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Welcome to the November 2001 issue of Outboard News, an electronic newsletter for outboard enthusiasts.
Industry News The big outboard news this week is that Bombardier is gearing up production of new Johnson and Evinrude motors. In case you hadn't heard, Outboard Marine Corp., the parent company of Johnson and Evinrude, declared bankruptcy in December of 2000. There were many reasons for this, not the least of which was the upcoming anti-pollution regulations. Bombardier Recreational Products purchased the assets of OMC, promptly sold all the OMC boat lines, and has been preparing since to produce new motors for the 2002 model year. First off the assembly line last month was a 90 HP Evinrude Ficht, with other models to follow. Of great concern to owners of OMC motors, especially older ones, is what this will mean as far as obtaining replacement parts. So far, common replacement parts for newer motors have been available, but with some important exceptions. Machined parts, such as shafts and gears, are sometimes nowhere to be found. One of OMC's problems in recent years was their practice of farming out production of machined parts to outside machine shops. This led to shortages of certain parts, which would hold up the entire assembly line, which meant shortages of motors to the consumer. Because some of these outside suppliers were forced out of business by OMC's bankruptcy, the parts they produced are non-existent. Bombardier hasn't said whether they will continue to produce parts for the older motors, but it will probably be a question of economics. If there is not enough demand for the parts to make it profitable to make them, once current stocks are gone, that will be it. For those who own OMC inboard/outboards, it is bad news. Bombardier has discontinued everything for them. Service Department This months service topic will be winterizing. Winterizing should be done before the first hard freeze, if possible. Fortunately, winterizing an outboard is easy with a few basic supplies. The most important thing is to drain the lube out of the lower unit, in case there is any water in it. Water in a gearcase can freeze and crack the housing, and ruin the bearings and shafts. If there is any more than a few drops of water, you probably have one or more leaking seals. Winter is a good time to reseal your unit. One of our service topics this winter will be how to reseal your lower unit, so stay tuned if you want to do it yourself. To drain the lube, remove both the drain and fill plugs in the lower unit, and let all the old lube run out. To re-fill, you can buy new lube in plastic squeeze tubes, (messy way) or in quart bottles and use a hand pump. (easy way). Either way, fill through the bottom drain hole until it begins to run out the upper (vent) hole. Then install the vent plug, remove the squeeze tube or hand pump, and install the drain plug. The next step is to add stabilizer to the remaining gas in the tank, to prevent the gas from deteriorating over the winter. If possible, run the stabilized gas through the motor, either using a flushing attachment hooked up to a garden hose, or in the water at the dock. Then, disconnect the gas line from the front of the engine and let the gas burn out until the engine stops. You may also spray some fogging solution into the carb while running out the gas. That's all there is to winterizing your outboard. While the motor is in a vertical position, all the water will run out of it by itself. The motor can then be stored outdoors on the boat with no damage. All the winterizing supplies mentioned above can be purchased at your local marina or boating supply store, or through Laing's Outboards at 1-800-463-9001. If you have any questions about winterizing, call us or send us an email . Our email address will appear at the end of the newsletter. Upcoming service topics: Compression; how do you test it and what should it be? Ignition systems; how to test for good spark, and what to do if you don't have it. How to reseal a lower unit. Send in your suggestions |
Laing's Outboard Newsletter November 2001 
