Yamaha | Outboard Motor Oil - Part 20

Two-Stroke Engine Care with Yamalube

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Yamaha’s signature brand of oil is designed for the most grueling conditions both in and out of the water. Yamalube two-stroke engine oil is used in outboard motors, dirt bikes, lawnmowers, snowmobiles and several smaller gas powered appliances. Unlike other two-stroke engine oils, Yamalube oil is so potent that it can help to repair and prevent engine damage.

While all Yamalube oil is formulated for performance, the additive packages in different oil formulations are designed for specific stress loads. Each blend of Yamalube oil must accommodate the needs of the engine. For example, Yamalube two-stroke outboard oil needs to be able to lubricate the engine for hours of operation at full throttle and low throttle, while Yamalube two-stroke oil for dirt bikes needs to be able to stand up to frequent and intense acceleration.

For owners who want their two-stroke engine to operate at its best, Yamalube is the oil of choice. Those looking for a little extra kick would be wise to invest in Yamaha fuel additives, like the Yamaha Ring Free additive, which helps prevent ring stick and wear, while also cleaning carbon and varnish deposits from the engine.

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A Little Time and Effort

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For the most part, automotive maintenance is incredibly simple. The majority of drivers are hardly car experts; they only need to know a few basic precautionary measures. As long as they get the oil changed every 3,000 miles and follow any serious imperatives broached by their mechanic, things work out fine. But a car engine should never be confused with an outboard, which requires more maintenance by its very nature.

In fact, avid boaters should perform a series of simple steps at the end of every trip. First of all, the engine should be flushed. Salt water can be especially corrosive to the motor’s interior parts, but freshwater can wreak havoc as well. Just restart the engine and watch as the water pump recycles the fluid. Take this opportunity to evaluate the water pump for level of flow.

Next, disconnect the fuel line from the engine and allow any excess fuel to be burned. This will ensure that the entire fuel system is cleaned out and ready to go for your next excursion. Top off the engine with plenty of Yamaha 2m oil in order to guarantee that your outboard is in fine working order. These steps might seem like a hassle at first, but they’ll become routine before long. If a few extra minutes of maintenance work can add months or years to the life of your outboard, isn’t it worth the time and effort?

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TC-W3: Setting the Standard

Yamalube oilIf you’ve been shopping around for outboard oil lately, you’ve probably noticed a small indicator on the label, proclaiming that the oil meets “TC-W3” standards. But what does this designation really mean? As one might expect, TC stands for two-cycle. The W is merely standing in for water-cooled. And the 3 simply means that it’s the third formulation of oil for two-cycle, water-cooled engines.

Now that you’ve learned to crack this cryptic motor oil code, it’s time to look in depth at how the TC-W3 standard is determined and which outboard oils make the grade. Two-stroke marine engines are characterized by the way they blend oil and fuel, thus providing lubrication for the engine even as it’s functioning. For many years, people mistakenly believed that this oil-fuel mixture would become archaic due to its environmental impact.

Luckily, the big-time competitors in the two-cycle market – Yamaha, Evinrude and Mercury – took the issue to heart and worked to create an oil formulation that would reduce mixture ratio to fuel and keep an engine running strong. That new formulation is known as TC-W3, and today’s Yamaha oil easily makes the grade. Bear in mind that the old motor oil lying around in your garage or shed might not be appropriate for outboards made after 1992. Consult the outboard manual for more information on the topic of oil compatibility.

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More Outboard Motor Thefts Reported

More Outboard Motor Thefts Reported

Less than a month after reports of widespread outboard motor thefts rocked the Florida Keys, boaters in Reno, Nev., are reporting similar troubles. According to local police and the Reno Gazette-Journal, at least eight outboards have been reported stolen in the last four months. Although authorities suspect a connection between the incidents, thieves were indiscriminant about stealing the motors. Five were taken from residences, one from a commercial business and two from storage yards.

As always, incidents like this should serve as a stern reminder – no pun intended – to keep meticulous watch over marine engines when they aren’t in use. There are a number of preventative steps boaters can take in order to deter theft. The most obvious and perhaps most effective measure requires that boat owners remove the motor from their boats and put them indoors for storage.

Other ideas include installing an outboard motor lock, putting a motion detector in the storage area, or even chaining the boat and the trailer to a permanent object. Boaters are always encouraged to take proper care of their outboard during the boating season by lubricating liberally with 2 stroke oil, but offseason care is just as important. Outboard motor theft is a very real threat, so take the time to protect your investment.

