Easy Steps to Outboard Motor Winterizing & Storage
Derrek Sigler 11.13.19
For most of us, the worst time of year is upon us – The time when we have to put the boat away for the winter. We try to stretch it out as long as we can, but Mother Nature and Jack Frost inevitably conspire each year to bring an end to the boating season for those of us in the northern climates. One of the most important, and overlooked steps is winterizing and storing your outboard motor. It’s not overly difficult, or even that time consuming, but doing it right can save you so many hassles in the spring.
Making Winterizing Easy
Evinrude E-TEC outboards are, by far, the easiest motors to winterize. If you have one of the E-TEC G2 motors, you simply back your boat into the water, or hook up a hose for cooling. You then select “Winterize” from your digital display, and the motor will automatically winterize itself in just 90 seconds. The motor will automatically shut itself off and you’re winterized and ready for storage.
This is where E-TEC G2 motors blow competitor engines out of the water.
Say you unexpectedly get a bonus fishing day in the middle of November, but you already took your boat to the dealership to have it winterized. With an E-TEC G2, you don’t have to live in fear of those days any longer. You could pull your boat out of the garage and be on the water in minutes, and then easily winterize your engine again after you wrap up at the end of the day.
That’s a real game changer!
For the smaller Evinrude E-TEC outboard motors, it’s only slightly more involved. You will still need the hose or lake to cool the engine, and you still need stabilized fuel. Use the Fast Idle lever to set the motor, then start it and the LEDs on the display will come on and stay on for 15 seconds. After they shut off, move the idle back to mid-position and run it for another 15 seconds. The next step is to move the Fast Idle back to position and the motor will run at a higher RPM and automatically fog itself. When it’s done, it will shut off. You then turn off the key and it’s winterized. There are videos online showing you every step and just how easy this process is.
What’s Fogging the Motor?
Do you remember the scene in “The Hunt for Red October,” when Sean Connery’s character tells Jack Ryan that he should stop shooting because, “Most things in here don’t respond too well to bullets?” When it comes to your outboard motor think of it this way – Most things in there don’t respond too well to ice. Make sure your motor is completely drained of water before you store it, as ice can wreck an outboard’s internal parts in short order. You also need to fog it.
Fogging is a process of getting more oil into the engine, and leaving a thin coating to help stave off freezing and corrosion over the winter months. For older two-stroke motors, you use canned fogging oil, and spray it into the carburetors just as the motor idles out of fuel. This adds the needed layer of oil residue onto all the interior parts. Evinrude E-TEC motors use the injector oil to add this layer and do so automatically through digital control. This also helps take the guesswork out of it.
Do I Need to Stabilize the Fuel?
One of the most important steps to winterizing your outboard motor has to do with the fuel system. To cut down on fossil fuel usage, most fuel you buy these days has some amount of ethanol in it. Ethanol is derived from corn and other select plants, and is alcohol based. While this works just fine in automotive engines, it isn’t optimal for small engines – even highly efficient engines like Evinrude E-TEC outboards.
The issue is a matter of cellulose, part of the cell wall that is found in all plants and anything derived from plants. Ethanol, no matter how refined, breaks down much faster than petroleum-based fuel. When it breaks down, the cellulose residue it leaves is often very harsh on small engines. It clogs fuel lines, intakes, injectors and more. These clogs often result in an expensive repair bill. The best way to stop any of these issues is to use a high-quality marine-specific fuel stabilizer that will prevent the breakdown of the ethanol. For an E-TEC, you can use Evinrude 2+4 Fuel Stabilizer
One of the first things you should do in the winterization process is pour stabilizer into your fuel tank, hook up a hose to your water pump and run the motor long enough for the stabilized fuel to work through the motor as you winterize it. Even if you drain the fuel, you can’t get all of it out, so stabilizing it is key come spring time.
How Should I Store My Outboard Motor?
Even though you can get away with it, it is recommended not to leave your outboard motor directly exposed to the wrath of winter. Small, portable outboards should be winterized and then taken inside your garage or storage shed. Hang it on a saw horse so it is up off the floor and protected. Bigger motors that get left on the boat require a little more.
How Should I Store My Boat and Outboard Motor Together?
There are two schools of thought for storage of your outboard while it is on the boat. Some boaters are fond of shrink-wrapping the boat. This is a thick plastic wrap that is then shrunk to the boat using heat. There are do-it-yourself kits available, although most will take it to a local marina, and have it done professionally.
The other option is to put the boat into some form of protective storage, like a barn, garage or shed. This is a good option, especially if you own the building, as it allows you access to your boat in case you want to do some upgrades over the winter months.
Regardless of where you store your boat and outboard motor, remove the batteries from the boat. Batteries can freeze during the cold months and cause you undo grief and expense come spring. Also remove any electronics, like your GPS or fishfinder.
In reality, winterizing and storing your outboard motor only takes a few minutes to do. If it gets away from you and you forget, the results can be catastrophic come next spring. Spring motor repairs can take time and cost thousands of dollars – all of which can and will take time away from boating and fishing. It’s just not worth it.
