Special Tools & Manuals

Specialty Tools and Manuals for Boats - Resources & Information

There are plenty of maintenance tasks for your boat and outboard that require specialized tools. While you may have standard hand tools around the garage, such as socket wrenches and pliers, having the right tool designed for the job saves time and prevents damage that “workarounds” may cause.

PartsVu offers a complete selection of Special Tools & Manuals from OEM manufacturers and trusted aftermarket suppliers to help you get the job done. Plus, PartsVu also offers owners manuals and instruction manuals to give you the guidance you won’t find online or anywhere else.

Need help servicing your boat and outboard engine? PartsVu regularly publishes helpful how-to guides and other valuable maintenance information to help boaters properly service their boats and engines. Browse our outboard maintenance blog for a wide range of relevant topics and see the FAQ section below, covering everything you need to know about maintaining your boat in confidence.

Special Tools & Manuals FAQ

What should I know about Special Tools & Manuals?

Here’s some info you need to know about Special Tools & Manuals:

• Having specialized tools simply makes routine jobs that much easier. For example, if you’re having trouble removing the impeller from the shaft, an impeller puller tool will save you time and prevent damage by using other methods. 
• Specialized marine tools are often more expensive and often suited for a single purpose, so it’s important to weigh a few factors before purchasing:
• Does this tool work on all outboard engines and/or boats that I intend to own? Or, is it only designed 
• How often will I need this tool during the lifespan of my outboard?
• Can this tool be used for other vehicles and applications (such as automotive repairs)?
• Do I have the knowledge to use this tool effectively?
• Some of the most common specialized tools you’ll find yourself needing to complete specific maintenance tasks includes:
• Prop Wrench
• Spanner Wrench/Deck Plate Key
• Garboard Wrench
• Impeller Removal Tool
• Double Poly Clamps
• Marine Digital Corrosion Standard Tester
• Transducer Nut Wrench
• Canvas Punch
• Bristle Brushes
• Putty Knife
• Motor Flushers/Ear Muffs
• And more
• Many professional marine mechanics invest in specialized tools to be more efficient in their business, but there’s nothing stopping amateur boating enthusiasts from purchasing their own. Considering that the average cost of boat repairs - even the most simple of repairs - ranges from $80 to $150+ per hour, purchasing a specialty tool for boats and outboard engines can mean serious cost savings down the road.
• It’s easy to lose an instruction manaul for a specialized marine tool, especially for multiuse testers with complicated interfaces. Many manufacturers of these multi-use tools often don’t publish their manuals online, nor do they offer the option to purchase a manual separately. Browse PartsVu’s massive catalog to find the right manual for the tools that you’re using.

Is winterizing my outboard important?

While it’s always a bit more fun to pull out your boat than to put it away, properly winterizing your outboard engine should be mandatory for all experienced boaters. Winterizing helps avoid engine damage and will facilitate a smoother start to the beginning of next season - after all, no one wants to wait to get back on the water!

There are several important steps you should take when storing your MerCruiser outboard lower unit to ensure that it’s properly winterized.

1. Flush Your Engine - Thoroughly flush your MerCruiser engine to remove any salt buildup if you are a saltwater boater, or accumulated mud and grime if you are a freshwater boater. Failure to remove this debris from your MerCruiser lower unit leads to corrosion in the engine. And if you’re a saltwater boater, leftover salt crystals in the lower unit can act like sandpaper to your internal engine components.
2. Stabilize Your Fuel System - Fuel starts to go bad within 30 days of sitting in your fuel system. It is vital to use a fuel stabilizer when your boat will be sitting unused for more than two or three months. Adding the amount of fuel stabilizer directed on the product’s packaging to your fuel—for instance, 1 ounce of Mercury Quickstor Fuel Stabilizer for every 5 gallons of marine fuel ensures proper winterization for more than 3 months. 
3. Fog Your Engine - Fogging oil is a wax-based oil that coats the engine to prevent corrosion.
4. Change Out the Lower Unit Oil - It’s recommended by marine mechanics to change your gear lube before storage to make sure that there is no water in the lower unit’s oil. Any water in the oil could freeze, expand, and crack your lower unit. Additionally, old oil is more likely to gum up oil passages and corrode components due to changes in its chemical composition through regular use. Last, consult your owners manual for which oil is appropriate for your engine.
5. Disconnect Your Battery - Disconnect your battery and spray CRC Marine Battery Terminal Cleaner on your battery terminals.

