Outboard Motor Servicing Course?

[kiara_poltegerist]

Is there such a thing as a comprehensive course or a Cert that one can do to become certified in outboard/small engine maintenance? Something that I'd like to learn from scratch rather than try to work out by guesswork or elimination if I'd ever need to do so.

Any particular recommended learning centre maybe?

[dassa]

Try the tafe collages for that sort of thing as I know they did it many years ago but not sure if they would do it now.good luck I hope that helps some

cheers dassa

[mick fillet]

bremer intitute of tafe tafe.i started my first course when i was 17 have done 6 coarses in total there run by a fella named steve.each coarse is a more advanced level.its only a few hundred bucks each course,(was a few years ago that i did this)

the engines you learn on are your own,you take your motor in and fully strip it down in the advanced levels,there a class of no more than 6 people.

if they still exsist its well worth doin.

[Do$tylz]

Awesome. Well worth doing. Kiara - keep us posted how you go with finding details

[sammysnapper]

Hey all

New on this forum, and i know this is an old thread but have searched high and low in the past 4 months and have found nothing but online courses for outboard maintenance. I am a qualified diesiel mech and can prob figure it out from the manuals i have but would love to do a propper course to maake shore i am doing it right. Might be a chance for a marine maintainer to get a few extra bucks. Any help would be appreciated.

cheers sam

[kiara_poltegerist]

Have looked high and low, and have only come up with 2 options -

Open Colleges: basically a learn it yourself at home course. not worth a penny at all. not cheap either.

TAFE - If i remember correctly it is a 4 year course. The first being fully theoretical in nature, the second being practial and theoretical, and from then on though an apprenticeship with a marine outlet? Looked up the details a while back and sort of gave up as it was too much of a run around.

would be happy to pay a professional a decent amount of $$ for proper lessons, but definitely dont want to commit to an apprenticeship.

[dunney]

try bracken ridge. i do the air conditioning in the place. their is one building thats full of outboard motors..

also there are whipper snipper, lawm mowers, ride-ons and generators in the same area. it might be the course your looking for

[J-DOG115]

yeah i go to tafe at braken ridge and there a outboard mech course they offer there dunno wat level they teach ill see if i can find a link

[sammysnapper]

Thanks for the help guys i actually rang braken ridge a few eeks ago, the chick didnt know of any course but she didnt sound iterested or the slitest bit inteligent so she could have been wrong.

[Old Scaley]

I tried similar search a few years ago and the closest place I could find was in Gladstone.

[racingsteve]

Idea time

Why dont we organize one here approach a outboard service guy around the place, I'm sure if we he would weclome 10 also people/students paying him over a few weeks course in boat engine maintenance, replacing the prop,seal,changing spark plugs etc etc etc run it like TAFE turn up in the workshop and basically service a engine show people the ins and outs of a outboard!! I've been employed with TAFE teaching showing basic motorbike servicing over a month every Monday and Wednesday night some time ago now but we had people called in to talk about M/C tyres buying advice and set-up etc etc

We had them bring in there bikes and we all worked on them so it was like a free service on everyone's bikes it was great everyone was interested as it was there own bike/s this was just a very basic course.

I for starters would be keen to pay and attend if in brisbane all we need is someone to organize it. It would b win win the "teacher" would make some money and people like myself would learn about our motors the correct way!! and safe money in the long run, if u think about it could be basic boat trailer maintenance etc etc

Steve

[kiara_poltegerist]

Awesome idea, but i'm doubtful any reputable outboard shop would do it for fear of reducing their business. But i am keen if someone can get this going!

[dunney]

I do all the servicing on my own outboard have been doing it for about 5years.Replace gearbox oil, spark plugs, water impeller, replace Annodes and clear the motor from carbon deposits etc. I can maybe teach you how to do it if your desperate and have no luck with tafe/businesses.

[kiara_poltegerist]

I do all the servicing on my own outboard have been doing it for about 5years.Replace gearbox oil, spark plugs, water impeller, replace Annodes and clear the motor from carbon deposits etc. I can maybe teach you how to do it if your desperate and have no luck with tafe/businesses.

awesome offer Dunney. cheers for that. unfortunately Downes marine just finished a major service on my outboard just before easter. would be keen to take up your offer if it was still available later in the year.

