Been a owner of a boat and motor for many years, I try to go at least twice a month through the summer and have always left the fuel hose hooked up to the motor for no other reason than keeping dirt out. Some guys at work and I were talking and some unplug and some don’t and some just unplug during long storage.
Interested what you guys do.
Thanks in advance
Seems to me an open hole in to the fuel system is a problem waitin to happen. Ants or spiders or moisture could possibly get in there and none of the 3 are good.
Have always left my gas line hooked up. This last engine i bought ( tohatsu ) will flood if the line is left hooked. For the time being am leaving it unhooked. The gas cap for pollution control to keep fumes ? Out of the air. It can take air in thru the gas cap but can't expell. Am modifying the cap to where it can breathe. The engine ( 20hp) runs great but will be flooded at the ramp when you get ready to cold start, if you leave the line hooked up. The tank will swell up. First time i have ever seen anything like it.
I always unplug mine but I do not run it dry. My reasoning wrong or right is I dont want the remainder of the tank siphoning out if a float sticks etc.
I always leave mine hooked up, but prior to winter storage I do Stabil the gas in the tank, start the engine while on "the muffs" let it get to temp. unhook the gas line until the engine runs out of fuel, then reattach to keep foreign objects out of lines.
Thirty years ago when I got the little Honda outboard for my john boat, I found that when it was parked for a good while like over the winter, if I didn't leave the fuel line plugged in on the motor connector, the oring would dry out and then leak the next time I plugged it in and pumped up the bulb.
So for the last 28 years it has stayed plugged in year round and has not leaked a drop.
If there’s any worries about having the carbs full of fuel over the winter and possible ethanol damage from sitting. Just unhook it and let it run till it’s outa gas and won’t restart then plug er back in and store it up. That’s what I do to all my stuff that sits throughout winter line weed eater mower pressure washer and generator. Always fill the fuel tank all the way up so that there’s very little air in the tank to condensate during temp fluctuations.
I disconnect the fuel line and run the carbs dry. When I was using the 6gal tank if I let it hooked up it would drain most of the tank. I keep my motor tipped up thee tank would heat up and push the gas out. And the oil would dry up in the carb bowels too. I put in a 16gal boat tank it has a vent but I still unhook the hose. The carbs get fresh gas runs like a top.
I recommend using fuel stabilizer to protect your boat’s fuel system from damages of ethanol-based fuel and moisture. It protects the engine, especially the metal components, fuel combustion and even the engine is stored.
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