too many hours on an OB?

Simp said:

I've heard 300 hours is about the time when most O/B's seem to want to lay down.

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Dunk said:

Holy crap....where do you guys get these numbers from?? No doubt the internet..and listening to jackasses that have more money than brains..

Over the years I've run OMC V4's way over 3500hrs after I rebuilt them and god only knows what was on them before I got them.. I haven't bought a new outboard engine since 1979 and since then I probably have 10-12000hrs on the water by outboards.

I have to laugh at guys saying I got 6-8-1000hrs before they traded them..

Carbon is the number one killer of outboard engines, both 2 and 4 stroke. Engines have to be kept clean on the inside. And it's not the oil 2 strokes burn... it's the damn fuel we are dealt. So that brings the new 4strokes into the same problem. How many times have gas/fuel formulas changed in the last 20yrs?? Damn fuel now smells more like bad cologne that something you can run an engine on. Different contents of MTBE then now ethanol and in the mean time the outboard manuf's have been chasing decent oil mixes to combat the crappy fuel. Then throw into the mix different fuels in different parts of the country..

Right now the outboard OEM oils have almost killed the carbon problems with themselves. It's the juice we pump into the fuel tanks causing the problems.. Again this drags the 4 strokes into the mess.

Once again, decarbon every engine you own... And I'm even talking about your cars and trucks along your outboards if you want them to live past the warranties on them..

Case in point. I drive an 07 Ford Sport Trac with a 4.6 V8. It has 33k on it. When it had 15k on it the mileage started to drop from 21-22mpg on the highway to 17-18. I ran the tank down, when the low fuel light came on, 50 miles left. I dumped 3 cans of Seafoam into the tank and drove it flat on the floor every time I had to stop and start for the next 30 miles.. Mileage came right back. Now at 33K the mileage has fallen again.. It's time for another Seafoam bath... Trust me, the fuel we are buying has problems... Treat your outboard the same way every 75-100hrs..

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