Basic maintenance of and outboard engine. Specifically, here, it shows the changing of the high and low pressure fuel filters as well as spark plugs on the V6 BF225AK1 Honda engine.
Great video Captain Sean, I wouldn't have attempted this until I watched your video. Our Honda shop charges $100/hour to do this plus parts cost. After watching your video, I was able to change the high and low pressure fuel filters easily and quickly. I appreciate you sharing your time saving tips and expertise. I bet you know how to catch fish too! Thanks again!
Thank you for this comment. That is specifically the reason I wanted to help others make this possible. One last tip I forgot in the video, after you finish installing fuel filters turn ignition to ON (DON'T start it). This primes the fuel pump and allows you to see if you have a leak before you get all the way to the water!
6:00... As you know, Sean, I am a huge advocate of Anti-seize in almost all applications. The theory of bolts "backing themselves out" is in my opinion, a myth. The exception would be in a case where the manufacturer recommends using a thread-locking compound, otherwise, Anti-seize away! Glad to see this on here. Good advice, Buddy!
As long as you don't use copper-based anti-seize compound!! (same with copper-based anti-fouling paint on aluminium) Copper - Aluminum in saltwater turns into a galvanic aluminum eating battery!!
Thanks Captain. I have the same engine size and it’s 2006 model. 560hrs. When I tried to get on plane from offshore going back home, the engine shut off after a few seconds rev up as the boat tried to get on plane but couldn’t. It was about 4500rpm when it shut off. Thinking of changing the fuel filters and spark plugs this week to see if it helps. Thanks for the video.
Thank you Captain Sean. Really instructive videos. I have a 2017 250 hp but it looks about the same as the 225 you are working on. I am still in the 10 hour break in period and have been worrying about changing the lower case oil as I've never done it. I will try it myself now and purchase the drain and oil port bolts and o rings prior to doing so.
Thanks for the feedback! I have a video about changing the lower unit gear oil here, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hQurk7fjm7s.html. I've always made sure to fill from the bottom up, find a way to lean on the bolts so you don't strip the flathead (they tend to get on there pretty tight), and make sure you push the o-rings all the way to the base of the bolt and lube them before you put them back in. Hopefully all goes well and good luck!
The water separator does require maintanence.It has to be disassembled and emptied.The water will be on the bottom of the bowl because it has a higher specific gravity. By emptying it you remove any accumulated condensation.
Just don't use an impact to tighten the bolts back. I learned the hard way and twisted the heads off two blots and needed to use extractor to remove them. Also as he noted , check for gas leaks before installing lower covers. I installed a new o-ring on high pressure and it was spewing gas out of the lower cowling. Had to take it all back apart to remove VST cover and replace o-ring.
I never tighten with an impact, even lugs. As for gas leaks it was an oversight not to include that as I always do that (turn key without cranking to check for leaks). I've only ever seen that oring leak when someone forgot to lube it and it tore on install. Why did you have to mess the the VST if you were just replacing a filter/oring? Was that where the fuel was leaking out?
@@captainsean4851 I didn't have to mess with the VST, only had to remove the end cap housing to replace the torn O-ring. I had put a light coat of oil on the o-ring the first time, but the replacement I put grease and no issues. I guess it got pinched during the install and that's what caused it to tear and leak gas from the end cap VST housing. I was in a hurry trying to do it before I went fishing at 4am so it's my fault for rushing the job. Lesson learned the hard way.... Keep up the videos, I enjoy learning how to maintain my Honda this way. Again, thanks and tight lines!
Your vids are super helpful, thanks! I have a newer model bf250, and my low pressure fuel filter has a tiny hose that come off of the bottom of the bulb. Do you have any suggestions on how to replace the filter on this set up?
Hello! Any chance you're stil reading here? Because your vids are the best for any BF225 owner. You're good at this Sir. Would you have any opinion about a telltale peeing very little, but the engine running fine, from idle up to 2800 rpm, no alarm? (higher as to be checked yet). New T-Stats installed. Also at flushing, little pee.
