Yamaha | Outboard Motor Oil - Part 15

Tips for Trailering Part 3

For anyone who’s never trailered their boat there’s a whole list of things you need to consider before running out and buying that brand new, shiny trailer. Things like the towing capacity of your vehicle are absolutely critical to purchasing a trailer. You don’t want to buy your brand new trailer only to find out your vehicle doesn’t have the necessary power to tow your boat.

A great way to get this information is to check your owner’s manual or find out if other boaters are using the same vehicle to tow their boats. Almost all family sedans are automatically disqualified because they simply aren’t designed to tow much of anything, much less a hulking mass of water-going equipment. Your best bet is a truck or SUV as these almost always have the power to tow a boat up to 25 feet in length. But you always want to check your owner’s manual to be absolutely certain. And if you own a Yaamaha engine check out Yamalube 2W oil and maximize your boat’s efficiency for saving gas on the water.

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Tips for Trailering Part 2

When you decide to trailer your boat take the time and do your research to find only certified trailers. The National Marine Manufacturer’s Association maintains a trailer manufacturer’s certification program to help ensure clean, safe transportation for your boat. This group helps maintain industry standards and certifies that all trailers bearing their marker meet all federal and most state safety regulations.

The areas certified by the NMMA are as follows:
• identification plates
• capacity ratings
• couplings, safety chains
• lighting, winches
• brakes
• registration procedures
• conspicuity systems

For Yamaha owners you can help ensure the best mobile boating experience by keeping a supply of Yamalube 2M oil on hand.

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Environmentally Friendly Boating Tip 1

Our first tip is an obvious one. This one involves keeping your trash out of our waterways, out of our wetlands and off our shores and coastlines. Trash and debris are some of the biggest problems facing the world’s vast stretches of waterways. In recent years with the increase in consumption we’ve begun to see the al of the planet’s water becoming more and more polluted. As a result, habitats and their wildlife are suffering the most.

So next time you’re on the water make sure you’re keeping all of your trash on board with you. Don’t throw anything into the water. That means cigarette butts, water bottles, fishing line and any other garbage. And be sure to use those conveniently placed recycling bins at your local marina for all of your glass, paper and plastic. You can even recycle the plastic shrink wrap you use to store your boat for the winter. In addition, use a highly efficient motor oil such as Yamalube 2W oil for two cycle engines. And tune in next week for our next Environmentally Friendly Boating Tip.

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Greener Living – Even on the Water

This week’s group of tips & tricks for boaters centers around a growing trend in our society. These days, people are becoming more and more concerned with keeping the environment healthy, clean and safe. And they’re trying to do it not just for us but for our children and grandchildren as well. This new trend is showing itself in all aspects of our lives, and boating is no exception.

So this week and next we’ll be looking at things you can do, and small changes you can make, to enjoy greener boating. Everyone should be doing more to reduce the carbon footprint, and that means avid boaters and boating enthusiasts. Many people don’t realize that boaters and fishermen were the original conservationists. We enjoy the water directly, and often. As a result we’ve have worked closely with government agencies in order to develop more ways to help the environment. Check out our list and you’ll see how you can too. And try Yamaha 2S oil in your two cycle engine for maximum Yamaha motor efficiency.

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The Two-Stroke Engine Cycle: Part Three

After reading the two previous blog posts, you’ve probably realized that the piston is the star of the show in the two-stroke engine. It serves three main purposes during the engine cycle. First, it acts as the combustion chamber, pressurizing the mixture of air, gas and Yamaha oil and capturing the power created by the subsequent ignition of that fuel. In addition, the piston also serves as the crankcase when it facilitates the flow of air and fuel into the system via the reed valve.

While all of this is occurring, the piston is also taking the place of the valves as it covers the intake and exhaust ports in the cylinder walls. The multifaceted nature of the piston is what allows for the two-stroke engine’s lightweight and powerful construction. Remember that the piston is under constant tension and doesn’t have a direct source of lubrication, so be sure to be diligent when you’re mixing your gas and oil.

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The Two-Stroke Engine Cycle: Part Two

Now that the first of the two strokes is complete, it’s time for the compression stroke. After the first stroke, the momentum created in the crankshaft propels the piston back to the spark plug. When the piston compresses the combination of air, gas and Yamalube 2S oil, it creates a vacuum which opens the reed valve and allow the mixture to be extricated from the carburetor.