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Keep Your Motor Running

Keep Your Motor Running

In a perfect world, we’d all take advantage of these warm summer days by taking the boat out on the lake – to fish or maybe just relax. In reality, however, hectic work schedules and the drudgery of the daily grind have a tendency to get in the way of a boat enthusiast’s true passion. There’s nothing worse than returning to your craft after weeks or months away and finding that the engine won’t start.

Don’t worry, you aren’t being punished by the boating gods for spending too much time on land. It’s just that an outboard motor’s fuel system can become clogged from underuse. As a result, you might need to siphon any excess water or solids out of the fuel tank and hosing. There are two simple ways to keep this situation from ruining your day: run your engine regularly and perform routine maintenance checks.

First, make sure that your supply of Yamalube 2m oil is topped off. Then study the area near the propeller for excess oil residue. If you notice significant buildup, it could mean a problem with the lower gear case. Finally, investigate the fuel system for leaks. Once these daily checks are performed, you can feel confident that your outboard motor is in tip-top shape.

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Dealing with Saltwater Corrosion

Dealing with Saltwater Corrosion

For those who make a habit of using their small boats in salt water, a unique problem begins to crop up. Although most quality outboard motors are built to run in any water conditions, they become susceptible to the effects of wind and weather over time. Even if your engine is initially protected by a few coats of primer and paint, the elements have a way of getting through. Despite your best efforts at keeping an engine running smooth with Yamaha 2m oil, there are other factors that also must be considered.

Now that summer is beginning to wind slowly to a close, it’s a good time to check your outboard for outward appearances of wear. Saltwater corrosion starts as an aesthetic problem, but it can spiral into a mechanical one in no time. Take a close look at the paintwork, inspecting for blisters or bubbles. You might notice that some of these irregularities are solid, and others have burst to emit slight trails of whitish aluminum oxide.

In order to remedy this problem you’ll need to remove the engine and place it on dry land. Using a degreasing agent, remove all traces of dirt. After it dries, take an electric drill and a heavy brush and eliminate any flaking paint, rust and salt deposits from the engine’s surface. Fill in any dents or dings with putty, and then sand the result until it appears consistent. Finish by adding primer and final coats of paint.

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More Ethanol Is Not the Answer

More Ethanol Is Not the Answer

Newspapers and network news programs have been trumpeting the arrival of renewable energy for years now. Likewise, the topics has been on the tongues of politicians serving locally and nationwide. Their point is well taken: Fossil fuels are harmful to the planet, and green-friendly options are available. Ethanol, an alternative fuel made from corn and other natural products, isn’t exactly a godsend to the outboard motor industry, however.

In theory, ethanol mixes with gasoline to create an eco-friendly blend that burns cleaner than standard fuel-oil combinations. That may be true up to a point, but higher ratios of ethanol leave a sludgy byproduct in carburetors and fuel injection systems. Even worse, ethanol is chemically structured in such a way that it dissolves fiberglass fuel tanks. Most of these problems are held in check when outboard motor oil contains 10 percent ethanol or less.

The Environmental Protection Agency is on the verge of upping the standard amount of ethanol in gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent – a possibility that would prove disastrous for the boating industry as we know it. The Boat Owners Association of the United States and several other consumer advocacy groups are livid about these plans. They are arguing that many boat fuel system warranties would become null and void if 15 percent ethanol fuels are used. Outboard motor oil, they say, must strike a careful balance that weighs environmental concerns with boating performance.

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Bringing a Dunked Engine Back to Life

Bringing a Dunked Engine Back to Life

Accidents happen out on the open water – whether they owe to operational error or forces beyond our control. Either way, nobody’s perfect. If you operate a small craft such as a dinghy or perhaps an inflatable boat, chances are you’ve dropped an outboard motor into Davy Jones’ locker.

Small vessels – especially inflatables – ride low in the water, which means there’s very little room between the engine and the murky depths. One false move, and that motor takes an unwanted plunge. But resuscitating an outboard motor isn’t rocket science. In fact, you don’t even need to be a trained professional to bring that engine back to life.

If you dropped the engine in salt water, begin resuscitation by washing it thoroughly with fresh water. Next, remove the primer hose and spark plugs. Disconnect the rubber plug from the cylinder head. Begin draining water from the engine by laying it on its back and cranking the motor as many times as needed. Turn the engine upright and add one tablespoon of quality fuel/oil mix – Yamalube 2m oil does the trick nicely – into each spark plug hole.

