Storing 4stroke outboard tilted up
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: General Forums
Forum Name: The Boat Shed
Forum Description: Discuss all things boating.
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=119787
Printed Date: 30 May 2026 at 6:35am
Topic: Storing 4stroke outboard tilted up
Posted By: FindangoNZ
Subject: Storing 4stroke outboard tilted up
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2016 at 6:56am
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I have always kept the boat in the driveway with the outboard tilted fully down, but just read this from a Yamaha tech on a US forum: “...tilting a 4-stroke outboard motor at 45 degrees when it’s stored on a trailer or boat lift....stowing a motor vertical is just fine for a 2-stroke motor, because a 2-stroke outboard has its oil mixed in the gas, so there isn’t an issue.” But if a 4-stroke motor is stored for some duration in the down or running position, oil can drain from its reservoir down toward the rings and cylinders. This causes excessive smoking when an engine is started, and over time may cause motor damage." Any thoughts on this ? Should I be storing my Suzuki df90 4stroke tilted up instead.?? |
Replies:
Posted By: yeahbuoy!
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2016 at 7:45am
| I don't think it would matter too much over here. I prefer to tilt mine down as people love walking into/knocking the skeg when it is tilted at 45 deg angle. I know in countries where it freezes in winter they advise the down position so any water in the motor can run out, this prevents any water in the motor freezing and cracking things. Another reason I store it tilted down is it takes less room. 6.1 m boat + trailer + outboard tilted at 45 deg is pretty long. Never had any smoke issues when starting |
Posted By: Wide Load
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2016 at 8:48am
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I store mine down, there's no room to have it up as yeahbouy mentioned. I've had no issues 7-8 years. ------------- http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Ohsoslow
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2016 at 10:00am
| The oil is in a sump under the powerhead.. It can't go back up into the powerhead..(unless gravity is playing up again.. Damn gravity!) Perhaps if it was stored tilted all the way in (past vertical) a bit of residual oil in the bores could leak past the rings.. |
Posted By: OuttaHere
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2016 at 10:32am
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If the boat is put away with the motor vertical then any oil around piston, rod and gudgeon is going to pool in the bottom of the bore (especially if the motor ends up past-vertical when the jockey wheel is wound up) and inevitably a small amount will seep past the rings when the motor cools... which means you might get a teeny tiny bit of oil consumption and a slightly 2-strokey smell when you first start it. But since the oil lives in the sump on a 4 stroke, I can't see it being a huge issue. Put another way... I have 2 Subarus and on both of them the cylinders are horizontal 99.9% of the time and I don't have oil consumption issues.
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Posted By: MikeAqua
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2016 at 12:10pm
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I think on balance its better to store vertical so the cooling system drains out. Cooling system corrosion or salt accretion seems more of a risk to me than small amounts of oil sneaking past the rings. A 4 stroke petrol engine can last along a time with oil getting past the rings ... |
Posted By: edge01
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2016 at 6:59pm
| sounds like crap to me. does this mean that the oil can get past the rings when its running?? |
Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 20 Aug 2016 at 9:01am
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I think its crap too, had one guy tell me that a yamaha rep had told him to only use the flushing port when he got his motoer home, as it didnt run hot enough to oil it all up inside the motor...sorry but i will always run mine at home in a drum, want that salt gone and the thermostat to open. plus.... as said up there,, a tilted outboard skeg is a nasty surprise for a kid to run in to... ------------- you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while... |
Posted By: Denny Boy
Date Posted: 20 Aug 2016 at 8:48pm
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“...tilting a 4-stroke outboard motor at 45 degrees when it’s stored on a trailer or boat lift....stowing a motor vertical is just fine for a 2-stroke motor, because a 2-stroke outboard has its oil mixed in the gas, so there isn’t an issue.” This statement in itself seems really outdated to me. For a start is your DF90 an early carbed motor? If it is a later fuel injected motor then no issues. They seem to be quoting a carbed 2-stroke that has oil already mixed in the fuel i.e. premix. No comparison in motors. Also my Suzuki agent said always store in the vertical as this totally drains all of the water from the power head which otherwise could turn into a corrosion issue later if trapped.
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Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2016 at 8:43am
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I dont know about 4S outboards... except when storing a vecile type 4S one sets it up right so the oil in the crankcase doesnt get into up into the cylinders, and or the oil pump get exposed. The latter if left long enough may not prime as the engine turns over resulting in turning over firing with no lube and dry cylinders. Cooling draining... again dont know how 4S a cooling galleries/ ports are set up But on a johnson / evinrude the Service/ Repair manual recommends storing vertical so all the galleries can drain dry, preventing internal corrosion. And if wintering...to blow the galleries, in particular the speed ports with air. I would think it safe to ASSUME a 4S cooling galleries, impeller, pumps, ports etc to be similar to a 2 S. The caution in doing this is leaving down, forgetting and moving the trailer, hitting the skeg on the ground going over a bump. Another issue is if uncovered or no engine cover is water in a storm going in thru the vents and laying inside around the power head... even left upright in a heavy wind storm. And a side note on storing carbed @stroke tilted...the oil and gas drains out of the back of the carb... leaves oil around the base of the powerhead... I dont think that is a bad thing. With most of the fuel /oil mixture drained out of the carbs, and fuel evaporates, it may tend to leave the carbs dry.. which in long periods between use may cause corrosion drying of gaskets etc in some engines. Left up right leaves a oil in the carb... but will smoke up when 1st fired for a minute or so. If not using the engine for a while.. any engine, vintage car, rod etc.. winterize it... gets a bit messy when re use but worth it .. no stuck rings, lubed when fired up etc. |
Posted By: FindangoNZ
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2016 at 9:21am
| Thanks for the replies...yeah I didn't think there was much to it, but keen to see what others thought. |
Posted By: Cigar
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2016 at 9:19pm
| I always thought 4S were supposed to be stored in running position, as in vertical, outboards, mowers, cars, bikes, anything 4S. |
Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2016 at 2:48am
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Cigar wrote:Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2016 at 6:46am
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4s mowers are not recommended for hilly sections, as the oil all goes to one side of the shallow sump, and they run dry plus they tended to be heavier ------------- you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while... |