Outboard Motor Repair and Maintenance
Full-service maintenance and repair for outboard motors including tune-ups, fuel system cleaning, impeller replacement, and lower unit rebuilds. Keep your outboard running reliably season after season.
Most outboard problems show up as hard starts, rough idle, or sudden overheating on the water. We diagnose the cause and repair it, from a clogged fuel injector to a spun hub or failed water pump.
Common problems we fix
- Motor runs rough or loses power — Dirty fuel injectors, a clogged VST, or worn spark plugs are the usual causes. A full fuel system service and tune-up typically brings the motor back to normal output.
- Outboard overheating on the water — A failed impeller is the most common reason. The rubber vanes wear out or tear, cutting water flow to the powerhead. Impeller replacement also means inspecting the housing for scoring.
- Lower unit leaking or grinding — Water in the gear oil or a grinding noise in gear points to failed seals or damaged gears. A lower unit rebuild replaces the seals, bearings, and any worn gears before corrosion spreads.
- Motor won't start or cranks but won't fire — This covers a wide range: bad fuel, a failed fuel pump, a faulty rectifier, or a corroded ground connection. We run a systematic electrical and fuel check to find the actual fault.
What a Tune-Up Actually Covers
A tune-up is more than new spark plugs. We check compression across all cylinders, test the fuel system pressure, inspect the throttle and shift cables, and verify the charging system output. Fuel filters and fuel/water separators get replaced on schedule. The goal is to catch small problems before they become mid-trip failures.
- Compression test on all cylinders
- Spark plug inspection and replacement
- Fuel filter and separator service
- Throttle and shift cable condition
- Charging system voltage check
How Salt Air and Shallow Water Affect Outboards
Charlotte Harbor and Sarasota Bay are hard on outboards. Salt accelerates corrosion on the lower unit, trim components, and electrical connectors. Running in shallow grass flats pulls debris through the water intake. Prop strikes in oyster beds can damage the lower unit seals without bending a blade visibly. Boats that sit between seasons also develop varnish buildup in the fuel system from ethanol-blend gas breaking down in the heat.
When to Replace Instead of Repair
A heavily corroded powerhead, a cracked block, or a lower unit with gear damage throughout usually costs more to rebuild than the motor is worth. We assess the repair cost against the motor's condition and give you a straight comparison. For motors that are good candidates for repair, rebuilding the lower unit is almost always more economical than replacing the whole leg.
How often should the impeller be replaced?
My outboard sat all summer. Do I need a full service before using it?
Can I tell from the gear oil if my lower unit has a seal problem?
What's the difference between a two-stroke and four-stroke service?
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