Honda Bf8a Owners Manual

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STARTING THE  ENGINE
1. Put the emergency engine stop switch clip in the engine stop switch, and
attach the lanyard to your PFD or your wrist.
The engine will not start or run, unless the clip is in the switch.
The emergency engine stop switch clip and lanyard system is a safety
device that will stop the engine if you fall away from the controls while
operating the boat.
Always attach the lanyard to your PFD or your wrist before starting the
engine.
2. Check the position of the gear-
shift lever. It must be in the N
(neutral) position for starting.
OPERATION
EMERGENCY STOP
SWITCH CLIP
ENGINE STOP
SWITCH
LANYARD
GEARSHIFT LEVER
N (Neutral)
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OPERATION
3. Align the throttle grip START position with the mark on the tiller handle.
4. To start a cold engine, pull out the choke knob to the ON position. To restart
a warm engine, leave the choke knob pushed in.
5. Pull the starter grip lightly until you feel resistance, then pull briskly in the
direction of the arrow as show below.
•
Do not allow the starter grip to snap back against the engine. Return it gently
to prevent damage to the starter.
•Do not pull the starter grip while the engine is running, as that may damage
the starter.
If the engine fails to start, check the engine stop switch clip and verify that
the gearshift lever is in the neutral position.
NOTICE
MARKSTART
THROTTLE GRIP
CHOKE KNOB
ON
Direction to pull
STARTER GRIP
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6. After starting, check the oil pressure indicator. The indicator should be on
while the engine is running. If the indicator is off, stop the engine immediately,
check the engine oil level, and inspect the engine for oil leaks.
If the oil level is OK, but the indicator stays off while the engine is running,
take the motor to an authorized Honda marine dealer immediately.
OPERATION
OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR
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OPERATION
7. After starting, be sure water is flowing out of the cooling system indicator.
If water does not flow out, or if steam comes out, stop the engine. Check to see
if the screen in the cooling water inlet is obstructed. Do not operate the engine
until the problem has been corrected.
8. If the choke was used, push it in gradually as the engine warms up.
9. Before leaving the dock, check the operation of the emergency engine stop
switch.
NOTICE
COOLING SYSTEM
INDICATOR WATER INLET
SCREEN
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EMERGENCY STARTING
If the recoil starter is not working properly, the engine can be started with the
emergency starter rope in the tool kit.
1. Remove the engine cover.
2. Remove the recoil starter by removing the three 6 mm bolts.
3. Follow steps 1 through 4 of the normal engine starting procedure (see
pages 29 and 30).
4. Wind the emergency starter rope clockwise around the pulley, and then pull
it straight out to start the engine. Keep clear of moving parts.
5. Leave the recoil starter off and reinstall engine cover.
OPERATION
+ WARNING
Exposed moving parts can cause injury.
Use extreme care when installing the en-
gine cover. Do not operate the outboard
motor without the engine cover.
6 mm
BOLTSRECOIL
STARTEREMERGENCY
STARTER ROPE
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OPERATION
STOPPING THE  ENGINE
Emergency Engine Stopping
Disengage the emergency engine stop switch clip from the engine stop switch
by pulling the lanyard.
It is a good idea to stop the engine with the emergency engine stop switch
lanyard from time to time to be sure that the switch is operating properly.
Normal Engine Stopping
1. Turn the throttle grip to the SHIFT position, and move the gearshift lever to
the N (neutral) position.
2. Push the engine stop switch button until the engine stops.
In the event that the engine does not stop when you push the engine stop
switch button, pull the emergency engine stop switch lanyard. If the engine
continues to run, pull the choke knob to stop the engine.
EMERGENCY ENGINE STOP
SWITCH CLIP
ENGINE STOP
SWITCH
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GEAR SHIFTING
Put the tilt lever in the RUN position to prevent the outboard motor from tilting
up when operating in reverse (refer to page 38).
The gearshift lever has 3 positions : FORWARD, NEUTRAL, and REVERSE.
An indicator at the base of the gearshift lever aligns with letters F, N, or R on
the engine case to show the gear that has been selected.
Turn the throttle grip to SHIFT to decrease engine speed before moving the
gearshift lever.
When operating in reverse, proceed with caution to avoid hitting any underwa-
ter obstructions with the propeller.
The gear shift mechanism limits throttle opening in the N (neutral) and R
(reverse) positions. The outboard motor allows the throttle to be opened to
FAST with the gear shift lever in the F (forward) position.
NOTICE
OPERATION
SHIFT
THROTTLE GRIPR (Reverse)
GEARSHIFT LEVER
N (neutral)
F (Forward)
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Swing the tiller handle to the right.Swing the tiller handle to the left.
OPERATION
STEERING
To turn to the right, swing the tiller handle to the left. To turn to the left, swing
the tiller handle to the right.
Boats equipped with a remote control steering wheel are controlled in the
same way as a car.
The tiller handle steering friction should be adjusted so that stable boat
operation is maintained with a minimum of operator effort.
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CRUISING
With the gearshift lever in the for-
ward position F, turn the throttle grip
toward FAST to increase speed.
For normal cruising, open the throttle
about 3/4.
To hold the throttle at a steady set-
ting, turn the throttle friction knob
clockwise. To free the throttle grip
for manual speed control, turn the
friction knob counterclockwise.
For best performance, passengers
and equipment should be distrib-
uted evenly to balance the boat.
OPERATION
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OPERATION
TILTING THE OUTBOARD MOTOR
Tilt the motor to prevent the propeller and gear case from hitting bottom when
the boat is beached or stopped in shallow water.
1. Stop the engine and put the gearshift lever into NEUTRAL.
2. Pull the tilt lever toward you, set the lever in the TILT position, and raise the
engine to either the 30°, 45°or 70° tilt position.
Do not use the throttle grip or the tiller handle to tilt the outboard motor. The
throttle grip is not designed to tilt the engine and may be damaged.
3. To return the engine to the normal RUN position, move the tilt lever away
from you until it stops, tilt the engine up slightly, then lower the engine
slowly.
•
Make sure water comes out from the cooling system indicator.
•When the outboard motor is tilted, cruise at low speed.
•Never operate in reverse when the outboard motor is tilted, because the
outboard motor will rise suddenly.
•Excessive tilt angle during operation can cause propeller ventilation,
overheating, and water pump damage. This type of damage is not covered
by the 
Distributor’s Limited Warranty (p. 83).
NOTICE
NEUTRAL
TILT LEVER30
°45°70°
1 11 1
1
2 22 2
23 33 3
3
1 11 1
12 22 2
2 3 33 3
3
NOTICE
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