What to do if haven't cranked motor in months

[livemusic]

Yep, shouldn't be but it is... not started in six months. 2019 Yamaha 115hp 4 stroke. Any precautions before starting? Has always ran like a top, there are no issues. 

[Way north bass guy]

Welcome to a northerners life! The boat gets put to bed in November and doesn’t see the light of day till April most years. If stored properly ( good fuel with a bit of stabilizer, oils changed etc. ), it should fire right up and be just fine. I know mine does every spring, and it’s one of the best sounds in the world. 

[A-Jay]

29 minutes ago, Way north bass guy said:

Welcome to a northerners life! The boat gets put to bed in November and doesn’t see the light of day till April most years. If stored properly ( good fuel with a bit of stabilizer, oils changed etc. ), it should fire right up and be just fine. I know mine does every spring, and it’s one of the best sounds in the world. 

It most certainly is my friend.

A-Jay

[gim]

56 minutes ago, Way north bass guy said:

If stored properly ( good fuel with a bit of stabilizer, oils changed etc. ), it should fire right up and be just fine. I know mine does every spring

Mine has always too. I always get my outboard professionally winterized in late October and use ethanol free premium gas.

 

2 strokes were a little tougher though. Before 2002 my family’s boat had a 2 stroke and that thing was cold blooded. It eventually always got running, but it was stubborn. Nothing like the modern 4 strokes that purr today.

[Ski213]

For full disclosure I don’t know a heck of a lot about 2 stroke OBs and even less about 4 stroke. I’d guess it will fire up pretty easily with no special precautions. A lot of money hanging off there though. 
 

If it were mine I might give the intake tract a quick once over to make sure no critters have put anything in there you wouldn’t want sucked into your engine. I’d also turn the engine over by hand a couple revolutions to make sure everything feels okay. Might google doing that on your specific engine. May make no difference but on some 4 stroke dirt bikes you do not want to turn the engine over in the wrong direction even by hand. Different animal but still worth checking. 
 

[TnRiver46]

It should start right up but one thing to do before trying is charge the crank battery 

[livemusic]

Good news is it started like always, just as soon as I turn the key it’s started!

 

Another question. I noticed that I did not see water peeing out of the motor. I let it run longer than I wanted to and then I shut it down. Maybe a minute.  Then did it again and ran it a little bit and decided to increase the throttle and that is when I saw water finally coming out. Do you think it just took that long for it to come out, that it is a normal response after sitting a few months? It trickled a bit then finally peed full stream. 
 

I assumed all is well n left the launch.

[FishinBuck07]

18 hours ago, A-Jay said:

It most certainly is my friend.

A-Jay

I keep trying to find that startup sound of the Pro XS for a ringtone, but still haven't!??

[cyclops2]

There is 1 VERY odd important check to HAVE DONE by any marina. Before they ever crank the starter !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  YOU TOO if you start your own engine first. 

 

Remove the engine enough to CLEARLY see the engine INTAKE OPENINGS !!!!!!!!!!!

Last year I noticed my engine sounded a little quieter ??  after fishing & restarting 6 ? times I removed the cover. O M G !!!!!!!!!!!! The whole front & intakes were filled with white seat cushion stuffing. I just sagged into the seat bench.

 

Moral     Check for animal squatters before cranking !!  Got it out.  Continued fishing.

[Dogface]

10 hours ago, livemusic said:

 

Another question. I noticed that I did not see water peeing out of the motor. I let it run longer than I wanted to and then I shut it down. Maybe a minute.  Then did it again and ran it a little bit and decided to increase the throttle and that is when I saw water finally coming out. Do you think it just took that long for it to come out, that it is a normal response after sitting a few months? It trickled a bit then finally peed full stream. 

 

 

Higher RPM to get the pump running? 

 

Or does it have a thermostat that needed to get up to operating temperature? 

[TnRiver46]

11 hours ago, livemusic said:

Good news is it started like always, just as soon as I turn the key it’s started!

 

Another question. I noticed that I did not see water peeing out of the motor. I let it run longer than I wanted to and then I shut it down. Maybe a minute.  Then did it again and ran it a little bit and decided to increase the throttle and that is when I saw water finally coming out. Do you think it just took that long for it to come out, that it is a normal response after sitting a few months? It trickled a bit then finally peed full stream. 
 

I assumed all is well n left the launch.

Yeah that’s normal, sometimes it takes a while for them to start pumping when it’s below 25 or so degrees or I suppose the same could be true if it’s been sitting for months 

[Big Rick]

On 2/20/2022 at 9:37 AM, livemusic said:

Good news is it started like always, just as soon as I turn the key it’s started!

 

Another question. I noticed that I did not see water peeing out of the motor. I let it run longer than I wanted to and then I shut it down. Maybe a minute.  Then did it again and ran it a little bit and decided to increase the throttle and that is when I saw water finally coming out. Do you think it just took that long for it to come out, that it is a normal response after sitting a few months? It trickled a bit then finally peed full stream. 
 

I assumed all is well n left the launch.

Good chance a mud dauber stored some food in there. The water pressure eventually forced it out. I often run a small piece of wire into the exit tube a few inches to insure there are no obstructions. Now that it is flowing freely you're probably good to go. 

[Way2slow]

FishinBuck07, all you have to do is use that one AJ posted and convert it to a ring tone.  I've made several of my own.  The one I'm using special version of Dixie I liked.  I just recorded it and converted it to a ring tone..

OOPs, sorry, AJ's was the wrong motor for what you wanted.