Deck / Fill Plates & Keys

Deck Plates, Fill Plates, and Plate Keys - Resources & Information

Installing deck plates is an easy way to provide access to otherwise inaccessible locations in your boat. Deck plates can be installed on decks, on a bulkhead, or any other vertical surface to give you access to shut off valves, provide drainage, keep your fuel system wateright, and so forth. 

PartsVu offers a complete selection of Deck Fill Plates and Deck Fill Keys from OEM manufacturers and trusted aftermarket suppliers. Whether you need a multi-function deck plate key, marine deck fill caps, replacement deck plates for boats, and more, PartsVu has what you need to spend your time on the water worry-free. 

Need help servicing your outboard engine? PartsVu regularly publishes helpful how-to guides and other valuable maintenance information to help boaters service their outboard 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.

Deck / Fill Plates & Keys FAQ

What should I know about Deck Plates, Fill Plates, and Plate Keys?

Here’s some info you need to know about Deck Plates, Fill Plates, and Plate Keys:

• It’s a good best practice to keep a few deck plate keys on hand and stored around your boat. As these items tend to be only used infrequently (such as every time you fill up or need to get access to your stored belongings), it’s easy to misplace them. As an alternative, installing a keyless deck fill is a good idea if you’re not worried about security.
• Considering that deck plates and fill plates are located on the deck of your boat, it’s highly likely that they’ll be exposed to direct sunlight, UV rays, and the harsh aquatic environment. For ultimate durability, select a bronze deck plate, chrome deck plate, stainless steel deck plate, or aluminum deck plate over plastic deck plates. Although ABS plastic deck plates are durable in most cases, wear to the outside surface and screw threads are less likely to occur from friction and usage on corrosion-resistant metal components than plastic. Plus, plastic bits can shear off and enter your fuel system via your deck plate for fueling. 
• The water tightness of deck plates varies based on their design, where pry-out deck plates are often less watertight when compared to screw-in deck plates. 
• Typical deck plate sizes include:
• 3 inch deck plates
• 4 inch deck plates
• 6 inch deck plates
• 8 inch deck plates

Be sure to match each deck plate up with its original mount, as manufacturers vary in thread size, o-rings, and more.

What are common outboard engine fuel system issues?

One of the most common ways your outboard motor will break down is a fuel system failure. Whether you’re experiencing an intermittent bog down, poor performance, or complete engine failure, your fuel system is a common culprit.

• Ethanol gasoline: Only use premium low-ethanol gasoline for your outboard motor. The reason is that ethanol attracts water, causing fuel to dilute through “phase separation.” Additionally, ethanol gasoline can also gunk up fuel lines and fuel system components due to additives used. To help prevent these issues, regularly use a high-quality fuel stabilizer.
• Fuel lines: Check your fuel lines. If you discover any breaks or leaks, you should stop using the engine and make any necessary replacements. Also, take a look at any fuel hoses with an interior liner.
• Fuel filters: Thefuel filter is designed to catch any debris and contaminants that have entered your fuel system. Regularly replace your fuel filters to keep fuel running freely.
• Fuel pump: A malfunctioning fuel pump can significantly reduce engine performance and, over time, severely damage other components. If your fuel pump is not working correctly, replace it and any hoses that may have been affected.

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 tool.
• 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

How do I perform a 100-hour service on my outboard engine?

To ensure proper engine function, it’s always best to service your outboard engine every 100 hours after the initial break-in period (first 10 hours) and after the first maintenance interval (at 20 hours). 

As an example, the following is a Suzuki outboard 100-hour service checklist to help you service your engine properly. Refer to your owner’s manual for your particular engine make and model for an exact list of 100-hour maintenance tasks:

How do I protect the exterior of my outboard motor?

For the exterior of your Outboard Engine, coat these surfaces with anti-corrosion products like Corrosion Guard. This rust inhibitor forms a water-resistant barrier on both painted and unpainted surfaces. We recommend using it at every service interval with a liberal application to all metal engine surfaces. You can also use it on outdrives, lower units, and power trim motors.

The marine environment is one of the harshest on the planet. This is why protecting your boat from corrosion is extremely important. For premium defense against rust, we highly recommend this product.

Also, PartsVu carries a wide selection of Marine Spray Paint. The durable enamel coating of these spray paint products, in factory-matched colors, provide excellent coverage against the elements. Everything you need to restore or customize your cowling cover.

Marine spray paints are high-quality, factory-matched spray paint for touch-ups or full overcoat application. This durable enamel coating provides good performance in the rigors of the marine environment. 

As is the case with any painting task, surface preparation is very important. Note that paint may fade over time on an outboard motor exposed to the elements over time, so the factory-fresh color supplied in this can may not match older paint exactly. Therefore, the application area may need to be larger to provide for proper blending of the color.