5 Tips to Improve Your Outboard Performance
A correctly picked and set outboard can do an excellent job of powering your boat. When you maintain your vessel engine rightly, it can work for a longer time.
Every outboard motor performs to its designed potential. When you repower your boat from an experienced Port Alberni boat dealer they can help you set up the engine properly and maintain it. Some essential factors you need to consider for taking good care of your boat engine are the RPM range, propeller selection, and following up on the maintenance schedule.
The pressing question is,
How Can I Optimize and Improve My Outboard Performance?
Here, we will give you the appropriate answer to this question.
There are expensive options already available that can help improve your vessel’s performance. One of them is a jack plate. However, only a few anglers prefer to buy expensive stuff rather than following some easy-to-follow, affordable, and basic maintenance guidelines.
Below are the top 5 tips to improve the performance of your boat engine.
1. Keep Your Outboard Cool
Do not run your vessel with a dry-stated engine. Not even for a minute. But how can you keep the marine engine cool? One of the primary ways is to use a coolant. Two coolant systems are there: a closed-loop cooling system and raw water cooling system. You should use only standard antifreeze marine coolant for your vessel’s powerhouse. A marine specialist in your area can help you pick the correct option from the available boat motors for sale in BC and help you prepare a proper maintenance plan for the cooling system.
2. Use Right Boat Propellers
An incompatible, damaged, or bent prop is terrible for both the engine and the boat. It can create a severe vibration and, at last, can cause problems to the seals and bearings.
An under-propped vessel can also cause issues. The engine can spin above the recommended RPM, which can wear down the components. In the end, there are chances that the motor can fail quickly. On the other hand, an over-propped boat can also create serious problems. It can lower the boat engine’s highest RPM than the manufacturer-recommended wide-open-throttle RPM. Usually, this range can fall between 5000 RPM to 6000 RPM. But we recommend checking your manual to be sure.
When you change the propeller pitch, it will help adjust the wide-open-throttle RPM range. Decrease the pitch to increase the wide-open-throttle RPM and increase the prop pitch to lower it. You can also take help from a professional to select suitable boat propellers.
3. Try Boat Trimming for an Optimized Performance
Trim is the running angle of your vessel as it runs in the water. When you adjust the trim, you raise or lower the front of your boat, i.e. the bow. When you know how to trim correctly, you will get a smoother, more comfortable ride and save fuel. It is not something that you adjust once and then can forget about it. Water conditions change regularly. Hence, you must cultivate the ability to adjust the trim on the fly. Doing it in the wrong way can cause your vessel to swamp.
Many saltwater fishing boats and other vessels in different categories come with outboards and sterndrives with built-in power trim adjustment features. It enables you to tilt the drive angle in or out. You can join a professional BC boating course to learn in-depth about driving a boat, getting a boat certification, and other vessel operating aspects.
4. Change Filters and Oil Regularly
If you are an offshore angler or run your boat every day, your outboard may be running continuously at high RPM speed for a longer time. That’s why it becomes essential to use fresh, clean engine oil and replace filters regularly will help increase the marine engine’s performance and lifespan.
5. Freshwater Cleaning
Marine professionals advise flushing the engine with fresh water after each use. It will help increase the longevity of your boat engine. The freshwater flushes also help prevent corrosion in different parts of the motor, keep the cooling passages clean, and improve the reliability of the water-pump impeller. Please make freshwater flushing your daily routine for boat maintenance. Follow the outboard manufacturer’s manual and guidelines to wash it accordingly.
Conclusion
Follow the abovementioned points to increase your outboard performance and maintain it. If your boat is kept in dry storage or has not been used for a couple of weeks, clean the engine, start it and run it in the idle state until it reaches the operating temperature.
You can also connect the nearby trusted boat dealers who have experienced, certified marine technicians. They can help you with outboard maintenance, boat repowering, or getting the best quote on the best motors, like Mercury Marine engines for sale. You can also make the proper outboard service repair schedule with the help of marine staff as they suggest the correct option, from upgrading your current model to retaining its value for longer.
