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03 Honda 225 Sitting For Years

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SaltyDog251

Contributing Member
Hello everyone. I just got a boat from a friend with twin 2003 Honda 225s with 400 hrs that has been sitting for maybe ten years.

For some reason he decided to hook a battery to it and spin the engines without oiling the cyclinders first. Hopefully the oil made its way through the engine and he didn’t damage anything but what’s done is done.

Is there a way to spray something into the air intake to wet the cylinders? How long will it take the oil pump to circulate the oil? When I asked him how long he cranked them he didn’t exactly give me a straight and so I’m thinking it was a while. He put cables right to the starter some I’m hoping none of the injectors or pumps were functioning.

Any help would be appreciated with this project. Thanks in advance
 
SaltyDog251,

Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of good folks here that can help out. I replied you your initial email to me.

Pull the plugs and spray some WD-40 in each cylinder. You need to peel back the right side (I think - could be the left side - not near my engine) upper cowling to get to one of the plugs. Once done, rotate the engine by hand for several rotations.

If you are not sure of the plugs, replace them. Be sure to use the iridium-tipped NKG IZFR6F11 only.

Check the idler and tensioner pulleys on timing belt, make sure they spin freely. Spray the bearing surfaces with lubricant.

You will need to drain the entire fuel system, including the tank and inspect/replace all fuel lines. You will need to remove the VST and clean it out and check the float and float valve. You should replace all six fuel filters. Send me an e-mail at [email protected] and I will return a list of the filters and links that show where they are located.

Obviously, change the oil and filter.
Drain the lower unit oil and refill.
Pull the lower leg and at least replace the impeller. It would be best to replace the entire water pump. It's not that much more that the impeller kit. Instructions follow:
http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/pubs/pci54347pdf.pdf

When you pull the lower unit, also inspect the mid-shaft bushing/bearing. Here's a good video...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ZaDzNck1I

Grease all the zerk fittings and grease the throttle cable wheels - there are two - one on the starboard side and one at the top rear.

I'm sure other folks will have additional advise.
 
Thanks for the reply.

The lower units are already off so I'll change the pumps and inspect the mid shafts. Hopefully he didn't break a ring from cranking them.
 
Not that I am aware of. To the best of my recollection, the engine has two oil pressure sensors - high pressure and low pressure. They are in the V of the block and very difficult to get to. The good news it that issues with oil pressure seem to be very rare with this engine. The basic block is a Honda J35A engine which has a good reputation.
 
Ok, the engines turn so I tried to jump the starter with cables from my truck and not even a click on either engine. Is there a trick to this on Hondas?
 
Check
1. Kill switch
2. Fuses
3. Fusible Link
4. Connection to ECM
5. Corrosion around Ground connection on engine
6. Corrosion on connection to battery terminals
7. Corrosion INSIDE the wiring that isn't Honda wire
 
It should still turn over with kill switch activated. Are you going from your external starter battery to the engine battery terminals, or from the starter battery to engine ground and the large positive terminal on the starter? If the latter, your starter motor may be froze up.

Also, if you have battery switches, you may want to bypass them - they do fail sometimes.
 
I was just using a pair of jumper cables from my running truck. I get a strong click from each starter but not enough juice to turn them.

I probaly should just buy three new batteries. Any input as to what size these Hondas like?
 
Can't remember, but they take a lot of amps. Probably the bigger the better.

BUT, did you hook the cables from your truck directly to the engine's battery? Or did you hook it to engine ground and the big lug with the red connector on the starter? After sitting that long, there is a good possibility that the wires from the engine's batteries to the engine are toast, especially if it's been in saltwater, or the battery switch is corroded and not allowing full amps to pass through. See what happens when you hook is straight to the starter.
 
I went right to the starter and got the same loud click from each engine. I think it's a battery issue so I'll pick up a couple today and use the key switches.

This boat had three Max-29 Ever Start batteries CA 875, CCA 675 from 2007
frown.gif


What size batteries are correct for these Hondas?

thanks
 
Owner's manual says: 110AH CCA800

Well, if you bypassed the battery, then batteries are not the problem with the starter.

Go to Honda Marine and download the Owner's Manual. It's about a 115 page PDF document.
 
I find it hard to believe that the starter has failed on BOTH engines. Me thinks this issue is in the wiring. Take your jumper cables and clip the negative to the ground cable mounting point on the engine block and touch the positive directly to the starter's hot terminal. If the starter doesn't spin then you have a bad starter. I'm not sure if this is what you did when you went straight to the starter but this won't start the engine. All this will do is spin the starter. Leave the key off.


Before you do any of that make sure the engines are in neutral or you'll be locked out by the neutral safety switch.
 
Last edited:
Pull your boat batteries and put them on a charger A 2amp charge takes 24 hrs. A 10 amp charge takes about 5. When a good battery is charged it will measure approx. 12.4 VDC on a voltmeter. While their charging clean the boats battery terminals and starter terminals with 60 grit sandpaper until their nice a clean. If the batteries want charge buy new ones. If all that's good and it still clicks change the starter relay.
 
Ok I have both engines spinning and I sprayed a tiny bit of either and they fired for a second.

I looked at the shaft bushings and the starboard one seemed bad so I'll replace them both. I've never seen a bushing like that on a driveshaft before.
 
I think the main reason that bushing is there is to keep the drive shaft from deflecting under sudden loads, causing wear on the water pump seal and pinion gear.
 
Idler pulleys and all other belt pulleys (autos etc.) have sealed bearings. No lube required. The bearings are either good or bad...squeak or frozen.
 
I'm about to change the thermostat on mine and I don't plan to unless someone here says otherwise. I would think as long as the 2 surfaces are nice & clean and smooth it would be fine.
 
It’s my understanding that the gasket alone is sufficient. The actual Honda manual does not adress any additional sealant (unless I somehow missed that). I recently changed mine and just torqued everything to spec. When changing the thermostats the Oring that sits in the housing should be changed though.
 
chawk_man said:
SaltyDog251,

Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of good folks here that can help out. I replied you your initial email to me.

Pull the plugs and spray some WD-40 in each cylinder. You need to peel back the right side (I think - could be the left side - not near my engine) upper cowling to get to one of the plugs. Once done, rotate the engine by hand for several rotations.

If you are not sure of the plugs, replace them. Be sure to use the iridium-tipped NKG IZFR6F11 only.

Check the idler and tensioner pulleys on timing belt, make sure they spin freely. Spray the bearing surfaces with lubricant.

You will need to drain the entire fuel system, including the tank and inspect/replace all fuel lines. You will need to remove the VST and clean it out and check the float and float valve. You should replace all six fuel filters. Send me an e-mail at [email protected] and I will return a list of the filters and links that show where they are located.

Obviously, change the oil and filter.
Drain the lower unit oil and refill.
Pull the lower leg and at least replace the impeller. It would be best to replace the entire water pump. It's not that much more that the impeller kit. Instructions follow:
http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/pubs/pci54347pdf.pdf

When you pull the lower unit, also inspect the mid-shaft bushing/bearing. Here's a good video...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ZaDzNck1I

Grease all the zerk fittings and grease the throttle cable wheels - there are two - one on the starboard side and one at the top rear.

I'm sure other folks will have additional advise.
Click to expand...

What kind of lube do I spray on the pulley bearings?
 
What pulleys are you asking about? Re-read post #24.

If you are talking about the two throttle pulleys, you just need to grease the area where the throttle cable rides on the pulley groove with a good marine grease. Rub it one with your finger,
 
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