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What Is Considered Low Engine Hours on a Boat?

A boat motor is an expensive investment, and most people want to get the greatest amount of use from one. For this reason, many boaters wisely pick the newest engines for their boats. After all, regardless of its care and maintenance, a new engine simply has not had time to experience wear or damage. A motor's age, however, is not simply a matter of time. It is also a matter of the knowledge and effort of its owner to keep it in good order.

Level of Maintenance
- A well-oiled and -maintained engine will last vastly longer than one receiving less care. As a rule, any gasoline engine will develop slight malfunctions after 1,000 hours of use, but at the 1,000th hour, the engine's fate will depend largely on the swiftness and adequacy of its owner's response to any problems. Two of the problems likely to beset a boat motor are water in the engine and a lack of oil. Water pressure can damage engine parts, and a lack of oil can leave the engine damaging itself through friction and heat. Responsible boat owners check their oil regularly and look for signs of water, such as white exhaust.
Octane Level of Fuel
- Boat engines operate at a higher velocity than those in cars and other non-aquatic machines, and for this reason, they need a higher-octane fuel. Octane is a measure of a fuel's tendency to burn rather than explode, and a higher octane rating denotes a fuel with a greater tendency to burn. Boat engines have a greater pressure in their pistons than other engines during the compression stroke, and so they have a greater tendency to detonate fuel in those pistons. They therefore need fuel with less tendency to explode in order to avoid damaging the interior of those pistons.
Operating the Engine at Low RPM
- An engine operated against no force will in fact be more likely to damage itself than one pushing a weight at the top of its usable load. If not in real use, it will not drain itself of water, and the resulting rust and pressure could damage it.
Odd Factors
- Running a marine engine without coolant for even a fraction of a minute may age it profoundly, and leaving fuel in it through a period of inactivity can have the same effect. Dedicated boaters also always use only fresh fuel in their engines, and they flush old fuel out of the engine after each such trip.
Replacing Parts
- One key to maintaining the longevity of an engine lies in inspecting it frequently and replacing parts rusted from exposure to water, especially electrical parts. The metal components necessary for an electrical system are of course vulnerable to damage from rusting in a damp or wet environment.

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