posted 09-28-2009 02:43 PM ET (US)            

We'll need help with the specific areas on which you need clarification.

Until then, here are some general recommendations (assuming you've never winterized a motor before).

1.) Add the correct ratio of fuel stabilizer to your tank; run the engine on flush muffs or in clean, fresh water for 10-15 minutes.
2.) Shut down motor. Tilt motor to vertical position, drain and replace lower unit gear oil. Inspect waste oil for signs of water intrusion (the color will be “creamy” – mint green if you have dark green lower unit oil, caramel color if you have brown or amber lower unit oil). Be sure to replace gasket seals for both drain plugs, and wipe metallic filings from magnets (if applicable).
3.) Remove propeller. Clean and grease propeller shaft. If boat is going to a public storage yard, store propeller in your basement/garage.
4.) Remove spin-on fuel filter/water separator (if equipped). Replace with new filter element, filled with stabilizer and fuel, treat rubber gasket with a bead of oil and spin it in place.
5.) Inspect fuel hoses for wear, weathering, cracking, etc. Replace as necessary.
6.) Remove cowling, and replace the on-the-powerhead fuel filter, filling with 1 tsp of stabilizer and the rest with fuel. (Here, you may need to rely on the specific OptiMax manual for specifis).
7.) Remove spark plugs, spray fogging oil (consult manual) or OptiMax oil into cylinder and hand turn the flywheel to disperse the oil on the cylinder walls.
8.) Gap and replace the plugs.
9.) Using a shop rag wet with WD-40, wipe down the powerhead components, removing dirt/debris. Inspect all hoses, plastic and rubber components for wear, cracks, etc. replace as necessary. Check for loose wires, bolts, etc. and tighten as necessary.
10.) spray or wipe silicone lubricant on all rubber/plastic components.
11.) grease the throttle/shift cables
12.) Replace cowling and inspect motor for chips, scratches, etc. Repair as appropriate, using touch up paint, etc. Then wash and wax the motor.
13.) grease the steering arm and check tilt/trim fluid level.
14.) grease the throttle/shift cables at the control box on the console
15.) park boat in storage position, lower outboard to “vertical” position for storage and drainage, remove battery from boat and bring it indoor for charging and storage over the winter.

Hope that helps – the OptiMax has some additional rubber belts that drive the air compressor – I’d do some research on belt maintenance (is there a belt dressing that is appropriate?) and figure out if you need to oil the compressor at all.

Good luck!

posted 09-28-2009 02:49 PM ET (US)            

Be sure to inspect your anodes for wear and replace as appropriate.

Let's hope that a member who actually owns an OptiMax can chime in here on the specifics for powerhead storage.

My motor makes that easy, as it is an automated procedure controlled by the engine's on-board computer - but the remainder of my list is what I do for all of my motors, regardless of technology employed, and excepting my inherited 6 HP Johnson Seahorse which was long-ago painted black with some spray paint (sacrilege!!) But if you look at the powerhead itself, it looks like it could have rolled off the assembly line last year.

posted 09-28-2009 04:26 PM ET (US)            

They recommend TC-W3 oil directly in the cylinder as I described above.

Sounds good to me.

I'm guessing that this is partly what the E-TEC does when running the self-winterization program. As it decreases fuel to the cylinders, it increases the oil delivery rate to coat the cylinder walls directly before shut-down.

The Evinrude manual also recommends that you "cough" the motor a final time (i.e. one turn of the key and immediate shut down) to expel any water in the water pump housing, but I do NOT do this, nor do I recommend it as running that pump "dry" can decrease it's efficiency/life.

posted 09-28-2009 07:05 PM ET (US)            

WOW You are the best! Thank you VERY much for all the time and effort that you put into this! This will be incredibly helpful, AND I have plenty of time to get started and familiarize myself with all of this. I appreciate everything you have done here

posted 09-29-2009 09:30 AM ET (US)            

Here is a general procedure for preparing an older OMC two-cycle engine for long lay up. It may be useful as a general guideline for other brands and types of engines:

posted 09-29-2009 09:55 AM ET (US)            

I ran a Google search on "mercury optimax 225 owners manual" and found an online copy of the owners manual at the following link: http://www.pdfgeni.com/book/mercury-225-optimax-outboard-manual-pdf.html . Scroll down and click on "200/225/250 Optimax" and you'll get a download of a PDF file of the owners manual.

posted 09-29-2009 11:21 AM ET (US)            

Respectfully, I'm reading the manual that you generously provided a link to and can't find much difference from what they recommend and my "generic winterization tips" posted above.

The only specific difference is the recommendation to drain and re-charge the fuel delivery system, which in my notes above I mentioned would be important to consult the manual for.

???Why the hate??
:)