If it aint one thing . . .

[jujubean]

Now I notice grease/oil on the floor beneath the motor. It appears to be coming from where the prop meets the motor; theres a grease/oil line there. I wiped off the area below and that is definetly where the grease is going. Is this a simple matter of remove prop and replace a seal? Or is this something that will turn out to be complicated?

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: If it aint one thing . . .

Confirm what kind of oil it is. If it's the color of your 2-stroke oil, look into that possibility. If it's the color of your gearlube, look into that possibility. If you recently winterized and the oil is pitch black, it's probably just residual fogging oil. Replacing propshaft seals means removing the bearing carrier. Not a bad job if you have the right tools. If you don't, it's a pain in the a$$.

 

[Harker]

Re: If it aint one thing . . .

Probably just unburned fuel/oil mix draining out of the exaust housing. Check your lower unit oil..if it is good and not milky ..no problemo.

 

[jujubean]

Re: If it aint one thing . . .

Well, I will secure better details this afternoon. I do however have another question. This one I have been putting off. The motor has always been kind of rough to start. It would probably take forever to try to start it by pulling the rope; with the electric start it still takes several minutes of cranking, cranking, cranking etc . . .
I feel this is probably a dirty carb problem and I would love to clean it, but when I think of trying to clean the carb, I see little pieces falling out, or moving slightly out of place and then I see myself spending hundreds on a new carb. Thas money I don't really have btw. Should I try a decarb? Or is there a simple way of cleaning a carb, its jets or anything like that?

Thanks in advance. I'll check the gear lube color this afternoon and see.

 

[ricksrster]

Re: If it aint one thing . . .

Carbs are easier than you think. if you are going to do your own maintenance you should get a manual. they are well worth the investment.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: If it aint one thing . . .

Make sure you are using the proper starting procedure. Trim the motor all the way in. Pump primer bulb until rock hard, give it a few more squeezes. This usually unseats the needles and allows a bit of fuel to trickle through the carbs into the reed blocks, which greatly eases the starting procedure. If the motor is still trimmed out, the fuel just trickles out the venturi and does no good, that is why you trim all the way in. Give 3/4 throttle, crank, and hold choke while cranking. Should start easier. You didn't mention what motor you have, the inline sixes can be a bit balky to start cold.

As has been said, check your lower unit lube. If the leaky substance matches, then you have a leak. If it is dark and smells burned, then it is 2 stroke skank that has worked its way through the exhaust system. Good luck...

 

[jujubean]

Re: If it aint one thing . . .

Well mine is 95 25 hp mercury. I checked and replaced the lower gear lube (just cause I had some anyway)and it looked fine. The color on the ground is definitely alot more like my oil/fuel, so I think thats fine. As far as the engine starting probs, I do not have tilt so, it is all the way down; however, I thought that priming the bulb that much would lead to it becomeing flooded so usually I only pump it until it is merely firm, not hard. Perhaps I should be priming it alot more than I am. I will try to prime it until the bulb is alot harder and see what happens. Thanks everyone.