Fab1

Linkages-Check all linkages/cams look like they are connected and operational.Are they well greased? Spark plug wires-Are they secure and tight?Bend them slightly and see if you can see fine cracks along the insulation. Pull them off by twisting and pulling looking at the insides.Is there any corrosion or signs of burning inside?On four strokes pull out the dipstick and check the fluid levels.Are they correct?Does the fluid look reasonably clean?Does the oil filter look like it has been changed recently and not leaking from around the base? Things like this you need to check. Always before your deciding to commit to buy a busy I'd ask to take it to a mechanic to pull engine codes if newer technology and have a leak down test performed or at a very minimum a compression test done. Those few things I suggest should be checked on every outboard as a minimum as some of the things I mentioned are often not checked by the potential boat buyer of which can all add up to extra $$$ after purchase to rectify. Ill make a post on interiors next and as always feel free to add anything you wish to add to help out anyone with their next boat purchase. Cheers.

Look at the flywheel and starter teeth.Are they all there?How worn do they look?Is there any missing,chipped broken ones?Same thing under the cowl as before in regards to fuel hoses. Check all hoses to carbs,filters,fuel pumps etc. Are all connections secure?Do the fuel hoses show signs of ageing like cracks,dry rot etc. Gaskets-Check along all gaskets for signs of seepage,breakage etc. Cont pt 13

Doesn't matter if your talking a four stroke or 2 stroke under the engine cowling there's a few simple things to check there also. I start with a good visual of the engine as a whole asking myself these questions. Does the engine look it's age? Does the engine look relatively clean as a whole? Does any wiring look neat and tidy? Are any fluid reservoirs in good condition and toped up? Can you see any blistered/peeling paint on the engine block? Is there a white substance that looks like salt corrosion? Are there any rust stains/water leaks? etc,etc. Again a well cared for outboard should look nice,clean and tidy under the cowl.Don't worry if you don't know what your looking at does just perform a few simple checks I'll show you below.As the photo above shows outboards have all sorts of wiring and electrics in different configurations but one thing that doesn't change is connections,wiring and components can and do fail on all of them. The simple things any layperson can do is inspect anywhere there is an electrical connection to ensure it is clean,tight and corrosion free. I like to wiggle and gently pull all connections to check their security looking along the length if any wires for signs of burning,rubbing etc. Ask yourself questions as you go.Does the wiring look neat and tidy?Is it secure?(Give it a gentle pull)Is there what appears like green powder on any of the wiring terminals,posts etch? Look at the top of the head for discolouration,peeling paint(both can indicate overheating).Tool marks,chipped paint on bolts indicate part removal at some stage during the engines life.(This can indicate the engine has been serviced).The paint should be uniform in colour on the entire block. Cont pt 11

Check here at the tilt tube for signs of corrosion,play etc also.Again grasp the engine and try to forcefully jiggle it up/down side to side. You will notice the tilt tube usually has two grease nipples as shown. A misconception among boaters is they think when they have stiff steering that greasing here will alleviate their problems. Wrong! The tilt tubes function is to support the outboard itself to the transom bracket allowing the outboard to tilt up and down in the process.It also houses the steering cable on a manual steering system. The tilt tube has two (usually)nylon bushes either side that need to be lubricated periodically to prevent friction(wear)between the metal tilt tube itself and the transom bracket where it mounts.You will find these two grease nipples fitted directly in the centre of where those two bushes are located.The purpose of those grease nipples is to grease THOSE BUSHES only and will do nothing to help with steering effort. If you have hard steering on a cable system you either have an issue with the swivel bracket bushes or the steering cable itself. Moving to the exterior of the outboard I like to check things like any throttle/gear linkages for wear/fraying broken cable strands etc. Any fittings such as electrical/steering/fuel cables etc and that the engine cowl itself is in good condition with its seal in good condition also.Check throttle and gear cables are in good condition for now.Later down the track we will check them for operation. Check any fuel lines/electric cables etc for loose connections,cracking,fraying,chaffing etc.If it's a pull start inspect the rope for wear as they do wear and snap usually at the worse time. A little tip from me if you own a electric and pull start outboard like I have is to see if you can physically pull start it before you are stranded somewhere to find out you can't.Some people can't due to physical limitations,bung shoulders etc. Another tip is to always store your outboard with its drag link rod in the fully retracted position to help prevent corrosion. We'll look at under the cowl in the next pt.

