{"id":11356,"date":"2023-11-20T15:04:57","date_gmt":"2023-11-20T22:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog2.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/?p=11356"},"modified":"2024-01-29T15:23:09","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T22:23:09","slug":"start-inboard-boat-engine-out-of-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/start-inboard-boat-engine-out-of-water\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do I Test My Inboard Boat Engine Out of the Water?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After your boat’s spent months in winter storage, you’ll be eager to get back out on the water once boating season<\/a> arrives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before you plan your first day on the water, you’ll need to test your inboard boat engine while still on dry land.<\/strong> This step is an important piece of regular maintenance for boat owners.  It’s easier to diagnose engine problems on land, where you can see what’s coming out of the engine by monitoring the exhaust<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge is that inboard engines need water to self-cool.  (An outboard motor is also — typically speaking —water-cooled, though it requires different equipment called “ear muffs” to test.  For this article, we’ll focus on inboard engines only.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you test your engine before you enter the water?  Read on, and we’ll show you how to use an inboard water flusher<\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flushing Your Inboard Engine With Water<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To test your inboard on land, you have to “fool” your boat into thinking it’s in a body of water.  This is accomplished using an <\/strong>inboard water flusher <\/strong>– also known as a fake-a-lake<\/strong> device (like this one<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Testing your inboard engine on land is especially important when de-winterizing your boat but is also recommended when bringing your boat out of storage.  (If you’re unfamiliar with dewinterizing or storage considerations, check out our Boat Winterization Guide<\/a> and Quick Guide to Boat Storage<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the very least, flushing your inboard engine is a step that forces you to inspect the inputs to your engine – where plants, debris, or critters can lodge themselves.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Neighbor is changing boat storage<\/h2>\r\n\t\t <\/header>\r\n\t\t
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Transparent monthly savings<\/h3>\r\n\t\t

Renters save 30-50% on boat storage, on average. No rate hikes.<\/p>\r\n\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t

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Keep your boat nearby<\/h3>\r\n\t\t

With locations in every state, the perfect boat spot is already near you.<\/p>\r\n\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t

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Storage made simple<\/h3>\r\n\t\t

Don't settle for stone age tech and long contracts. Neighbor makes it easy.<\/p>\r\n\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t <\/section>\r\n\t\t