Importance of Regular Engine Maintenance

A common and regularly asked question seeks to establish why the engine of a boat or marine vessel requires regular maintenance. Many people do not think of regular engine maintenance to be as important as it should be taken. There are so many reasons why you should consider getting regular caterpillar marine engine service. What is more, the ability to understand the environment in which your boat operates is an equally important thing for you to be able to have a clear insight of the maintenance requirement of your boat engine. Regardless of how often you use your boat, the importance of regular marine engine repair cannot be overemphasized. In any case, no one hates protecting their investment and spending quality time in the water. 

Below are some of the reasons why marine engine repair is essential:

1. Corrosion: corrosion is one of the major reasons why your boat engine should be taken for regular maintenance. Lack of proper maintenance of the engine can result in corrosion which makes it difficult to disassemble when need be. What is more, your boat engine will stop performing efficiently and more so when a bolt or any other part of the ship fuses to the engine. 

2. Marine engine usually works very hard: you may want to note that your boat engine usually work as hard as a car does when going uphill all the time. Keep in mind that the marine engine is always pushing your boat through the water. To keep the power boat on plane, your marine engine usually turn 3200 to 3400 rpm at 17 to 19 mph. It means that marine engine works a lot harder than the average of auto-mobile which revives about 1200-1500 rpm when cruising on the highway at between 55-65 mph. This one reason is enough to convince you why your boat engine requires routine maintenance. 

3. Properly tuned boat engine: it is important to keep your boat engine properly tuned at all times. This is because the moisture from the marine environment can at some point take toll on the ignition elements. For instance, rotors, distributor caps, spark plugs and wires all require regular inspection as well as replacing. 

4. Annual Inspection: Boats that have stern engine types should also have the drive removed, inspected and lubricated annually. Additionally, universal joint bellows must be checked for any damages. This is because a ruptured bellow can allow water into the u-joints and consequently damage u-joints, shaft seal surface and gimbal bearing. 

5. Check for any damages: the last thing that anyone would want is get stuck in the middle of vast waters just because the engine stopped working all over sudden. Taking your boat for marine engine repair regularly will help you establish a potential problem and have it corrected in a timely manner. This will make it possible for you to be confident in the water regardless of how far away you may be from the shores. 

These are only some of the reasons why your boat engine requires regular maintenance. Engines come with an operator's manual that clearly outlines the various regular maintenance requirements. Observing those guidelines will considerably help you extend the life of your marine vessel as well as reduce the need for expensive repairs.