YAMAHA 15 HP F15LPHA OUTBOARD MOTOR

Description

We have the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale, new in its crate and ready to ship anywhere in the world. This is the most fully featured tiller version of Yamaha’s 15 horsepower four-stroke: a 362 cc twin on a 20 inch long shaft, with electric start, power tilt and a 10 amp alternator. It weighs about 132 pounds and runs from a separate portable fuel tank.

Power tilt is what sets this model apart. Press a switch and the motor raises itself out of the water or lowers back down, no lifting, no reaching over the stern, no wrestling with a tilt lock. On a boat where the motor goes up and down several times a day, whether for shallow water, beaching, trailering or sailing, that convenience adds up quickly. Combined with key start, the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale is the easiest Yamaha 15 to live with. Here is everything you need to know about it.

Yamaha F15LPHA Specifications

Yamaha publishes the F15 range on its 25, 20 and 15 HP portables page. The Yamaha F15LPHA for sale is the 20 inch tiller model with power tilt.

The Model Code

F is four-stroke. 15 is horsepower. L is the 20 inch long shaft. P is power tilt, which comes with electric start. H is tiller handle. A is the generation. The same motor without power tilt is the Yamaha F15LEHA, and the simplest pull start version is the Yamaha F15LMHA.

What Power Tilt Does for You

A 15 HP outboard weighs well over 100 pounds. Tilting it by hand means reaching back, releasing the lock and lifting a heavy motor while standing in a boat that may be moving. Do that a few times a day and it becomes a chore, and in a chop it can be awkward or unsafe.

With the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale, you press a switch. The motor rises smoothly to the tilt position or lowers back into the water. You can also stop it partway to run slowly through shallow water with the lower unit higher. That makes a real difference in several situations:

• Beaching. Lift the motor as you approach the shore, without leaving the tiller.
• Shallow rivers and flats. Raise it partway to clear the bottom while still moving slowly.
• Trailering and launching. Raise and lower it at the ramp in seconds.
• Mooring. Lift it clear of the water so weed and barnacles do not grow on the lower unit.
• Sailing. On a sailboat, lift it clear of the water to cut drag under sail.

Many owners who move up from manual tilt say they would never go back.

Boats That Suit the Yamaha F15LPHA for Sale

Aluminium boats on rivers and shallow lakes

On aluminium boats that run in shallow, rocky or weedy water, power tilt lets you lift the motor at a moment’s notice. Combined with key start and the 15 HP twin, it is a practical setup for river fishing and exploring backwaters.

Boats that beach often

If you regularly run up onto beaches or sandbars, power tilt saves effort every single time.

Sailboats

On mid-sized sailboats with a transom bracket, power tilt lifts the motor clear of the water under sail without anyone leaning over the stern.

Trailer boats

If you launch and retrieve often, raising and lowering the motor with a switch makes ramp time quicker and easier.

How It Runs

Turn the key with the motor in neutral and the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale fires. Use the choke for the first start on a cold morning. The 362 cc twin is smooth and quiet with little vibration through the tiller. Open the throttle and a suitable boat climbs onto the plane cleanly. Shift at idle; reverse is strong. The tiller has adjustable steering friction to hold a course, and the tilt switch is within easy reach so you can raise or lower the motor while you drive.

Battery and Electrical

Electric start and power tilt both need a 12 volt marine battery. Put it in a proper box, secured so it cannot slide, and connect it with the right cables and a fuse. The 10 amp alternator charges the battery while you run, which supports both the starter and the tilt, plus small electronics like a fish finder or lights. Keep the terminals clean and tight, especially in salt air. Over winter, take the battery home and keep it charged.

Fuel

The Yamaha F15LPHA for sale runs from a separate portable tank with a primer bulb hose. Open the vent, squeeze the bulb until firm and start. Use fresh unleaded with no more than 10 percent ethanol, and add stabiliser if the boat will sit.

Fitting the Motor

Check your boat’s capacity plate for horsepower and engine weight. At about 132 pounds, this is the heaviest Yamaha 15, so lift it with two people or a hoist. Mount it in the centre of the transom with the anti-cavitation plate at or just below the bottom of the hull, tighten the clamps and through-bolt it for a permanent installation. Fit a safety line. Set the trim angle so the leg is vertical when you are running. Mount and connect the battery, connect the fuel, check the oil, start in neutral and confirm the cooling water stream. Test the tilt up and down through its full range and make sure nothing on the transom gets in the way.

