Can You Run a Boat Motor Out of Water?

Author : Efrain Silva

If you have asked this question, know that you’re not the only one out there who has : In fact, this is a regular maintenance task that you ought to be doing on your motor boat. Did you know that? Now you know.

This is a good way to flush your boat motor as needed, and you should remember that doing so for too long, on the other hand, is not good. If you run that engine out of water for too long, it’s bad and can have some negative consequences. Make sure that a proper hose gets attached, first of all, to the water intakes of the motor in question. You still need some form of water source, of course.

Now, if you’ve got one of the newer motors built - in with your boat, then you can breathe out a nice sigh and relax ; in 9 out of 10 cases, here, all the attachments are already included and built - in. The manual will tell you what you need to do, more specifically, when you want to run the motor out of water, so follow it in the best, most precise way you can. In some cases, some of these attachments can easily and quickly accept the hose nozzle and ensure it locks well into place.

If not, however, it means your motor is not as equipped as those others ; but do not fear, there is still a possible solution. In this case, you’d have to get yourself a good set of (write this down) motor flusher muffs, which should be compatible with the type of boat motor that you have. If unsure, you can just ask an expert at your local Bass Pro Shops, or even at Cabela’s, and they can help you out. You might also do some further digging on your own end and see what the Web can tell you, based on your motor’s model, size, serial number and more.

Running a Boat Motor Out of Water

The first thing you want to do, right before starting on that engine, is to turn the water on. You will also, as a perfect extra precaution. Have it run for five to ten good minutes and not rush through this process (watch a quick YouTube video, to pass the time, or something, as you wait). Most boat motor manufacturers recommend this so it is a vital step that you should not skip.

If you’re using the muffs I mentioned, in your case, it can help to wet them a bit before moving forward. This helps make the overall seal a bit stronger and firmer, all in all. As several boat owners do, and rightly so, you can simply splash up those insides on the muffs.

Then, you should be good to proceed. You will also want to keep in mind that, the better the seal is, the harder it will be for the muffs to slide right off as your boat’s motor engine runs. You do NOT want that to happen. I really hope you’ve listened!