Next I check the bushes in the swivel bracket,tilt tube and that engine mounts are in good condition and don't need replacing.Again,using my outboard as an example there are bushes in the top and the bottom of this portion of the swivel bracket that can wear out causing steering binding or slop.To check for excessive movement here I keep the outboard in the fully down position(Vertical) grasping the lower leg giving it a good firm wiggle side to side and fwd and backward.You should feel no to very little movement. While I'm here I also check that the transom bracket mounting bolts are in good condition and tight. That the trim pin on a manual trim and tilt engine like mine is there and not missing. The shallow water drive bracket is there and functional. The idea is to look at and operate everything making sure it all is where it should be and in good condition. Above is a shot of a rubber engine mount.You don't want to see any splits,cracks or dry rot in these.I have a steel pry bar encased in a rubber hose to pry in between the engine and bracket to check for movement here. Cont pt 10

A battery at 12.21 volts is only around 60%charged.Try fully charging the battery if it will hold a charge and try again.Do you notice it cranks slower than usual?The battery at that level of charge could be giving you a weak spark. Its good practice to start with a fully charged battery when diagnosing a no start condition. If you have compression,air,fuel and spark it should at least attempt to start. Cheers.

Top stuff as usual mate.Most of us mere mortals would be pleased with just half the feed you've got there. Keep it up.

Check the lower unit gear oil.There's a fill and a drain screw. Loosen the drain screw and let a little oil out to check it's condition.If the fluid comes out like this looking milky/coffee coloured water has at some stage breached the seals protecting the gears inside.(Not Good) The drain plug has a magnet that is designed to capture tiny fragments of metal causes by the gears meshing together as they wear.(This is normal to see very fine paste like bits adhered to the magnet).Its big pieces/chunks you don't want.An example of the metal fillings on the drain plug. Another thing I like to see is that the water inlet grills are still attached on the outboard and clear. I did an impellor on a mates boat a few years ago that had disintegrated on him only to find that when I started his boat up after replacing the impellor the rest of the disintegrated impellor was lodged in behind this grill. Next I like to check the Power trim and tilt motor and rams for corrosion and fluid leaks. The motors themselves can corrode both externally and internally as well as the stainless rams.The motors can also have electrical issues but what we want to determine here is if they work and show any signs of the above as electrical diagnosis is usually well beyond the scope of the novice and is best left to the experts. I like to operate them through their full range of motion a few times with the switch and then checking the following.You can clearly see the rust here on the right motor and the base of the left ram.That rust will eventually eat through the motors case and the rust on that ram will destroy the seals causing hydraulic fluid leaks. Here one on the left showing where rust had formed in the ram which will eat the seals in no time.This is where you'll commonly see any fluid leaks,right at the base of where the ram goes into it's cylinder. Again check the condition of the fluid as they to can take in water through splashing etc. When towing it's good practice to take the weight off the hydraulics by fitting a cut down roller or similar over the rams and lowering the outboards weight into these. At home I would leave the outboard In the down position to retract the rams into their bores and periodically tilt the outboard through its full range of motion when stored for long periods of time to keep everything lubed and smooth. I'll continue the saga in Pt 9. Cheers.

No matter the conditions or colour of the water you always do ok mate.Well done!Im with you in regards to swimming outside the baths.I assume if you do it often enough it wouldn't take long to disappear with the things with teeth lurking around there. Cheers.

I think people need to get over the brand.Hyundai have some very decent cars these days for a fair price.We have horses and some of the horse people we know tow horses and caravans with those Hyundai Santa fa you mention and have done so for years. The ones I've talked to are happy with their cars and the economy they get. I use to cop it when I had my Daewoo.People would say remarks like,Why did you buy a Daewoo?It won't make 100k?The electrics in those Korean cars are crap?Etc,etc.Well guess what?I had that car for 16years and did nearly 400,000k and never even replaced a globe in it the whole time I had it electric wise.Yes,by then it was getting long in the tooth but it have me years of fuss free motoring an did everything I needed plus more. Those same idiots driving "better" brands like Mazdas,Toyotas,Nissans etc had to be saved more times than I can remember by me driving my Daewoo when they broke down. Hopefully I get that same service from my Kia Cerato. The only true way you'll know is to do your research and take the plunge mate. Good luck with whatever you choose.

I bet she doesn't get much game time.

First and foremost engines can be complicated,expensive bits of engineering and are really best left to someone with experience to check out for you.Saying that there's a couple of things that the novice potential boat buyer can look for before calling in the experts. Even though boats can be powered by different types of engines including diesel stern drives I'll keep the discussion based on outboards as this is the most commonly fitted engine to a boat a first time boat buyer would buy. As before I like to start at the bottom and work up. First up is the prop. Props can and do take abuse when either running aground or hiting some underwater obstacle etc.Missing paint on an alloy painted prop is no big deal which is caused by running in the shallows stiring up sand/mud. it's bent,broken or cracked blades that's when it becomes a concern.This prop has seen better days and should be replaced.If you drive the boat like this you will experience severe engine/steering vibration. If you already have a boat and hit something and immediately get this vibration always check the prop and that you haven't cracked the gear case housing or bent the prop shaft.More on that later.Stainless props can suffer the same fate.Being stainless there's more chance of the next thing I'm going to show you happening as they are much more solid than an alloy prop when you hit something which can/will transfer the shock to other engine components such as the gear case housing,bearings and prop shaft. This engine has a stainless prop fitted with a matching cracked gear case housing to go with it.Im betting the owner has struck something solid. Another thing that can happen when hitting anything with the outboard is cracked/broken skeg.Prime example here of a destroyed prop and broken skeg.If you still have the broken piece they can be welded back on depending on where the break is relative to the gear case.Here's one that's been repaired. Testing for a bent prop shaft(Engine Stopped). Ensure the engine is switched off and in neutral giving the prop a good spin by hand.It should spin true with no oscillations. Grab the prop in the 12 and 6 o,clock position and the 9 and 3 o,clock position wiggling side to side and up and down pushing in/out. There should only be the slightest play. Testing for bent prop(Engine running) Start the outboard in neutral on the muffs and put it in fwd gear with a little throttle. Stand back behind the outboard and watch the outside edges of the prop blades or prop hub spin.A perfect circle should form.Anything that looks like a oval while it's spinning and you may have a bent shaft or distorted prop. If the owner will allow take the prop off and check for fishing line behind the prop that can eat into the seal for the gear housing.Its just a matter of undoing a nut and removing a few spacers/washers and sliding the prop off.This is what you don't want to be greeted by.Theres an oil seal behind that line which if compromised will allow water in to the gear case which you don't want. Theres other things that can go wrong with props like bad bushes etc but these are the main things to look out for. I'll continue In pt 8.

