Engine Parts

In order to keep your boat running well season after season, you have to make sure to keep up with maintenance and replacements for your boat engine parts. This may include things like your air filtration system, cooling/heating systems, exhaust system, drive parts, pistons, valvetrain parts, electrical engine parts, engine monitoring, gasket sealant, engine hoses, tools, etc. To make sure that you have a good idea of when and how to replace your boat's engine parts, we have put together a list of some of the most common boat engine parts and when to replace them.

Boat Air Filtration Systems

You can install an air filter vacuum indicator on your boat's air filter to help determine when the filter needs replaced. Every boat will vary, but usually anything that reads over a 23 on your indicator is ready to be replaced. We recommend you check on your specific boat's requirements to ensure you have a clean and safe filter. Some filters may be washable, whereas others may be single use. Contrary to what you may believe, a boat's air filter is actually less effective when it's brand new than when it gets broken in, so be sure you're only replacing the filter when necessary.

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Boat Cooling and Heating Systems

While boat cooling and heating systems don't usually require much maintenance, it is recommended that you do a thorough inspection every fall, or after your peak boating season. While it may differ depending on your boat's manufacturer, how much you use your boat, and how you use your boat, there are some general rules of thumb on when these parts may need to be replaced. For your heat exchangers and exhaust elbows, it is recommended to replace it every 3 to 7 years. Oil coolers and after-coolers should be replaced every 3 to 5 years. While these are the recommended timelines in general, we recommend that you check with your boat's manufacturer to ensure that this is the correct timing for your boat.

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Boat Exhaust Systems

A boat exhaust system can be either wet or dry. A wet boat exhaust system pushes cool water from the inboard engine through the exhaust, cooling it down and keeping it as quiet as possible. A dry system is less common, and usually found on large work boats or performance powerboats. The dry boat exhaust system can only be used in boats where noise and heat buildup are acceptable. It is recommended to check your risers and elbows starting at two years of life, and every year after that. Manifolds tend to have a 3 to 5 year lifetime, and risers usually need to be replaced before manifolds. While there are estimated timelines, corrosion can happen to these parts overnight (especially in saltwater), so we recommend checking on them annually.

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Boat Valvetrain Parts

A boat's valvetrain includes all of the components necessary to manage the intake and exhaust valves like camshafts, rocker arms, gaskets, seals, and mounts to name a few. If you do not replace your marine engine mount when it needs replacing, it can lead to damaging the engine itself and become a safety hazard. It is recommended that you check on these annually, or whenever any other maintenance is being maintained. A general rule is that they need replaced every 1,000 hours or every four years (whichever comes first), however for every boat and depending on the use of the boat this could be different which is why we recommend checking on them every time you are doing maintenance on your boat.

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Boat Drive Parts

Whether you have an inboard or outboard motor will determine the boat drive parts that you will need to consider during maintenance and inspection of your boat. For an outboard motor, you may need to check on your boat propeller or jet drive, gears, seals, gaskets, etc. For an inboard motor you may need to check on your straight shaft, stern drive, v-drive, pod drive, and gimbal bearings. It is recommended to get your boat drive parts inspected every 100 hours in general, but we recommend checking with your boat manufacturer in case yours needs to be checked more often.

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Pistons

If properly cared for, pistons can last a long time. Caring for your pistons correctly includes cleaning them regularly and checking on them regularly. So, how do you know when your pistons need to be replaced? There are a few things that could be a sign you need to replace your pistons:

• Higher than normal oil consumption
• Boat performance and power is decreasing
• Continuous and excessive smoke

If your boat is having any of these problems, it is highly recommended to get it looked at as soon as possible. Likely, you will need to replace your pistons.

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Boat Electrical Engine Parts

It is important to keep your boat's electrical engine parts in good shape. To do so, ensuring they stay clean and properly tightened is key. We recommend making sure your electrical components are working correctly every time you use your boat, however a professional inspection is recommended every 100 hours, or whenever you take your boat in for other maintenance.

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Boat Engine Monitoring

Your boat engine monitoring system provides you with critical information regarding your boat. It is recommended to have this inspected and serviced every 100 hours, or annually (whichever comes first). Most boat engine monitoring systems will last for a long time (approximately 1,500 hours of use), however it is essential to maintain service and inspections.

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Boat Gasket Sealant

Gasket sealant is an adhesive that creates bonds between gaskets and the surface the gasket is attaching to. While a gasket alone is usually enough, many engineers recommend adding gasket sealant to reinforce the joint's strength. Gasket sealant usually lasts around six months before it needs to be reapplied. It is recommended to keep an eye on it and replace it when it starts to wear.

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Boat Engine Hoses

Boat engine hoses usually last a long time - up to ten years! While this is what is expected, that does not mean that it is always the case. We recommend you check on them annually when you are doing your other maintenance or inspections to ensure they are not deteriorating. A sign to keep an eye out for is stickiness on the exterior of the hose, if it is slightly sticky this is a sign of moderate deterioration, and if it is extremely sticky it is a sign of serious deterioration.

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Boat Engine Tools

Working on your boat's engine parts will require specialized tools and ensuring that you have the right tools in good shape is an integral part of servicing your boat engine. Although some people choose to not purchase these tools themselves, it can be nice to have some on hand. Some tools that you may want to invest in if you plan to work on your boat's engine include a moisture meter, claw retrieval tools and mirror, a wrench set, crimping pliers, and a compression tool.