[dirtridder]

here is a link. make sure that you reed the Employment Opportunities before you tell me i am wrong. the best bet is to call your closet tafe ask to be transferd to the trades deppartment.
/>http://www.bremer.tafe.qld.gov.au/dds/search/openEnrolments.do?instituteID=739&keyword=small+engine&call_centre_mode=false&externalCallMode=false&breadCrumbsBase=%3Ca+href%3D%22%2F%22+title%3D%22Home%22%3EHome%3C%2Fa%3E&accredited=true&course_id=17022&courseTypeFilter=0&ins_spec=true

[sammysnapper]

The only problem with this mate, i cat afford to go back to being an appretice. There is a specific marine mechanic course aswell again it is an appreticeship. I think most people are just trying to find a 4-6 week course on basic outboard maintenance.I was told by tafe QLD as i am a mechanic already it was just a short conversion to marine but the aplication for RPL was around $5000 just to get it looked at even if you didnt have the right requirements.

[racingsteve]

Hi All

Does anyone know of a mobile servicing fellow who may be interested in running these courses?? I know it would be hard as they will think if everyone knows how to do this and that he will lose business!! but at the Tafe course I was involved with each person gave out there cards of business and u got a idea what they were all about " all got on going business " so it worked both ways!! If I had more time I would look at maybe organize something, but for starters we need someone prepared to run the course at there work shop?? It's just a idea.

1. Basic motor service

2. Trailer care

3. Boat care

4. Pre-trip checklist

5. Safety needs etc

If anyone knows of someone maybe we could get together and arrange something

I for one would like a course like this and would be prepared to pay!! I do all my own services anyway but I would like to know more.

Steve

[dirtridder]

i got my trade though rpl and the goverment paid for it. when i was doing this most trade come under certificate iii in engineering with somthing on the end of it in brackets e.g (light) sheet metal (hevey) boilermaker. i am sure that marine will be like that to. http://www.skillingsolutions.qld.gov.au/ this should help you out with free rpl.

[Eddie Steadman]

On 12/04/2012 at 5:06 PM, racingsteve said:

Idea time

Why dont we organize one here approach a outboard service guy around the place, I'm sure if we he would weclome 10 also people/students paying him over a few weeks course in boat engine maintenance, replacing the prop,seal,changing spark plugs etc etc etc run it like TAFE turn up in the workshop and basically service a engine show people the ins and outs of a outboard!! I've been employed with TAFE teaching showing basic motorbike servicing over a month every Monday and Wednesday night some time ago now but we had people called in to talk about M/C tyres buying advice and set-up etc etc

We had them bring in there bikes and we all worked on them so it was like a free service on everyone's bikes it was great everyone was interested as it was there own bike/s this was just a very basic course.

I for starters would be keen to pay and attend if in brisbane all we need is someone to organize it. It would b win win the "teacher" would make some money and people like myself would learn about our motors the correct way!! and safe money in the long run, if u think about it could be basic boat trailer maintenance etc etc

Steve

 

[Eddie Steadman]

Hey Steve, I am a motor mechanic, an exTAFE automotive and fitting and turning teacher and a secondery school manual arts teacher. I taught at Northpoint/ Bracken Ridge TAFE when it first opened. I am currently collecting some out boards in order to put together an outboard/boat and trailer service course. I worked for a short time on outboards and inboards and I do have a semiretired outboard service mechanic friend. Perhaps we could get a few interested boaties together and do a trial run to see what would be a suitable course content. The only cost would be to pass the hat round to compensate my service man for his time. I don’t know how old your post is.

[Angry51]

Welcome to the forum Eddie, be no good to me as I live in NQ.

But I think you're on the right track, just have to see what takers out out there.

I reckon you need to know the basics not how to rebuild an engine.

Good luck.

PS. This thread is 2012.

Edited February 22, 2021 by Angry51
Add to

[shakey55]

18 hours ago, Eddie Steadman said:

Hey Steve, I am a motor mechanic, an exTAFE automotive and fitting and turning teacher and a secondery school manual arts teacher. I taught at Northpoint/ Bracken Ridge TAFE when it first opened. I am currently collecting some out boards in order to put together an outboard/boat and trailer service course. I worked for a short time on outboards and inboards and I do have a semiretired outboard service mechanic friend. Perhaps we could get a few interested boaties together and do a trial run to see what would be a suitable course content. The only cost would be to pass the hat round to compensate my service man for his time. I don’t know how old your post is.

Great idea Eddie.  I’m retired, but would be interested in something like this, but live Sydney 

[kmcrosby78]

I would be interested @Eddie Steadman - will follow this thread to see if it kicks off. And yep, I'm just after the basics of how things work, what to check/how to fix things if things go wrong, and some basic servicing info.  I've got a less than one year Suzuki DF100B on my boat but am hoping to get a cartopper at some point so would certainly be advantageous for this, especially if I end up taking it up the Cape.