Good job to keep the honest thieves away mate.I thought of a solid steel bar that runs through both wheels with a lock on one end encased in a tubular steel cover but dropped the idea as a pair of bolt cutters and battery powered angle grinder will get through almost anything. But hey,every little bit we can do may just save you and the crooks will decide to take the less protected trailer. Again,Good job. Fabian.

Cheers,next one will be engines.

Good job mate.Every little bit of prevention could some day save you or others.

Yes,one strap per side.If the boat wants to go backwards it is held by the straps.With one strap across the boat the boat can slid back underneath the strap.

Driving to work this arvo I saw this bloke towing this boat.He at least had the foresight to put a sign out the back saying no signal. As I drove past having a gander I saw he had no tie downs,winch strap or safety chain attached. Maybe he had run out of writing space on the sign and forgot to add no tied owns,winch,safety chain and please pull me over police before I kill myself or others. How it has managed to stay on the trailer during his trip is beyond me. I tried flashing and beeping the driver to get him to pull over but he just smiled and kept driving. As the title says "God help us" if people are this stupid.

Yes,the cheaper turnbuckles are cast and useless.Mines a old solid steel one I use for my tinny.

Yes people don't realise the stress that winch post is under.Especially under severe braking or being shunted from behind.It doesn't matter what winch strap you have as it's attached to the winch post and won't hold anything when braking or being shunted. The best thing for this is to have a chain running from the bow eye back to the trailer to avoid forward movement during the above like I have here.The winch strap just helps a bit with rearward movement of the vessel and so does the safety chain.What stops the rearward movement of the boat is the rear tie downs if they are individual ones on each transom corner. Single straps over the rear of the boat won't prevent rearward movement as good as individual straps as they really on downward pressure and can cave in the hull on lighter aluminium boats if tensioned to tight. Cheers.

Thats my intention to help people like yourself and others Tara in avoiding some of the common pitfalls of buying a used boat. Like cars,the cheaper end of the market your buying a boat from the more issues you normally find but not always if your lucky.

With alloy hulls the main faults you'll find are cracked/split welds,dents,gouges,electrolysis and galvanic corrosion. Again,dents above the water line are cosmetic but if you see any on the bottom of the hull they can and will effect performance/handling. I suggest taking your time to inspect all welds carefully and if the owner will allow lift the floor(if fitted) and check the welds under there especially the ribs also.Now is a good time to keep an eye out for stray sinkers,swivels etc and check the type of underfloor floatation if any.This boat has a crack along the chine line weld.This dent is cosmetic only.sever damage like this is best avoided no matter how cheap the boat is. Also look at any rail welds while your there as they too can crack.Bubbling paint around fittings such as cleats,rails,screws etc are quite common in painted boats as salt tends to get in under the paint in these areas which will be made worse by using dissimilar metals to attach the said fittings. These are just the basics of what to look for in a alloy hull. For info on electrolysis/galvanic corrosion do a google search as both subjects are quite complex to talk about in a small article like this and I don't have the photo space. Any one else care to add anything feel free. Thanks.

Yes,boats take a pounding on and off the trailer.When you add some neglect/abuse/rough roads....the problem compounds. A common practice you see during holidays is people driving along with their boats loaded up to the hilt with crap adding extra down weight onto that trailers rollers/skids.It's bad enough on a roller/skidded trailer but much worse on a trailer with full rollers especially if those rollers are out of alignment slightly which will cause uneven pressure on the hull which can cause damage. Another common practice I'm never fond of is the old trailer tie down strap across the back of the boat.That strap is trying to squeeze the sides of the boat in towards each other when you think about it which would add to the stress put on the transom corners.I prefer the single tie down straps down from each transom corner for this reason.

Thanks mate.

Thanks mate.Im glad your enjoying them. Cheers.

Thanks,will do.