Outboard FAQs
Choosing Your Outboard:
Choosing the correct shaft length is important in preventing cavitation and performance issues. Shaft length is measured from the top of the transom clamp bracket to the cavitation plate on an outboard.
The shaft size you require is dictated by the transom height on your boat from the top of the transom to the bottom of the boat. The cavitation plate on your outboard should sit around the bottom of the boat, in line or just below depending on how your boat is set up.
On Boatworld inflatable boats you require a short (standard) shaft outboard. On Compass boats you require a long shaft outboard.
Matching the correct horse power outboard to your boat is something worth getting right first time round.
The first thing to check is the manufacturer limit on your boat, which is shown on the RCD plate on most boats. This gives you an upper limit. Now, it is necessary to consider the weight of the boat, your gear and how many passengers you will have on board and pair this with how you are wanting to use the boat. Clearly, everyone’s individual needs may differ, for example if you’re wanting to cruise down canals with speed limits in place, go out on open water, or plane across lakes. This should give you a good indication of horse power required.
If you need any advice on this then feel free to get in touch with us HERE
Choosing between whether to stay with petrol or go for electric often comes down to how and where you will be using your outboard.
For example, if you’re using your boat as a tender for short trips, it might make sense to go for an electric motor. It can be a good way to cut down on weight, maintenance and help the environment. All whilst being able to charge your outboard from the boat via solar etc.
However, if you are wanting to go out on the sea in some choppier conditions, you might want the power and range of a petrol outboard. Once you go above around 4hp with electric outboards, the price, batteries required and weight increases.
If you would like more guidance on this, feel free to contact us
Delivery:
When an in stock outboard is ordered it is placed in the queue to be PDI’d by our engineer. This usually takes between 2-7 working days but can increase/decrease depending on the time of year. Once this is complete the outboard will be ready for collection or dispatched. If you are having your engine delivered this is a 1-2 day service to mainland UK, but can increase to remote areas.
For an accurate wait time for your outboard order, feel free to contact us HERE
A PDI, or pre-delivery inspection is an important step in ensuring any outboard that leaves a brokerage is up to the standard required, think of how a car is tested before being sold. We conduct PDI’s on all brands and sizes of outboards we sell before they reach the customer.
A PDI is a thorough check over of the engine before it leaves us. The outboard is filled with engine oil and fired up in the test tank by our engineer, the idle speed, throttle and shift linkages are all adjusted. The engine is ran up to temperature to check it is running as it should. Our engineer will then drain the oil, grease up any moving parts and get the engine ready to be shipped off with the warranty activated.
This is no problem at all. For our address, office times, and to contact us to arrange the collection just head here: Contact Us
General Use & Storage:
Winterising your outboard is a great step to prevent corrosion and damage to your engine over the off-period. For information on this read our blog
A full flushing of an outboard cooling system is recommended after every use, especially where it has been used in salt water. This should be done with freshwater to clear the cooling passages of any scale and salt residue which can collect, causing corrosion and impeding water flow. We also recommend using Blu-Thru to aid this. Blu Thru can be mixed with fresh water to assist in ensuring your outboard is fully cleaned out and lubricated.
Depending on the brand of your outboard it will need to be laid down on a particular side, to stop engine oil from leaking out.
For example, all Orca outboards should be stored either in their upright position on a stand or tiller arm down, if there is engine oil in outboard.
Orca outboards can be serviced here at Boatworld or at one of our Orca Service Centres. We have service kits available too so if you know/are a marine engineer just get in touch with regards to warranty.
Orca outboards have their first service after 20 hours of use or 3 months after your purchase. After this, they are due for their main service after every 100 hours of use or 12 months after your purchase.
Properly bedding in your motor is very important for giving it a long life and making sure it is running well. Outboard run in instructions can vary from outboard to outboard.
In general outboard motors require a period of 10 hours to be broken in. This should be done in water under load as follows.
- For the first hour of operation: Run the engine at varying
speeds up to 2000rpm or approximately half throttle. - For the second hour of operation: Run the engine at 3000rpm
or approximately three-quarter throttle - Remaining 8 hours: Run the engine at any speed. However,
avoid operating at full throttle for more than 5 minutes at a time.
Your outboards 1st service will be due shortly after it has been ran in, which is an ideal time to get everything checked over and adjusted.
Troubleshooting:
If your Orca outboard motor won’t start, it is best to check over the basics first.
Is your kill switch attached and secured in position? If so, next check the fuel system. Check that your outboards fuel tap is in the correct position and that the system has been primed either with an external or internal primer bulb, you may also need to choke the outboard depending on which you have. Is there fuel in the tank? And has the vent been opened to allow the flow of fuel without causing a vacuum.
If your outboard is electric start, is your battery connected properly with no corrosion, and is this charged? It is also worth checking your spark plugs, if these are damp and dark, your outboard may be flooded.
If these simple checks don’t work, check your fuel system over thoroughly, are there any pinches in the lines or fuel leaks? Are your fuel filters clear? If E10 or old fuel has been left in the outboard without a stabiliser, the ethanol content in the fuel may have attracted water and could be causing the outboard to not start or cut out.
If this troubleshooting does not help, then get in touch with us and we would be happy to help. Contact us.
Has your outboard flooded? You can usually tell if the outboard won’t start, and the spark plug has become wet, dark and sooty. Outboards can flood if you are excessively trying to pull it over, or are misusing the choke. I.e. starting a warm outboard with the choke out.
To remedy this, you need to remove the spark plug/’s, clean them off and give the engine 4 or 5 pulls with the spark plugs out and on full throttle. Now put the spark plugs back in and start up with no choke, and on quarter throttle. Put this back to idle once it has started up.
Has your recoil start broken and you need to start the outboard in an emergency situation?
To emergency start the outboard, cut the rope off your recoil, tie a not in the end and place it in the cut out on the fly wheel/starter drum. Now wrap the rope around clockwise. Keep your hands and anything else away from this and pull it over, watching out for the rope as it will fly off there.
This should only be done in emergency situation when all other options have been attempted. To avoid having issues with a recoil start, on an electric start outboard, please always use the electric start where possible. On all outboards ensure you take the slack of the pull, by pulling out till you engage it, before pulling over.