I suggest a dab of silicone on the threads, you keep the elements out and it will not wash away. How do i know, my ship is 1000 foot long a i carry alot of Taconite.
Hi my name is Joe ive got a honda bf150hp that I'm have trouble with on idle it starts to rough idle after 30-40 seconds after start up and ive notice the fuel filter drops level in the bowl when that happens could you help with that . Thanks
Great video. This job was a little intimidating, but after watching your video I got the courage to try it myself. The part numbers for the filters was especially helpful. Thanks!
Loved your video....I just got into boating and have a honda 225 as well. I went to change the HP fuel filter and was like, he was right on. Unfortunately, the screws that hold the crowling in is seized. I tried pb blaster, didnt work. Id like to use a torch, but it is so close to the fuel lines. Any suggestions? I am replacing them because 4 weeks ago when I bought it, the thing was screaming. Now it dies when you accelerate to 2000rpms. Thanks!
I like your video! Keep posting. Anything about cleaning a clogged cooling system? I recently got a 23ft Pro-line with a 2004 honda 225 that after three times of use, water stopped coming out the cooling water indicator. I do not know if it is common in these engines, but I had a Mercury 200 for four years and never gave me any trouble with this. Any way, great post, thanks.
+E MC Try sticking in some fishing line or something thin in the water pump indicator. For me, salt water clogs it regularly. If that's not the case, I will most likely make a video on changing the water pump (impeller mostly) fairly soon.
+Captain Sean It worked like a charm! It is funny it happened just the second time I took out the boat and I freaked out; I never experienced this with my previous Mercury. I found out in the internet that this is a common problem with Honda outboards. It would be great to have a video of how to change the impeller and if you throw in there how to change the gear oil it would be a great help for a “do it yourself” boating community. Thanks for the reply and please, keep posting, you are good at it.
Outstanding video Captain Sean. Really helps me to feel like I can do this. If it sounds like my motor runs intermittently rought, and then clears and runs perfect for seconds, and then rough again, would you think this is a fuel filter issue? Phil
It's hard to say for sure. The manual says to check the plugs first and also make sure they're not wet. The fuel system is pretty long and complex but the basic places to start would be your filters and water separator.
I had the same problem, I changed the thermostat and the water pump. Make sure that the water is flowing well from the pump and that the motor unit cools properly
It's hard to say off just that. Any check engine light and sound? Any other weird things with the engine? I can say it's not a normal problem for larger Honda outboards.
THANKS for the very informative video. Do you have any info or directions to replace the small Fuel Pump drain screw? Or Just that housing? My screw is stuck and stripped. Can I just replace that outer housing or the entire replacement of the whole unit??
When you say small fuel pump I'm guessing you mean the high pressure since that's the only drain screw. It is not high quality stainless and I've had issues with this before. I have used PB Blaster and patience to get it loose. If it's stripped I'd try and drill into it and use some commercially available stripped screw removers. Mine are Craftsman but I'm sure Home Depot/Lowe's has them as well. They use a reverse thread to grip the screw. With metal I'd use heat but the housing is plastic. I looked up the replacement parts and the housing and o-rings would run you around $150+ so I'd try what I could to just get that screw that's $9.
Use saltwater proof grease never anti seize on anything marine. The anti seize can talk and lock and seize things up by welding it together. Ask me how I know.
I have never had that happen but very good to know. Also, I know different companies put different metals in those so I should have specified aluminum.
Salt water and never seize with its copper base isnt a good idea. Evinrude triple guard or a marine anti suede with aluminum or nickel base is good, or the good ole Kano cite is great too
I've never heard of anyone here that had their computer need reprogramming. Usually that would come from after market mods I think. My guess would be the dealer is the only one that could change those settings, maybe he can find one used online or something.
When changing low pressure fuel filter, is there anything to do with water separator next to low pressure filter. Does cup remove same to drain any water?
