when do you run your blower motor?

[Dallas]

You need to look at the fuel / air supply system you have. Fuel injected motors have the fuel air mixture occur at or just above the cylinder; a sort of closed system if you want to look at it that way. Carbed systems externally (just below the air filter) mix the fuel and air; lending itself to fuel vapors building up in the motor box. The exhaust fan was/is to to keep the gasses from accumulating to a level that they could combust. I have an EFI system on my boat, and only use the blower for the first start of the day, but my system is healthy, good fuel lines, no leaking injectors or fuel filter bowl. Before I start my motor on the first crank of the day, I always lift the lid and check several things. I never smell gas under my motor box. Just my two cents. Hope it helps.

[WakeSlayer]

I usually run it for a few seconds on the Super Air. Not every time, but mostly. i think it is more a habit from when I was a kid than anything. I do not feel that there is a big risk if you do not. In the Mustang, I lift the motor box. I have a kill switch under there for the battery, so I am forced to open it. If I have that boat out, I will run the blower briefly before re-starts, again more out of habit. Like Pete said earlier, boats did not have blowers back in the day anyway. Opening the motor box is faster, fully ventilates the bilge, and gives you a moment to visually inspect everything while you are there.

[harddock]

Edit: If nothing else I'd feel REALLY STUPID if the boat did blow up and I didn't have the blower on. Explaining that to the cops, fire department, insurance agency, newspaper, etc. would really make me feel like a dufus.

If mine did blow up, I'd swear I had the blower on and hope they couldn't prove otherwise.

At least I could refer them here and show them that I use it.

[DanielC]

I do agree that fuel injection motors in good shape have less of a chance of building up fuel vapors in the bilge. But fuel injection is not a guarantee of no fuel vapors in the bilge.
Around 900 hours on my boat (1997 Ski Nautique), and about the same amount of hours on a 1998 Ski Nautique I work on, fuel started seeping out of the FCC, at the fitting that has the two wires for the high pressure pump.
I turn my blower on every time (almost) I start the boat. I turn it off after the engine has started.

[M3Fan]

I do agree that fuel injection motors in good shape have less of a chance of building up fuel vapors in the bilge. But fuel injection is not a guarantee of no fuel vapors in the bilge.
Around 900 hours on my boat (1997 Ski Nautique), and about the same amount of hours on a 1998 Ski Nautique I work on, fuel started seeping out of the FCC, at the fitting that has the two wires for the high pressure pump.
I turn my blower on every time (almost) I start the boat. I turn it off after the engine has started.

I had the same problem. I knew something was up when I could smell gas fumes exiting the rear of the boat, from the blower.

[BigBald]

I try to run it for a minute or so right before start up all day long. But, I can tell you that I don't always remember. I also try to lift the hatch at the beginning of the day.

[nch20skier]

Typically the blower is on from the time I pull into the ramp until the time I pull out unless the boat is shut off for extended periods of time

[TravisFling]

M3Fan wrote:


Edit: If nothing else I'd feel REALLY STUPID if the boat did blow up and I didn't have the blower on. Explaining that to the cops, fire department, insurance agency, newspaper, etc. would really make me feel like a dufus.



If mine did blow up, I'd swear I had the blower on and hope they couldn't prove otherwise.

At least I could refer them here and show them that I use it.

^^^^^^
Except for that you just posted that...

[AirTool]

I still believe that if blower operation was all that important and effective, CC would put some logic in the control system to manage the blower.

Like:

1) run as soon as you start entering the keypad number
2) run while the engine is running
3) run for x minutes after shut off
4) run x minutes every y minutes the power is on but engine off

[harddock]

I have noticed a direct connection to running a blower and attracting other boats. I have been documenting this for some time now. There can be a dead calm lake with not a boat in site and as soon as I run my blower (prior to starting) at least 6 to maybe a dozen boats appear , some usually pulling tubes in random wavemaking patterns just when I wanrt to go out. When I shut the boat off and turn around they scatter and once again calm. It must be some magnetic charge in the blower motor.