New to Outboards and have a few questions

[amgonner]

Hello,

I am new to outboard motors and have a few questions that I can not find answers to.

We have 2005 Key West 2020DC with a Yamaha F150.

The boat came with analog gauges and we bought the Command Link two gauge kit (6Y8-0E83R-91-00). I was told by a dealer who said he checked the numbers of my motor and this kit would plug right into my motor. The motor looks to have a round plug and kit only has square plugs. Is there an adapter that I need to make these gauges work?

I also bought a water pump kit, plugs, filters and fluid. Is there any other maintenance that we should do to the motor? (We are unsure of the hours on the motor) I would rather be safe and replace whatever is needed.

This boat will mostly be in salt water, what is the best way to flush the motor? Do we just connect the hose to the connector on the motor and turn on the water? Does the motor need to run, do we use the motor flusher that we used on our last I/O?

Thanks in advance for the help and here are pictures of my motor.

[boscoe99]

Here is the engine connector.

https://www.google.com/search?q=f150...YALkkTqVQXY%3D

Would be helpful if you provided the complete model and serial number for your motor.

All F150's were created equally. Just some are more equal than others.

[amgonner]

Thank you. The white plug that is in my motor has two wires going to it. The wire that I think would go to the plug has 4 wires.

I have attached the numbers of my motor.

[boscoe99]

The white Command Link connector to which the Yamaha harness connects is a four pin connector but only two wires are used. One blue, one white. The Yamaha harness that runs from the motor to a Command Link instrument will have four wires.

According to Yamaha records your specific serial number is not supposed to have Command Link capability.

But Yamaha's records are hosed. If you find the connector you are half way there. The other half way is if your motor has the correct ECU.

[amgonner]

Thank you so much for the wiring information. I will hook it up to see if it works. The connector came with the kit.

Is there a way to check the ECU?

I found this wiring for the gauges and I hope that it will work. 2014 Yamaha MRP Catalog

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I also bought a water pump kit, plugs, filters and fluid. Is there any other maintenance that we should do to the motor? (We are unsure of the hours on the motor) I would rather be safe and replace whatever is needed.

This boat will mostly be in salt water, what is the best way to flush the motor? Do we just connect the hose to the connector on the motor and turn on the water?

On my F150 (2006), I flush using both.

After the boats on the lift, I run water thru the power head attachment maybe 15 minutes. I then run it on the muffs only so the engine warms up and water goes thru the thermostat (which would have been closed with JUST the attachment.

Make sure you use the proper Yamaha grease on the Drive shaft when you pull the lower unit. There's a bushing in the mid section that WILL SQUEAL if you use anything else.

With the LU off, there are TWO drive shaft seals under the water pump plate. They do fail over time, one of mine (the SS little spring) broke, but no water intrusion (low hours too, always flushed). I'd probably be replacing those while the LU is off.

If the boat doesn't have an aftermarket, transom fuel filter /water separator, I'd strongly suggest installing one. 10 micron..

PM sent as well..

[amgonner]

Thank you so much for letting me know how you flush your motor.
The boat does have the fuel water separator and I plan on replacing that as well.
I will look through what I ordered to make sure the seals are there as well.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Its a great motor once you get it in shape and maintained...

I can run all day on 5 gallons at 30 MPH...

Good luck and have fun!

PM responded to also!

[99yam40]

Might want to watch what you post if you want to be realistic.
Some may think running all day at 30MPH with a F150 would mean 10 hours at 30 = 300 miles on only 5 Gallons of gas

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I'm quite sure of what I posted. Here's the performance "chart" which is actually lower than what I see in the real world.

At 3500 RPM's, I'm running 25 MPH (per GPS), 4,000 RPM's-30 MPH, WOT 5900-45 MPH

So yes, I can and do 25 miles on 5 gallons, with a 50 gallon tank(NOT 73 as posted below-that's a newer 204), technically 250 miles.

Of course every boat owner should know what he gets out of his vessel. As posted previously, I recently emptied my tank fully and now know how accurate the Yamaha fuel gauge is compared to the tank (which it IS dead on). The fuel gauge starts to blink empty at 5-8 gallons (or 25 plus miles)

Running all day for me is 25-30 miles. I won't take a 20' boat 50 miles offshore.

[boscoe99]

Might want to watch what you post if you want to be realistic.
Some may think running all day at 30MPH with a F150 would mean 10 hours at 30 = 300 miles on only 5 Gallons of gas

All day on only 5 gallons at $1.75 gallon is a hellava good deal.

I remember blowing through almost all of a 100 gallon tank in a days time and I was paying a lot more than $1.75 a gallon at the time.

[99yam40]

I'm quite sure of what I posted.
So yes, I can and do 25 miles on 5 gallons,

Running all day for me is 25-30 miles.

Running all day to most is not running for an hour or less at 30MPH
Just saying

[99yam40]

All day on only 5 gallons at $1.75 gallon is a hellava good deal.

I remember blowing through almost all of a 100 gallon tank in a days time and I was paying a lot more than $1.75 a gallon at the time.

If only i owned a boat back when I was paying 18 cents a gallon back in 71. I could have had a grand time

[zenoahphobic]

When we had US measure down under 25 miles for 5 gallons was exactly what my father used to get out of his 1960 evinrude big twin 40 Hp on his 14 foot boat travelling at 25 mph.
I used to have to ski behind because of lack of room on board, and that is about when the tank ran out, after one hour!
Cheaper fuel in old days but fuel economy poor.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

All day on only 5 gallons at $1.75 gallon is a hellava good deal.

I remember blowing through almost all of a 100 gallon tank in a days time and I was paying a lot more than $1.75 a gallon at the time.

Well, I'm paying $3.25 for Marine non-ethonol fuel so it was $100.00 to put my 35 gallons back in(2/3's a tank) . But that'll last me 6 months easily...

99Yam40. I don't run the engine the entire time I'm out. I stop, drift fish, anchor up, go to the beach, restaurant, etc. I'm 6 minutes from the main river, 20 to the Gulf of Mexico, Sanible, etc so most everything is nearby.

I don't know if MOST folks run their engines 100% of the time their out, kinda doubt it.

"Deep water", 45', is 15 miles off shore for scuba diving, fishing, spear fishing, etc. Its rare I go out that far as the largest reef has been over fished big time..

But for a 20'4" boat with a heavy 4 stroke on the back, it easily gets 2-3 times the mileage of my old Johnnyrude V6, 150 HP, 2 stroke.