Motors

How 2-stroke and 4-stroke outboards differ, choosing horsepower and propellers, the 100-hour routine service checklist, and a step-by-step Canadian winterization guide.

Your outboard motor is single-handedly the most expensive component bolted to your boat—often worth half the price of the entire rig. Yet most catastrophic engine failures are not random bad luck: they come from running old ethanol-separated fuel, skipping cold-water warm-ups, ignoring fishing line wrapped behind the prop, or leaving water inside the lower unit over a freezing winter. Whether you are shopping for a used 2-stroke or maintaining a brand-new 4-stroke, this guide covers everything you need to keep your motor starting on the first turn of the key.

  1. 2-Stroke vs 4-Stroke & Major Outboard Brands — Today nearly all brand-new outboards sold in North America are 4-Stroke , while the used boat market is still full of legendary Direct-Injection 2-Stroke motors (like…
  2. Propeller Selection, Pitch & Engine Break-In — Even the best outboard performs poorly with the wrong propeller or bad driving habits. Here are the rules every boat owner should know. 1. Aluminum vs Stainless Steel…
  3. Routine & 100-Hour Annual Maintenance Checklist — Marine mechanics charge $150+/hour, yet 90% of routine outboard maintenance requires only basic hand tools and 60 minutes in your driveway. Follow this schedule to keep…
  4. Step-by-Step Northern Winterization Guide — In Canada and the northern US, temperatures plunge to -25 °C (-13 °F). Water expands by 9% when it freezes—enough force to crack a cast-aluminum lower unit or engine…
  5. Jack Plates: Manual vs Hydraulic, Setback Distance & Top Speed Tuning — A Jack Plate is a heavy-duty aluminum spacer and vertical lift bracket mounted between the boat's transom and the outboard engine. 1. Manual vs Hydraulic Jack Plates…