I tilt it up most of the gas runs out of my carb too. Not running it out of gas makes good sense to me.

When I had two stroke engines I used to run out the gas. Had a mechanic tell me not to do it cause it allowed the carb floats to bounce when trailering the boat. Don't know if'n it was right or wrong but I quit running out the gas and didn't have any problems.

here's the link to the post about this last week...
http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...art#Post3396905

Let's see if this makes better sense..

Would you run your car for three or four minutes without oil? Does that sound like a great idea?

That's exactly what you do to a two stroke when you run it out of fuel.

For every one lucky person who hasn't blown their powerhead *yet* we can find ten that have.

Well, I talked to my dad tonight and he had to have the carb rebuilt because it was gummed up with old fuel/oil. We didn't run it out last time we took that boat out. Of course, it sat for over two years and I'll be running the outboard regularly.

If you have problems with excessive smoking when you start your premix engine then you have extra oil left in the carbs. I would just idle mine till it starts to miss then shut it off to limit 1. how much it ran without oil 2 How much oil would be left in the carbs.If you don't have problems starting your outboard then this procedure is not nessary . I tend to use mine year round so I don't have any problem with stale gas but if I was going to leave it for more than a couple of weeks I would use the procedure above!

"....Of course, it sat for over two years ....."

That's why.

If you have an old engine (or a new one) where you pre mix the fuel and oil in the tank, then yes you can run the gas/oil out of the carbs and insure good starts every time. There is no risk of damage because the oil is in the gas before it gets to the carbs, so you are still lubing the engine. This was the standard for about 50 years!

I still think anything above an idle is putting unnessesary wear on the engine.

allowed the carb floats to bounce when trailering the boat. Don't know if'n it was right or wrong but I quit running out the gas and didn't have any problems.


just another reason not to do it