A couple of problems with Tohatsu 9.8 hp

[Volitan]

Hi. I have a Tohatsu 9.8hp two stroke - probably about 2004 or thereabouts. Its not been used for the last few years but I've just bought a little inflatable and am now renovating it to use.

Basically, it goes really well, but there are a couple of mysteries with it.

1. There is a tiny hole in the rear of the lower casing - see the attached photo. It throws out a bit of air and water but doesn't seem to affect how the motor runs and certainly not the cooling. Should it be there? Is it a problem ? Should I just seal it up ?

2. There are a couple of short stainless steel wires fixed to the side of the motor - you can see one in the attached photo. The parts diagram seems to indicate they are earth wires - maybe? One has broken. Should I fix it ? Why do I need earth wires on a pull-start motor ?

3. Other then that, the main problem is corrosion. Even though I always looked after it and ran fresh water through it and rinsed it over after use, nothing seems to have stopped the corrosion. Its just surface corrosion at the moment. I've had other motors (Yamahas) which did not suffer corrosion with the same treatment. Is this normal ? Is it just a known problem with Tohatsus ? Is there a solution ?

thanks in anticipation for your your help

cheers

Arron

[Guest Aussie007]

i dont actually know what the hole is but seems outboards have it there for a reason, could possibly be for the cooling of the exhaust , water fills the internal chamber around the exhaust to cool it i think and that hole is like a releif im probably way off tho

for the corrosion u need to look for water leaks under the canopy that could be causing a mist and corrosion, i know the tohatsu i bought after about 2 months had a lot of salt build up on the head gasket even tho i flushed for 10mins after ever use

[Geoff]

I'm not sure about the hole or the wire , if they look like they were there from day one & the motor runs & pumps water OK I suggest you just leave them.

As to the corrosion , once it starts , it's hard to stop. remove what you can with a wire brush or something similar then spray on a regular basis with Inox.

Do not use WD40 or similar products. They are not designed for this purpose & over a period of time the film will build up which is near impossible to remove.

If your really keen & want to spend the time there are products available to remove , control & paint but the problem will be getting a colour match.

Geoff.