I don't touch the water separator unless there's an issue with it. Also, on our boat we have a set of Racor filters between the fuel tank and the engines to help filter water as well. Those get serviced every other oil change.
Hi Captain Sean, I have a 2006 Honda bf200. I keep getting fuel venting out of the vent tube located in the rear mount case. The tube is fed by the fuel bowl and typically indicates a float/needle valve issue. I've already removed the hp fuel pump assembly and completely cleaned it with shop air etc...changed the needle valve and I continue to get fuel venting over. Any thoughts??? Thanks.
I had a similar issue. Fuel flowing out the vent on starboard side of outboard. I ended up changing the Vapor Separator Tank. The float inside was cracked. Solved my problem.
I've never had any problem. I have had captains not apply lubricant to the high pressure o-ring and it tore and sprayed gas out. You'd have to have a huge amount of air coming in from somewhere so check your gaps and make sure you didn't cross-thread your low pressure. It usually gets primed via turning the key and your high pressure fuel pump primes the system from the vapor separator tank, engine comes on and low pressure fuel pump primes the low pressure filter. Maybe your kill switch is not working or you forgot something with ignition coils?
i just purchased a new 2017 BF200. after 5.5 hours run time I realized that I am using too much fuel. discovered it is pumping raw gasoline through the vent tube on the rear starboard side of the engine. when the engine is running or if I pump the bulb. I have never owned a Honda. My previous outboard have been Evinrude. I have heard it may be a needle valve that is stuck. but do not know where it would be without taking the air filters off to trace the vent tube. any suggestions?
To be honest, it sounds like you're leaking fuel somewhere and need to stop the hemorrhage. When you say the vent tube on the rear STBD side it sounds like a fuel line. If it's a fuel line I'd recommend making sure the "c" clip is over the bulging end of the metal fitting. If it's a filter or water strainer I'd recommend replacing the o-ring (Of course lube the o-ring with oil before tightening, I've had my high pressure fuel filter leak like a siv when I forgot to apply oil before tightening and tore it). If you're still out of luck I'd take it to the dealer since it could be a bad install. If you had a video that could help as well.
Thank you for your reply. It turns out the float in the Vapor Separator Tank had a hair line crack, causing it to fail. The fuel was flowing through the grey vent tube on top of the VST which goes up to the top of engine behind the manifold and back down the starboard side exiting under the cowling . The dealer sent me a whole VST, I removed the one on my outboard and replaced it with the new one. Then sent mine back to the dealer who discovered the cracked float.
Wow a real internal problem. It would be so rare a float would crack in a brand new engine. I'm glad they helped so quickly and discovered the problem. I imagine everything else should run smoothly in a new Honda
Captain Sean Yes, I am grateful the dealer was very helpful. A good group of people. They are in Everett, Wa. I live on Unalaska Island, Port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The nearest Honda support is 792 miles away. The engine is now running good. (Very important on the Bering Sea). I am approaching the 20 hour oil change, and am extremely grateful for your videos. They are very helpful since I will be doing my own preventative maintenance. Mahalo
gd job. i am doing some research over honda and yamaha outboard, is honda more fuel efficient than yamaha? what about reliability? any break down so far? thx.
I can only speak for Honda 225 Motors since that's all I've used as outboards. I wanted them for our boats since the coast guard had them and sounded like they got a good 5-10K hrs out of them. We have had some of our motors going over 5 years and at over 5K hrs. Still not leaking oil or running rough. One starter has gone and countless O2 sensors (seriously every 200-600HRS). The one big drawback we've had on both motors over 5,000hrs was that the oil seal corroded at the bottom of the powerhead. THAT, I did not want to get into so I took it to the dealer who charged about $2,200 to fix. If you're not in saltwater everyday for 5 years you may not have that problem. Now, a rental business up the road swears by Yamahas (he's also an auto mechanic who is obsessive about maintenance). He has some over 7,000hrs still going strong though they are 115's. I hope that helps.
thx, it sure did clear some ? up my list. yama is gd but i doubt it perform as good as the vtec. sure it is reliable but there is also issue with it after 1k-2k hrs the throttle & sensors. i love merc & rude. but in asia weather they catch the flu so often. that is why most fisherman in asia use yama & suki. honda needs to push harder. i am sure is vry reliable as i can see from your experience.