Flush the carburetor by squeezing the primer bulb a few times. You’ll need to jettison all the moisture from the engine’s electrical components. Try some WD-40 or other de-watering fluid. Finally, reconnect the rubber plug on top of the cylinder head and restart your engine. Keep it running for a sustained period of time, say 30 minutes, to ensure that it’s working properly.

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Lubrication Is Crucial

Lubrication Is Crucial

To continue our discussion about 2-cycle engine maintenance, let’s investigate other potential problem areas. Boaters know that 2-stroke outboard motors hold a distinct advantage over 4-strokes because of their simple design. The piston only travels through the cylinder twice: up once and down once. Two-strokes feature only three moving parts – piston, crankshaft, connecting rod – which drastically limits the number of things that could go wrong during a pleasant day on the water.

If you’re having trouble getting your engine started – or keeping it running for any period of time – check that the motor is well-lubricated with a quality 2-stroke oil such as Yamaha 2m oil. When the motor receives the proper mixture of oil and fuel, it emits tell-tale gray exhaust. Watch out for strange-colored emissions; black smoke implies that the fuel mixture needs to be adjusted.

Since the carburetor controls the leanness of your engine’s fuel intake, it’s worth checking out. If the incoming fuel is too lean, your engine will be under-lubricated and its life will be cut short. Check the air filter, as well, because you always want a steady flow of air to reach the engine components.

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Yamaha and the Transition to Motor Oil

Yamaha and the Transition to Motor Oil

Today, Yamaha is world renowned as a manufacturer of fine engines and accessories, but its origins are very different. As a fledgling company just getting off the ground in the late 19th century, Japan-based Yamaha entered the musical instrument market. Although it’s remained a high-profile proprietor of pianos, guitars and especially electronic keyboards, World War II changed the company’s focus significantly.

During wartime in Japan, musical instruments were seen as an extravagant luxury, whereas the industrial market became lucrative for obvious reasons. The YA-1, an innovative 125cc two-stroke motorcycle, became a best-selling product for Yamaha. Having gotten a taste for a new market, Yamaha Motor Company was born.

Yamaha is now one of the world leaders in marine outboard motor technology. As such, the company began offering its own line of specialized 2-stroke oil. Additionally, Yamaha formulated Yamalube 2s oil for snowmobiles, ATVs and motorcycles. It’s hard to believe that more than a century after its inception Yamaha has diversified into radically different markets and succeeded at every turn.

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A Yamaha 2-Stroke Innovation

A Yamaha 2-Stroke InnovationFor rapid acceleration and blazing speed, boaters the world over turn to lightweight, compact outboard motors. These motors have progressed by leaps and bounds – especially in the last 40 years – in terms of increased efficiency. By the late 1970s, the world was beginning to gain an environmental conscience. As a result, boaters began scouring the outboard motor landscape for engines that created less pollution.

The Yamaha High Pressure Direct Injection system was borne from these environmental concerns. As its name implies, the system sends gas directly to the combustion chamber. Outboard motors that utilize this system retain their compact appearance and impressive power, but they also gain fuel efficiency. All Yamaha 2-stroke engines require high-quality outboard oil. The VMAX line of motors, available in 150- and 300hp incarnations, continue to meet and exceed EPA emissions standards year in and year out. Where once certain marine engines got a bad rap for polluting lakes, rivers and oceans, the astonishing evolution of outboard technology has made 2-stroke engines more environmentally friendly than ever.

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WaveRunners: Size Matters!

WaveRunners: Size Matters!

One of the most defining features of a personal watercraft is its size, and to be more specific, the amount of riders it can accommodate. WaveRunners are a whole lot of fun for multiple people, and most of the time WaveRunner owners want to have their friends along for the ride. There are several different WaveRunner models that can seat 1-4 riders. When purchasing a WaveRunner, it’s best to start with size. For couples, a 2 seat WaveRunner might be a better option, while families might prefer a 3 or 4 seat model. The cost of the WaveRunner is often reflective of its size, and different models also have different features depending on their size. Larger models might have ample storage, while smaller models might just have a single storage compartment. It’s best to be aware of all these features before purchasing a WaveRunner.

Yamaha has manufactured all their WaveRunners to be simple to maintain and operate. Just make sure to put in a bit of Yamaha 2W oil now and then, and winterize the WaveRunner when it’s not in use. Other than that, owning a WaveRunner, no matter what size, is a cinch.

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