Mercury 45 Jet 50-55 - Out-Of-Season Outboard Storage; Out-Of-Season Battery Storage

GENERAL INFORMATION and SPECIFICATIONS - 1-1990-817643R1 DECEMBER 1996
Out-of-Season Outboard Storage
! WARNING
As a safety precaution, when boat is in storage,
remove positive (+) battery cable. This will eliminate
possibility of accidental starting of engine and resul-
tant overheating and damage to engine from lack of
water.
In preparing an outboard for out-of-season storage, 2 pre-
cautions must be considered: 1) The engine must be pro-
tected from physical damage and 2) the engine must be
protected from rust, corrosion and dirt.
1. Remove cowling from engine.
2. Place outboard in water or install Quicksilver Flushing
Attachment over water intake by following instructions
outlined in “Flushing Cooling System” (see “Table of
Contents”).
3. Start engine and allow to warm up. Disconnect fuel
line. When engine starts to stall quickly spray Quicksil-
ver Storage Seal into each carburetor throat. Continue
to spray until engine dies from lack of fuel.
4. Remove spark plugs and inject a 5 second spray of
Quicksilver Storage Seal around the inside of each cyl-
inder. Manually turn engine over several times to dis-
tribute Storage Seal throughout cylinders. Reinstall
spark plugs.
5. If engine fuel filter appears to be contaminated, re-
move and replace. Refer to Section 3 “Fuel System
and Carburetion.”
6. Drain and refill lower unit with Quicksilver Gear Lube,
as explained in “Gear Housing Lubrication” (see “Table
of Contents”).
7. Clean outboard thoroughly, including all accessible
powerhead parts, and spray with Corrosion and Rust
Preventive.
8. Refer to lubrication chart in this section (see “Table of
Contents”) and lubricate all lubrication points.
9. Remove propeller. Apply Quicksilver Special Lubricant
101, Anti-Corrosion Grease or 2-4-C w/Teflon Marine
Lubricant to propeller shaft and reinstall propeller.
Refer to “Propeller Installation” (see “Table of
Contents”).
10. If the water pickup is clogged, the speedometer will be
inoperative. Clean the pickup with a piece of wire or
blow out with compressed air. Before blowing out with
air, disconnect the tubing from the speedometer.
11. To prevent freeze damage, drain the speedometer
system of water completely before storage. Remove
tubing from speedometer fitting and blow thru the
tubing to remove water.
12. Store battery as outlined in “Out-of-Season Battery
Storage,” following.
13. For out-of-season storage information on Autoblend
units, refer to Section 8 in this service manual.
IMPORTANT: When storing outboard for the winter, be
sure that all water drain holes in gear housing are open
and free so that all water will drain out. If a speedome-
ter is installed in the boat, disconnect the pickup tube
and allow it to drain. Reconnect the tube after draining.
Trapped water may freeze and expand, thus cracking
gear housing and/or water pump housing. Check and
refill gear housing with Quicksilver Gear Lube before
storage to protect against possible water leakage into
gear housing which is caused by loose lubricant vent
plug or loose grease fill plug. Inspect gaskets under
lubricant vent and fill plugs, replacing any damaged
gaskets, before reinstalling plugs.
Out-of-Season Battery Storage
1. Remove battery as soon as possible and remove all
grease, sulfate and dirt from top surface.
2. Cover PLATES with distilled water, but not over 3/16 in.
(5mm) above perforated baffles.
3. Cover terminal bolts well with grease.
4. Store battery in a COOL, DRY place in a dry carton or
box.
5. Remove battery from storage every 60 days. Check
water level and place on charge for 5 to 6 hours at 6
amperes. DO NOT fast charge.
!
CAUTION
A discharged battery can be damaged by freezing.