Captain Sean Any chance you’d ever do a video on the O2 sensors or any other sensors you’ve had to replace? Your videos are awesome and much appreciated!
I source from outboardpartsnation.com. Go to your local dealer and compare prices. First time I looked online was when dealer was out of O2 sensors and quoted me a lot more than online prices to get it shipped to HI. I figured if I could save money and it has to ship anyway, why not. Also, shipping to HI is a lot more than the mainland, I had found other sites willing to sell for less but would not come down on outrageous shipping prices. Do you own a business?
i know this is an old video but what do you think about Honda engines? i am looking at a boat with a 2004 on it with 1100 hours, how do you think they hold up
I know this is an old comment but I have 2004 BF225s with under 1000 hours. The engines themselves hold up very well but I'm guessing with that few hours at some point in their life they sat for quite a long time as did mine. I would expect components to go bad like starters and such and especially the high pressure fuel pumps as they gum up after sitting especially if fuel with ethanol was used. The very nice thing about Honda's is almost everything is available aftermarket at a fraction of the cost of OEM. I replace my high pressure fuel pumps with aftermarket ones for $50 each and they came with a lifetime warranty. I've also used aftermarket starters and some other components. Just be careful there are fake things out there like aftermarket filters and sensors that don't do anything at all. Do your homework before purchasing an aftermarket component.
I have a 05 Honda 225 outboard and every year i have to change the plugs out. If i don't change them at some point the engine is very difficult to start when cold. The boat is stored in a high & dry, engine is flushed after every use and I only use it about 40 hrs a year as the Islands we go to are close by. The engine has approx 400 hrs on it. Water pump was changed in 2021. Any help would be great. Thanks Capt
Sean, excellent video! ery easy to follow and understand the steps. However, my 06 honda 225 had its vst tank cleaned out a while back because of sudden loss of rpm when I was driving it. It's been a year and the same issue has come back. I have cleaned out my fuel tank and changed all the filters. can you make a video on how to clean the vst tank please?
I may do that soon. That problem tends to come from the gas separating. If you store it for a while it's always good if you can run it at least once every month or 2
I just changed out my high and low filters and o rings. I watched the video a dozen times. Worked like a charm. Took about two hours. 2007 Playcraft Tritoon
Great video will help a lot of people I noticed in the video that the low pressure filter was almost empty when you took it apart is that normal? I have the BF 200 and it seams to stay low and I'm having issues and not sure if that might be part of it. Thanks
I have noticed it will fill immediately when I squeeze the priming bulb but will sometimes run normally without that area full of fuel. I'm not sure if it's normal but it doesn't seem to affect performance. As for the video, that was normal. With the engines turned off a lot of the gas returns to the tank. What other issues do you have?
Thank you. I do have a Racor filter for each engine. I think mine are S3227. I have another video showing how to swap them. Also, if your engines are different sizes or makes you may need different filters. I think there are some online calculators where you list your make and size engine and they tell you the size Racor you need.
Amazing video and very clear instructions!!! Thank you so much!! I just purchased a boat with 2003 BF225's outboards and had them checked and serviced. They only had 132 hrs on them. The boat is being shipped over to me abroad where we don't have a Honda dealer so if all goes as expected I will need to do the maintenance myself. Hope you can do a video explaining all the regular routine maintenance for these engines because that will really really help :) What year are your engines?
+pandonia77 My engines are about 2011. I heard rumors they don't put years on them because sometimes (during recession years) they sit on the shelves for a while. The model AK1 kind of means 2011. AK2- 2012 AK3-2013 etc. I will do more. Thanks for the feedback!
That spring generally stays there for me (as it does in the video). If it comes out I just make sure it's in the "indent" on the back of the filter rather than on the rim of the metal back.
