[mikehoyt]

I did the plug/gear oil thing last season. Also the engine oil (4 stroke) in my Honda O/B.

Then I launched and the motor started behaving less than perfectly. Took it to a Honda shop and they looked for the problem. They suggested a hotter plug for lower cylinder since the existing one was fouling more than top (wear on cylinder). They found nothing wrong with the engine but when I got it back it worked fabulously. No more occasional skip and the gear for raising and lowering the motor worked way better than before even though they were not supposed to be looking into that.

I guess the short version is that I spent $65 and the motor worked far better. Sometimes it pays to take things to a shop.

Mike