Outboard pre-start warm up… Harmful?

I have a 4-stroke 9.9 Yamaha. I have a routine, when doing my pre-ramp preparations, of doing a quick start on my motor that lasts no more than 2 seconds - just enough to know the motor will start easily in the water. I kill it immediately after coming to life. I do this with the boat on the trailer and with no water circulation. Is this safe to do for the motor? I’ve always assumed that the combustion was so brief that it wouldn’t cause any damage…

I've seen folks do what you do, usually for more than 2 seconds. I also see guys fire up their big bass boat outboards while still being backed down the ramp. I've always wondered why this is done.

Is there something wrong with the motor that makes you not have confidence it will start? If it doesn't fire right up, do you go home?

I would not do it. I'm far from an expert and admittedly could be wrong. It is just that it has been hammered into me to not start the motor dry.

I don't know if the 2s would wear the impeller much or not. If there was some residual water, probably not much. But if it has baked in the sun, maybe some. Not a good practice, regardless. How often have you replaced your impeller?

Keep in mind that the impeller is rubber and after a long drive that impeller is likely completely dry. The vanes ride against smooth stainless steel, and are folded over in one direction so there's a good bit of force against each vane. A motor starts and runs at about 1100 RPM at start up, and even if you just bump the key, it'll likely make a hundred turns at that speed. Drag your foot with a sneaker on a smooth metal plate with some force behind it and see how much drag or friction there is, now imagine that being a thin rubber blade going far faster. Its a huge gamble and doing that again and again sooner or later will get you a worn or torn impeller. If there was a way to get some lube into that impeller, even soapy water, it would lessen the wear but why do it?
I get two years out of an impeller, regardless of how much I run the boat, the rubber either takes a set in the winter or dry rots and cracks. Sure, sometimes it may go longer but I refuse to chance it. I also rotate the motor every so often in the winter to try and avoid the impeller taking a set on only one side.

I get a lot of guys who bring me their boats for that sort of thing, most impellers that I remove are burned up, missing vanes or curled up and useless from sitting. When you figure what a motor costs, why take the chance?

I worked with a guy years ago who was an old school outboard mechanic. he used to run his motors in a barrel full of soapy water before and after each trip to the water. His thinking was that it both helped flush the block out of all the salt and sand, and it left some lube in the water pump so the motor could be turned over when dry. But he still would never run a motor out of the water.

I suppose some smaller motors are more susceptible to impeller damage both because their impellers are smaller and more fragile and they tend to be neglected more by owners who use sparingly. I do seem to notice that the small diameter impellers seem to get torn up worse, the larger diameter, thicker vane types seem to be more intact but often I have no idea how long they've been run or been sitting before I got them.

I pulled the impeller out of my 35hp last month, it had gone over four years, run for a season and not used for almost four, but i did turn the motor regularly every time I walked by it. The impeller had taken a pretty good set in one direction, it had most of the contact pads worn away on the tips, and each vane showed dry rot cracks. I couldn't tear off any vanes but it was way too far gone to ever use. For $30 or so for an OEM impeller, its cheap insurance. That motor never gets run dry, it never had in the 40 years or so I've owned it.

LDUBS said:

I've seen folks do what you do, usually for more than 2 seconds. I also see guys fire up their big bass boat outboards while still being backed down the ramp. I've always wondered why this is done.

Is there something wrong with the motor that makes you not have confidence it will start? If it doesn't fire right up, do you go home?

I would not do it. I'm far from an expert and admittedly could be wrong. It is just that it has been hammered into me to not start the motor dry.

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The motor is a 2022 with about 120 hours on it. I’ve had it serviced every 50 hours. It runs great and has never not started. It’s more a personal issue - our boat ramps are crazy busy on the weekends (I still work all week) with lots of inpatient folks. So I try to be prepared and quick. I have some shoulder issues, so it’s a bit harder for me to pull start a cold motor from in the boat. My routine helps a lot, but I have worried about the cautions that others have raised. It’s convinced me to just hook the hose up at home and do it before I leave… Most all my ramps are near by. Thank you! I always get great answers from this site!

Neighbor always fires his up in the drive before heading out ( 3.0 need I/O)
He has a gallon jug with RV antifreeze and a cheap pair of muffs and a hand pump. Slips on the muff, a couple pumps fires the motor then shuts it off. Claims the antifreeze lubes the rubber impeller. He changes his impeller every 3 years and they do look like new....????
I don't run my engines out of water for any reason !! Over winter storage, I do turn them over once a week. I know my motors will start, I do the necessary maintenance on them..

TriBull said:

The motor is a 2022 with about 120 hours on it. I’ve had it serviced every 50 hours. It runs great and has never not started. It’s more a personal issue - our boat ramps are crazy busy on the weekends (I still work all week) with lots of inpatient folks. So I try to be prepared and quick. I have some shoulder issues, so it’s a bit harder for me to pull start a cold motor from in the boat. My routine helps a lot, but I have worried about the cautions that others have raised. It’s convinced me to just hook the hose up at home and do it before I leave… Most all my ramps are near by. Thank you! I always get great answers from this site!

