Engine

How often should you use Marine STA-BIL? The short answer for all marine equipment is it should be used AT EVERY FILL-UP for ultimate, year-round protection against corrosion. One treatment of the product will stabilize the fuel for up to 12 months (only if added to fresh fuel). Sta-Bil provides defense against the harmful effects of ethanol-blended fuels and contains industry-leading water removal properties.

Why should you use Marine Sta-Bil? Some new ethanol fuel blends can start to degrade in just 30 days. That can lead to problems with starting and performance, leading to a day of frustration rather than one of fun and sun on the water. Ethanol has become the bane of boaters and can lead to serious catastrophic damage left untreated.

I use ethanol-blended fuels, now what? Fortunately, there is a solution to this growing problem. Adding a fuel stabilizer to your boat’s fuel supply can help ensure safe starts and peak performance.

My boat's fuel can sit a lot, should I do something different? If you don’t get out on the water as much as you would like or are winterizing your boat and fuel, our Sta-Bil fuel marine fuel additive lineup will help your engine last longer and run better. By protecting the fuel system from ethanol’s corrosive effects, this boat fuel additive guards against costly engine damage, headaches, and high repair bills.

Over this past 2020-2021 winter, many boaters may have experienced deep freezes in areas that normally do not experience these conditions. The extreme cold weather along with power outages may have caused catastrophic damage. To make sure your boat is up and running for this season, we would strongly suggest any boat exposed to freeze damage be fully inspected as soon as possible. It may be necessary to run the engine longer than typical to go through temperature cycles before damage is fully recognized. Sometimes the damage may have occurred, but symptoms may not be present at first. Multiple operating cycles may be necessary to fully inspect for damage.  Ensure that you inspect the engine oil, oil cooler, transmission cooler, and fluid. Be sure to also check the v-drive fluid. Inspect engines with freshwater systems as well. If the antifreeze protection level was not maintained, the damage could be done to this system as well. Be sure to relay this information to any customer who may have been taking care of their own winterizations.

Engine manufactures are facing long lead times from various suppliers, which could slow your return time to the water. Early detection of freeze damage will help identify needed parts and help get your boat back on the water earlier.

Inboard Winter Storage Do’s and Don’ts

There are two important reasons to winterize your boat, preparing for long periods of inactivity and being proactive in protecting your investment from damage. Winterizing is preventive maintenance that is necessary for your boat’s survival not only in the winter months but in the summer months as well. Below are some helpful tips to protecting your valuable recreational asset during the off-season.

Give It a Full Tank of Fuel or Empty it
In the perfect world, you want no fuel in the tank but that is difficult to achieve sometimes. Bakes recommends adding a fuel stabilizer and fill your boat's fuel tank with premium, prior to stowing it away for the winter. Failing to do so will allow moisture in the air to condense on the sides of the fuel tank as the temperature changes causing water contamination in your fuel while the boat is stored.

Change Your Fluids!
It is crucial to your engine's health to replace your engine's fluids and filters. This will eliminate the chance for moisture and contaminate separation from the system while it sits and provides better overall protection for key internal parts. Do not forget your transmission ATF fluid, it is easy for moisture to get in the transmission from its open vent system mounted so low in the bilge. Swap out your transmission’s fluid with fresh to avoid the chance of corroded clutches and sticky gears. If your boat is equippe

Genuine Indmar service products are crafted with the same world-class standards and developed through the same performance and durability testing as your Indmar Marine Engine.  Protect and optimize the performance of your Indmar with service products that were engineered specifically for it.