What outboard engine tools should I have onboard?

Even if you don’t do your own maintenance, all boaters need some basic boat tools in their marine tool kits to help them out of a jam. Of course, if you plan to do your own maintenance or a portion of your own maintenance, you’ll need to be a bit better equipped.

So which boat tools should you have onboard? The following are our recommendations and the reasons behind them. Of course, the tools you should have onboard are significantly dictated by the type of boating you do. As a practical matter, a near-shore, freshwater boater needs fewer tools than an off-shore boater. While a problem close to the shore can be an annoyance, a problem off-shore might be a whole different matter.

• Fuel filter wrench—good idea to have on board if you get enough water or debris in your fuel system that a fuel filter change becomes necessary.
• Adjustable band filter wrench—you may need to change your fuel/water separating filter if you have water in your system or if you got some bad gas at the marina. US marinas nearly always sell high-quality filtered gasoline, but marinas in the Bahamas are notorious for selling contaminated gasoline.
• Prop nut wrench—carrying this wrench only makes sense if you carry a spare prop. Many boaters carry a spare inexpensive aluminum prop in case they spin a hub or bend a blade so severely that it wobbles.
• Deck fill key/deck plate key/spanner wrench—these universal tools are designed to open all types and sizes of deck fill lids and shackles. Many of these tools also include bonus tools like bottle openers. Perfect for a cold one after fishing.
• Toolkit—if you have room on your boat, all-purpose toolkits can come in handy. 
• Pliers—channel lock, standard, and needle nose
• Leatherman–a very helpful all-purpose multitool.
• Rigging knife
• Serrated knife—for cutting rope, your all-purpose tool might include a serrated blade.
• Flashlight
• Emergency plug set—in case a leak manifests while you are out on the water.
• Battery booster pack
• Battery terminal cleaner
• Zip ties—because we all know that you can fix almost everything with zip ties and duct tape.
• Duct tape

What is an outboard leak down test?

An outboard leakdown test is a simple diagnostic checkup for your outboard – and it can even be incorporated into your regular maintenance intervals for peace of mind. 

During the test, you’ll be able to determine if there’s any loss in air pressure around your engine’s internal seals and passages. Even a pinhole leak can drastically alter your outboard’s performance, so performing a leakdown test is important to determine whether the piston seals and other components are in good shape. 

Fortunately, a leak down test only requires a few common tools and some basic knowledge about your outboard. Even boaters with minimal experience can diagnose developing issues that affect the overall performance and lifespan of your boat’s engine(s). Best of all, performing this test will save you money and headaches down the road.

An outboard leak-down test indicates the condition of each of the engine’s cylinders and the overall condition of the motor. Similar to a compression test, it involves spraying compressed air into each cylinder and using a pressure gauge to measure the percentage of pressure that’s lost after a short period.

Also, part of doing a leak down test on a motor is to listen for any signs of leakage. By listening closely to each cylinder and the areas around them, you’ll better understand where leaks may be present.

The goal of a pressure test is to confirm whether the motor has any air leaks. The presence or absence of air in engines often leads to leaking of fuel-air mixtures and leakage of fuel during operation. 

Additionally, these leaks may become infiltration points for water and moisture from the aquatic environment, resulting in internal corrosion, sub-optimal performance (i.e., at idle, low RPMs, and high RPMs), and other issues.