NASA Develops Alloy for Outboard Motors

A new aluminum alloy called MSFC-398 was recently developed by a team of engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Partnering with Evinrude, a leading manufacturer of outboard motors, NASA and Evinrude created the E-TEC outboard motor. The E-TEC has a simple design, but is quite effective. It’s the first outboard motor that does not require regular outboard oil changes, winterization, spring tune-ups, or scheduled maintenance.

The E-TEC two stroke outboard motor represents the latest in outboard motor technology. Because of the new NASA designed alloy, the E-TEC outboard motor is much more durable than its other two stroke counterparts. While four stroke engines have replaced two strokes in several capacities, because of the simple design of the two stroke engine, they’re still great for outboard motors and smaller engines.