Texas Fishing Forum

Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance

Posted By: joho5

Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/06/18 12:19 AM

Just curious on ideas to get the most life out of 2 strokes. What do y'all do on a maintenance level and how often?
Posted By: blackhorse

Re: Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/06/18 12:33 AM

follow owner's manual. If you have a Yamaha use Ring Free. Have a Yamaha ProV 150
going on 20 years. Runs just as good as it did new.
Posted By: Alumacraft 14

Re: Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/06/18 12:39 AM

Fill tank full after every use use a fuel stabilizer, flush it if you are using it in the salt and spray down outside of motor with vinager let it soak and rinse off then wax (I wax the motor every 3 months). Remove prop, inspect prop shaft, relube, reinstall prop, inspect [censored] hole for clogs/build up and store inside garage after every use.

Change water fuel seperator filter every 3 months, lube grease points every 6 months, clean n lube steering tube every 3 month (salt) or 6 months (fresh), change lower unit oil every year, water pump every year. Clean and inspect fuel filter/oil filter under cowling every 3 months, inspect, clean/replace plugs every 6 months.

Check the anoid every 6 months in salt or yearly in fresh, replace if needed.

Use the oil the manufactuer recommends to use if not oem then use highest quality you can get that meets manufactuers recommendations.

Let motor warm up by idleing for 3 mins if in warm weather, 10 mins if in cold weather before going WOT.

Thats my routine.
Posted By: dk2429

Re: Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/06/18 04:02 AM

^x2 especially if it's an Optimax on warm up.. I forgot the name them guys came up with, cold seize or something.. If you don't let her warm up you'll [censored] it up. Even dead summer I'll let her idle for 3-4 mins. Winter, 30 degrees, few extra mins. Them Optimax's are very cold nature motors. If you don't let them warm up, you'll know it.......
Posted By: sll

Re: Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/06/18 04:37 PM

100% gasoline when at all possible.
Posted By: Stump jumper

Re: Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/06/18 05:49 PM

Originally Posted By: Alumacraft 14
Fill tank full after every use use a fuel stabilizer,
clean/replace plugs every 6 months.

I am not going to do #1 with a 95 gallon tank. I put 50 gallons in 2 months ago only because I knew gas was going up and I would be using the boat a lot. I will use stablilzer if I know that gas is going to sit a while otherwise I might only use ring free. This is my first Optimax but from what I have read you don't change plugs unless one is giving you a problem. This is a good thing because they are expensive and kind of hard to get to.
Posted By: Gamblinman

Re: Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/07/18 09:58 AM

Carbon is the #1 killer of 2 strokes. Always use an additive that minimizes the build-up of carbon, such as Mercury Quikleen or Yamaha Ring Free.
Posted By: 09wingates

Re: Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/07/18 12:01 PM

I just buy high quality 2 cycle oil and buy at least plus or premium fuel. I typically put Stabil Marine in the tank when I know it might sit for a little while. I be sure to winterize it correctly during the cold months. My old Johnson VRO isn't too picky thankfully. Never had any issues.
Posted By: Alumacraft 14

Re: Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/07/18 02:56 PM

Fresh gas w/ stabilizer, quality oil, indoor storage. Those are always my top priority in that order.

Don't let fuel sit without being used for more than 100 days. Use that boat, even if it's just a joy ride to burn some gas, 2 stroke motors like to be used.
Posted By: Stump jumper

Re: Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/07/18 05:23 PM

Originally Posted By: 09wingates
I just buy high quality 2 cycle oil and buy at least plus or premium fuel. I typically put Stabil Marine in the tank when I know it might sit for a little while. I be sure to winterize it correctly during the cold months. My old Johnson VRO isn't too picky thankfully. Never had any issues.
I don't worry about plus or premium unless the motor is high compression and manual specifies a higher octane. Just because it is plus or premium does not mean it is better. My Optimax and my truck run fine on regular. Now the Black Max I had before the Optimax had milled heads and was running around 140. I always ran premium in it.
Posted By: Gamblinman

Re: Best 2 stroke preventative maintenance - 06/08/18 02:15 PM

Use the recommended octane fuel. Higher grades burn slower and leads to carbon deposits.
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