Break-In

For the first hours, run at varied low and medium throttle, adding short bursts higher later. Avoid long full-throttle runs and check the oil before each trip. Change the oil at the end of the break-in. Yamaha’s manual has the procedure and is available on Yamaha’s owner’s manual page.

Maintenance

After salt water use, flush with fresh water and rinse the outside. Each season, change the engine oil and gear oil, check the plugs, grease the swivel and tilt points, check the prop and anode, and inspect the fuel filter and hose. For the power tilt, check the fluid level and look for leaks, and keep the switch and wiring connections clean and protected. Every few seasons, replace the water pump impeller. Before winter, run the carburettor dry, change the oil, flush and store the motor, and keep the battery charged.

Troubleshooting

If the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale will not crank, check that it is in neutral, the battery is charged and the fuse and connections are good. If the tilt will not move, check the battery and the tilt switch wiring. If it cranks but will not start, check the fuel vent, hose, primer bulb, fuel freshness and the kill switch clip. If it starts then dies, open the tank vent. If the cooling stream is weak, clear the tell-tale outlet, then check the intake and impeller.

A Day on a River

You launch the aluminium boat, press the tilt switch to lower the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale and turn the key. It fires straight away. You run upriver on the plane, slowing where the water gets thin and raising the motor partway with the switch to slip over a gravel bar. Deeper water ahead, so you lower it again and carry on. At a sandy beach, you lift the motor as you nose in, step ashore and have lunch. Heading home, you lower the motor, start it with the key and run back to the ramp, where one more press of the switch raises it for the trailer. All day, you never had to lift the motor by hand.

A Day on a Sailboat

On a mid-sized sailboat, you lower the motor with the switch, turn the key and back out of the berth using the boat’s rudder. Outside the harbour, you raise sail, shut the engine down and press the switch to lift the motor clear of the water. Coming home into wind, you lower it, start it and motor in with the long shaft keeping the prop deep. No leaning over the stern at any point.

Is Power Tilt Worth the Extra?

Power tilt adds some cost and about 12 pounds compared with the manual tilt F15LEHA. Whether it is worth it depends on how you use the boat. If you mostly run on deep lakes, keep the motor down all day and only tilt it at the end of the trip, manual tilt is fine. If you beach often, run shallow rivers, trailer regularly, moor where weed grows quickly or sail and need to lift the motor clear, power tilt will earn its keep. The Yamaha F15LPHA for sale is for owners in the second group, and for anyone who simply does not want to lift a heavy motor by hand.

9.9 or 15 With Power Tilt?

Yamaha’s high thrust T9.9 models also offer power tilt. They suit heavy boats that need push at low speed, such as kicker duty or heavy sailboats. The Yamaha F15LPHA for sale suits planing boats where you want more speed and power. If your boat is light to mid-weight and you want it to get up and go, choose the 15. If it is heavy and you mainly troll or motor slowly, look at the T9.9.

Common Mistakes

Check the oil before the first start. Use plain unleaded only. Shift only at idle. Keep the battery charged, because both starting and tilting depend on it. Run the carburettor dry before storage. Flush after salt water. Fit a safety line. And when running in shallow water with the motor partly raised, watch the cooling stream closely, since sand and mud can be drawn into the intake.

Choosing a Propeller

The standard prop suits most boats. If yours is heavy or always loaded, a lower pitch helps the engine reach its 5,000 to 6,000 rpm full throttle range. Yamaha’s online prop selector is a useful starting point.

Hot and Cold Climates

In hot places, keep fuel fresh with stabiliser, use the power tilt to lift the motor clear of the water when moored and check the battery often. In cold places, keep the battery fully charged, drain all water before frost and change the gear oil before winter.

What Comes in the Crate

The motor arrives assembled with the propeller fitted, the owner’s manual and factory paperwork. A battery is normally separate, and a fuel tank may or may not be included, so ask us. Check the oil tag and level before the first start.

Warranty Notes

Yamaha’s factory warranty terms vary by country and type of use. Ask your local Yamaha dealer what they honour, and keep your invoice and serial number safe.