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I load and unload all alone, always have. After 60 yrs of boating I have my system down...when they start to complain about being slow, I always ask if they want to race !! Loading or unloading, your choice......put up or shut up !!
Get your setup and trailer setup right, and you will only be a few minutes...

If it was me, I wouldn't run it dry. I think many believe that "it's only a minute, there's no way for the motor to overheat." Overheating is not the issue, it's the running of the impeller dry that's the issue.

If I think it needs to be run before launch, then I'll do it at home on the muffs. The lakes I frequent are a one hour drive or more away. It would be silly to drive that distance, and then test run it. If there's an issue, then I've wasted two hours of driving time.

TriBull said:

The motor is a 2022 with about 120 hours on it. I’ve had it serviced every 50 hours. It runs great and has never not started. It’s more a personal issue - our boat ramps are crazy busy on the weekends (I still work all week) with lots of inpatient folks. So I try to be prepared and quick. I have some shoulder issues, so it’s a bit harder for me to pull start a cold motor from in the boat. My routine helps a lot, but I have worried about the cautions that others have raised. It’s convinced me to just hook the hose up at home and do it before I leave… Most all my ramps are near by. Thank you! I always get great answers from this site!

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Makes sense. Running it at home is a good option if you can do it. BTW, in truth I bet you are just as fast if not faster than most others at the ramp. Do what you need to do to unload/load and don't stress about it.

I have a 2018 Honda 50 HP. Our annual usage sounds pretty close. I also do the routine maintenance (fluids, plugs, lube, etc) every 50 hours or 6 months, whichever comes first. I swap the impeller every 12 months. They say to "check" it at 12 months or 200 hours. I figure if I'm going to go to the trouble of opening up the water pump I might as well spend $20 and put in a new impeller.

airshot said:

I load and unload all alone, always have. After 60 yrs of boating I have my system down...when they start to complain about being slow, I always ask if they want to race !! Loading or unloading, your choice......put up or shut up !!
Get your setup and trailer setup right, and you will only be a few minutes...

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The one thing I simply am not comfortable doing solo is driving the boat up on the trailer then climbing over the bow. Guys, mostly a lot younger, that do that can load pretty fast. Otherwise, I don't think I take more time than anyone else. I never really thought about it before, but it seems fishermen have it down much better than the recreational boaters. Especially the big bass boat guys. They are off and on in the blink of an eye it seems.

My buddy just changed his impeller and thermostats.

1989 Evinrude 125 - First time for both...35 years!!!

I couldn't believe he never changed the impeller. No dry starts, ever.

FWIW, this boat gets used, a lot! It's no trailer queen.

I change mine every couple of years, regardless. I look at it as cheap insurance.

OldSailor85 said:

My buddy just changed his impeller and thermostats.

1989 Evinrude 125 - First time for both...35 years!!!

I couldn't believe he never changed the impeller. No dry starts, ever.

FWIW, this boat gets used, a lot! It's no trailer queen.

I change mine every couple of years, regardless. I look at it as cheap insurance.

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Welcome to Tin Boats!

airshot said:

I load and unload all alone, always have. After 60 yrs of boating I have my system down...when they start to complain about being slow, I always ask if they want to race !! Loading or unloading, your choice......put up or shut up !!
Get your setup and trailer setup right, and you will only be a few minutes...

Click to expand...

Around here, before everything slowed down over the past few years, you would get people that would try to rush those ahead of them but when they got to the ramp they'd take an hour unloading toys, rods and and reels, tubes, etc. then they'd sit there and warm up the boat and screw around for another 30 minutes tying up the ramp.
I generally am in and out in a hurry, my aluminum boat loads fast. I use a power winch on a remote. I pull up, dock the boat in line, there's usually a few boats ahead but the docks are 100ft long or so, I go get the truck, when I get it to the water I walk back, and lead the boat to the trailer, hop down to the truck, hook the bow and hit the winch. I don't even get the tires wet most of the time. I use a roller trailer and the boat is light, so it loads fast, once on the trailer I pull up to the side heading toward the exit, pull the drain plug, tie down the stern, hook the bow hook into the eye and give it a few turns and I'm ready to go. Before docking I make sure everything is stowed in the boat, all rods and reels are secured and out of the way, the cooler is put where I can reach it once on the trailer, and the motor is up as soon as the boat is shut off.
Lately my concerns aren't about tying up the ramp or taking too long its more about having someone hop into my truck while I'm going to get the boat while backed down the ramp. I don't like locking the truck up on the ramp but a few trucks have been stolen that way here. The ideal situation is to have a buddy stay with the boat and you stay in the truck at all times but when I'm alone that's not an option. Some ramps are better than others but those are getting fewer and farther between here.
They actually closed many of the state parks and game preserves again this year due to 'criminal activity' until the end of Sept. which cuts off access to nearly all ramps here other than the few city owned or private ramps which are the bigger issue.