Once the piston makes it through the combustion stroke, the cycle simply starts again. This combination of compression and combustion strokes explains the “two-stroke” portion of the engine’s name. Four-stroke engines have separate intake and exhaust cycles in addition to the combustion and compression strokes.

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The Two-Stroke Engine Cycle: Part One

Each cycle of any engine begins at the spark plug. Two-stroke engines derive their power from the fact that the spark plug fires once every rotation, as opposed to every other. When the spark plug fires, the mixture of fuel and air in the cylinder ignites to drive down the piston. As the piston moves downward, it compresses the mixture of air and fuel into the crankcase. The the piston creates pressure in the cylinder, pushing the gases out of the exhaust port.
 
The intake port is then covered as the piston reaches the bottom of the stroke. Because the mixture is pressurized in the crankcasae, it rushes into the cylinder. This displaces the excess gas and fills the cylinder with a new supply of fuel and Yamaha 2M oil. Now that this phase of the cycle is complete, tomorrow we’ll have the riveting conclusion: the compression stroke!

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Pre-Season Snow Mobile Maintenance: Part Three

Now that we have the hood open, remove, clean and inspect your spark plugs. Personally, I change my spark plugs at the beginning of each year, as they tend to die out quickly. Nothing is worse than trying to start up your snowmobile miles from civilization only to find that one of your spark plugs is dead. You can find specifications for which plugs to use in your owner’s manual.

The starter rope also requires attention, as it has a tendency to fray and wear. Even if the rope looks like it’s in good condition, it’s still a smart idea to bring an extra one along with you on your rides. Replace the battery if you removed it for storage and clean the terminals before making the connection. Tomorrow we’ll go over carburetor maintenance and the proper procedure for mixing your Yamaha 2W oil with gasoline.

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How to Change Your ATV Oil: Part Three

After you’ve found the oil filter and oil cap, it’s time to locate the drain plug. It will be positioned on the underside of the vehicle, so you’ll have to get a little dirty. Once you find the plug, place your oil pan directly underneath it. Open the drain plug and allow all of the used oil to run out.

Use your wrench to remove the oil filter while you are waiting for the oil to drain. Scrub off any gunk or oil on the mounting surface. Add some lubricant to the gasket of the new filter and screw it into place by hand. Secure the filter with a couple of turns from your wrench, but be careful not to over tighten it. By now the Yamamlube 2S oil should be finished draining, so put the plug back into place and discard the used oil properly.

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How to Change Your ATV Oil: Part Two

Before you remove the first panel and start digging around in your machine, be sure that you’ve gathered all of the necessary supplies close by. Move the ATV to a spacious area with level ground where you’ll be able to work comfortably. Fire up the machine and let it run for a few minutes. This will heat up the oil and disturb any deposits that may have settled at the bottom, allowing them to be removed with the old Yamalube 2W oil.

Once you’ve run the engine for a few minutes, remove any panels that may be obstructing your access to the filter and oil cap. The dipstick will be connected with the filter, which you can use to check you oil levels periodically. Now that you know where the new oil needs to go, tomorrow we’ll go over how to get the old oil out.

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How to Change Your ATV Oil: Part One

Like all vehicles, you need to change the oil in your ATV periodically to keep the engine running smoothly and prevent buildup. Since you will have to be dealing with the oil filter anyways, this is usually a good time to see if it needs to be replaced too. Before you begin, be sure that you have all of the necessary supplies with you. Here is a quick list of what to have at hand before you get started:

~Yamaha 2M or another leading oil
~Gloves
~Drain pan
~Funnel
~Extra oil filter
~Wrench
~Other necessary tools (varies by machine)
~Towels

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Motor Oil: What is Sludge?

Sludge has been a star of gasoline ads for the last several years, but do you even know what it is or why you need to be protected against it. Oil will oxidize over time, and when this happens the additives in the oil separate out. These additives consequently breakdown and solidify, then are heated and turned into a gooey, viscous substance we now refer to as sludge.

The obvious question is how do you get rid of and prevent sludge; and unfortunately there’s no easy answer. Flushing the engine can be effective, but you also risk simply flushing the pieces of sludge to a more recessed part of the engine. The best way to handle sludge is by preventing it in the first place. You can do this by changing your oil regularly and only using premium products like Evinrude or Yamaha oil.

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