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How long will a winterized boat motor stay protected in storage?

11K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Josh005  
#1 ·
I have a friends that have not run their boat motors for a couple years. Presuming they were properly winterized in the first place, is there a shelf life they need to be aware of? Question is for either outboards or in boards since I have friends that have both.
 
#4 ·
Inboard gas and Diesel engines don't like to sit for long periods of time. One the water system is flushed with winterization antifreeze the motor will be protected from freeze damage for many years. However, internal and external corrosion will read havoc on any engine sitting for long periods of time because no engine oil is being circulated to top end engine components( like cylinder heads and valves) before trying to start any inboard gas engine after storage you should disconnect the distributor for the coil and crank the engine to allow oil to reach the cylinders and heads. It also helps to periodically crank the engine to keep the valves from sticking.