If I haven't run the boat in awhile, I put on the muffs and run it for a few minutes, especially if it's a long distance trip. If a short trip to the lake, I always turn the key, and as soon as it fires, shut off.

Could it cause impeller wear? Sure, but I usually go 4-6 years between changes with no issues.

Every great once in awhile, I have turned the key and NOTHING. WHAT?!!? Usually, someone left something on and it killed the battery. Once I remember there had been torrential rains that week, and the fuel cap hadn't been closed properly, and the tank had a bunch of water in it.

This is why I usually ask people to PLEASE DON'T HELP. I have a check system to prevent such things.

Better to take care of any issues at home rather than finding out at the ramp. But 99.5% of the time there is no issue. Still, that 2 seconds is worth it in my opinion to make sure.

oilsmoke said:

Around here, before everything slowed down over the past few years, you would get people that would try to rush those ahead of them but when they got to the ramp they'd take an hour unloading toys, rods and and reels, tubes, etc. then they'd sit there and warm up the boat and screw around for another 30 minutes tying up the ramp.
I generally am in and out in a hurry, my aluminum boat loads fast. I use a power winch on a remote. I pull up, dock the boat in line, there's usually a few boats ahead but the docks are 100ft long or so, I go get the truck, when I get it to the water I walk back, and lead the boat to the trailer, hop down to the truck, hook the bow and hit the winch. I don't even get the tires wet most of the time. I use a roller trailer and the boat is light, so it loads fast, once on the trailer I pull up to the side heading toward the exit, pull the drain plug, tie down the stern, hook the bow hook into the eye and give it a few turns and I'm ready to go. Before docking I make sure everything is stowed in the boat, all rods and reels are secured and out of the way, the cooler is put where I can reach it once on the trailer, and the motor is up as soon as the boat is shut off.
Lately my concerns aren't about tying up the ramp or taking too long its more about having someone hop into my truck while I'm going to get the boat while backed down the ramp. I don't like locking the truck up on the ramp but a few trucks have been stolen that way here. The ideal situation is to have a buddy stay with the boat and you stay in the truck at all times but when I'm alone that's not an option. Some ramps are better than others but those are getting fewer and farther between here.
They actually closed many of the state parks and game preserves again this year due to 'criminal activity' until the end of Sept. which cuts off access to nearly all ramps here other than the few city owned or private ramps which are the bigger issue.

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Wow....doesn't sound like a place I would want to launch ! I live in a state that allows open carry, I am also licensed to carry, we had some crime issues at one local ramp for one summer, nobody ever even talked to me when I was carrying. Sad that we can't have DNR or local police handle the issues....

oilsmoke said:

Around here, before everything slowed down over the past few years, you would get people that would try to rush those ahead of them but when they got to the ramp they'd take an hour unloading toys, rods and and reels, tubes, etc. then they'd sit there and warm up the boat and screw around for another 30 minutes tying up the ramp.
I generally am in and out in a hurry, my aluminum boat loads fast. I use a power winch on a remote. I pull up, dock the boat in line, there's usually a few boats ahead but the docks are 100ft long or so, I go get the truck, when I get it to the water I walk back, and lead the boat to the trailer, hop down to the truck, hook the bow and hit the winch. I don't even get the tires wet most of the time. I use a roller trailer and the boat is light, so it loads fast, once on the trailer I pull up to the side heading toward the exit, pull the drain plug, tie down the stern, hook the bow hook into the eye and give it a few turns and I'm ready to go. Before docking I make sure everything is stowed in the boat, all rods and reels are secured and out of the way, the cooler is put where I can reach it once on the trailer, and the motor is up as soon as the boat is shut off.
Lately my concerns aren't about tying up the ramp or taking too long its more about having someone hop into my truck while I'm going to get the boat while backed down the ramp. I don't like locking the truck up on the ramp but a few trucks have been stolen that way here. The ideal situation is to have a buddy stay with the boat and you stay in the truck at all times but when I'm alone that's not an option. Some ramps are better than others but those are getting fewer and farther between here.
They actually closed many of the state parks and game preserves again this year due to 'criminal activity' until the end of Sept. which cuts off access to nearly all ramps here other than the few city owned or private ramps which are the bigger issue.

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Your saying even with the truck shut off and the keys in your pocket people steal trucks off the ramp right in front of you? That’s crazy.

airshot said:

Wow....doesn't sound like a place I would want to launch ! I live in a state that allows open carry, I am also licensed to carry, we had some crime issues at one local ramp for one summer, nobody ever even talked to me when I was carrying. Sad that we can't have DNR or local police handle the issues....

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Do you open carry?

I started my 115 Evinrude out of water by mistake but, I’d never do this intentionally.

Billy H said:

Do you open carry?

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Depends...