[Michael Setser Jr]

I'm buying my first outboard boat here soon, what regular maintenance should I be doing? I grew up in the north and only ever had inboard motors, so I'm very new to this. Thank you

 

[firecat1981]

If its a 4-stroke then an oil change and impeller swap every 100 hours or year. That's about it really. Maybe change the lower unit fluid at the same time. These newer motors are pretty simple imo.

 

[Sublime]

What firecat1981 said.

I'll add:

Run some kind of water pressure gauge
Use your motor often
Use E0 gasoline if available and if your motor will sit for any amount of time
Follow the break in period if new
Spray under the cowling with an anti-corrosion spray of your choice
Check the anodes. Not much should happen here, but occasionally they go missing
Check for fishing line wrapped around the prop shaft

 

[Michael Setser Jr]

It is an older boat that is in great shape for age and I plan on repowering it eventually but as of now it has a Yamaha 115 2 stroke.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

It is an older boat that is in great shape for age and I plan on repowering it eventually but as of now it has a Yamaha 115 2 stroke.

Two strokes are junk, especially Yamahas...you should immediately repower to a much heavier and less powerful 4 stroke...

 

[jmrodandgun]

Read this

https://www.yamahapubs.com/outboard_om/LIT-18626-06-97.pdf

Buy this

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-115TLR-Outboard-Service-Library/dp/B011IXV0PG

Take all that money you saved on shop hours and buy yourself some good drugs.

 

[firecat1981]

The 2-stroke yammi 115 is a pretty good motor. As long as you keep the right mix of oil in it, or the oil tank full if it's got a metering system, it will run a long time. With that, just service the lower unit, fluids and impeller, each year or 100 hours, and change the spark plugs then too.
Also the suggestions above are good. Keep it clean and right and you can get decades out of that motor.