A Season With Power Tilt

In spring, the owner of a Yamaha F15LPHA for sale brings the battery home fully charged, connects it, checks the oil and fuel, and lowers the motor with the switch. A turn of the key and it is running. Through the summer, the motor goes up and down dozens of times: at the ramp, at the beach, over shallow bars, at the mooring. Each time it is a press of a switch. After salt water trips, it gets a freshwater flush. In autumn, the oil and gear oil are changed, the carburettor is run dry, the tilt fluid is checked, the motor is stored raised or on a stand and the battery goes home on a charger. Every few seasons, the impeller is replaced. It is a motor that asks very little of you.

Shallow Water Running

One of the most useful things you can do with the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale is run slowly through shallow water with the motor partly raised. Raise it with the switch until the lower unit is just clear of the bottom, keep the throttle low and watch the cooling stream. If the stream weakens, the intake is too close to the surface or picking up sand, so lower the motor slightly or stop and pole through. Never run at speed with the motor tilted up, because the prop needs to be properly submerged to cool and push well. Used carefully, this lets you explore water that would otherwise be out of reach.

Lifting and Trailering

At about 132 pounds, the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale should be lifted with a hoist or by two strong people, keeping the leg down. Once it is on the boat, it is best left there. When trailering, raise it with the switch and fit a transom saver to support the leg, so the tilt unit is not taking every bump on the road.

Teaching Others to Use It

Key start and power tilt make the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale one of the easiest outboards for new drivers. Set a few basic rules: start in neutral with the kill cord on, check the cooling stream, idle down before shifting, look behind before reversing and raise the motor before reaching the shallows. With those habits, anyone can use the boat safely.

Running Electronics

The 10 amp alternator on the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale charges the battery while you run, and that battery can also run a fish finder, GPS or lights. Fuse every accessory, fit a battery switch, and turn electronics off during long drifts with the engine off so the battery stays ready for starting and tilting.

Who We Are

We are an online outboard dealer shipping new motors worldwide. The Yamaha F15LPHA for sale is a regular stock item and every question is answered by someone who knows outboards. Our blog has more buying and care advice.

Getting Better Fuel Economy

Trim the boat to run level, keep the hull and prop clean, cruise a little below full throttle and keep the motor serviced. Those simple habits help the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale go further on every tank, and they keep the engine running smoothly for longer too.

Running Costs

The Yamaha F15LPHA for sale uses modest fuel at cruise, needs about a litre of oil or less per change and has inexpensive wear parts. The battery and occasional tilt fluid top-up are the only extras compared with the simplest 15.

Why Yamaha

Yamaha’s dealers and parts reach almost every country with boats. The F15 is a proven twin with the largest displacement in its class, and Yamaha outboards hold their value. That is why we stock the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale.

15 HP Versions Compared

Browse the 15 HP Yamaha section or the full Yamaha outboard range. For more power with power tilt, see the Yamaha F20LWPHB.

Ordering

Add the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale to your cart and check out, or contact us first. We confirm stock and delivery, pack the motor with extra protection and send tracking once it ships worldwide. International buyers pay their own import duty and taxes; we provide the paperwork customs needs. See our refund and return policy, terms and conditions, reviews and about us page.

FAQ: Yamaha F15LPHA for Sale

Is the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale new?

Yes, new and crated.

Does the Yamaha F15LPHA have power tilt?

Yes.

Is the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale electric start?

Yes.

What shaft length is the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale?

20 inches.

How heavy is the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale?

About 132 pounds.

Is a battery included?

Usually not. Ask us.

Is the prop included?

Yes.

Is the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale good in salt water?

Yes, with a freshwater flush and clean electrical connections.

Salt Water Care

Yamaha builds the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale with corrosion resistant alloys, protective paint and a sacrificial anode. Flush it after every salt water trip, rinse the outside, check the anode each season and replace it when it is noticeably worn. With power tilt and electric start, also look after the electrical side: keep battery terminals, wiring plugs and the tilt switch clean and protected with a little dielectric grease. Salt air finds bare metal quickly.

Before You Order

Measure your transom from the top to the bottom of the hull, check your boat’s capacity plate and make sure the transom can take a motor of about 132 pounds. Think about where the battery will sit. If the transom is around 20 inches, the boat is rated for 15 HP or more and you have room for a battery box, the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale is a good fit. Send us a photo of your transom and capacity plate if you would like us to confirm before you order the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale.

Final Word

If you want a Yamaha 15 that starts with a key and tilts with a switch, the Yamaha F15LPHA for sale is the easiest version to own. Add it to your cart, or ask us anything first. Everything else we stock is in the shop.