Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

[mpriley]

I am stationed on a Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and recently purchased a 17 foot center console with an old Johnson (not sure of the year) 50 horse power motor. There's no local repair shop on the island so I'm kind of stuck in a bind.

I tried docking my boat without the help of a friend today and I think I may have turned off the motor while it was still in gear while i was fumbling around for with the mooring lines. When i shut it off, it made an unusual sound. When i lifted the motor out of the water it began to leak an oily sludge like fluid that appears to be coming from the junction where the upper and lower part of the motor connect. The prop still spins freely when you spin it by hand. I have not tried to restart the motor. However it will need to be towed about a half mile to get to the nearest boat ramp so I can get it out of the water.

A friend of mine thinks that I may have just blown a seal. Does anyone have any idea if this may be the case? Did I get off that easy? Is this something that can be repaired by someone with VERY limited experience with outbaord motors? Am i just completly screwed? If i can actually get it into the local mechanic (long long waiting list) how many hours of work will this be? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

Turning the engine off while in gear isn't going to hurt anything. The noise you heard is simply the shifter dog's lobes clanking against the gear shifter lobes. There's a certain amount off play between the two and when you shut it off, the water pressure on the prop caused that play to recverse itself.

The junction where the lower unit bolts to the long exhaust housing is a gasket free area. We usually seal it somewhat with Boat Armour Sealer 1000 or some such substance just to elimate having water pressure squirt out.

However..... it might be a good idea to check the lower unit to make sure it isn't leaking (oil out/water in) as that substance you describe could be a problem in the making. That's not an absolute but why assume a risk like that.

Checking gear lube does not require rocket science mentality. Remove bottom large slotted screw. If milky substance, drain and refill with HiVis 80/90w oil available at Wal*Mart, K-Mart, your local dealership etc.

To drain, remove both large slotted screws drain/fill screw and higher up, the identical screw which is the oil level. Fill from bottom until the oil flows out the top hole.

 

[mpriley]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

Joe, thanks for the quick reply.

The oily sludge like substance leaking from the lower unit is really pouring out of there. It's not a small leak. I'm not sure what i did. But something appears to be very wrong. If there is no gasket there, im not sure where the sludge is coming from. But it really does seem to be coming from that junction. Thanks again for the reply. I'm still pretty lost.

 

[mpriley]

Re: Stuck in Cuba, No mechanic

Re: Stuck in Cuba, No mechanic

Incidently, is there a way to determine the year of the motor based on the serial number? Anyone suggest a good website to find this info out? I'd like to get a manual. Owning a boat on an isolated military base is proving to be a chalange. Very very limited resources.

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Stuck in Cuba, No mechanic

Re: Stuck in Cuba, No mechanic

The year and hp etc is determined by the Model number which would preceed the Serial number. If you have the model number, what is it?

 

[Big Keepers]

Re: Stuck in Cuba, No mechanic

Re: Stuck in Cuba, No mechanic

Seloc will make a decent owners manual that will cover a long range of years for that type of Johnson motor. You should be able to find it here on Iboats.

 

[jammer]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

I am stationed on a Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and recently purchased a 17 foot center console with an old Johnson (not sure of the year) 50 horse power motor. There's no local repair shop on the island so I'm kind of stuck in a bind.

I tried docking my boat without the help of a friend today and I think I may have turned off the motor while it was still in gear while i was fumbling around for with the mooring lines. When i shut it off, it made an unusual sound. When i lifted the motor out of the water it began to leak an oily sludge like fluid that appears to be coming from the junction where the upper and lower part of the motor connect. The prop still spins freely when you spin it by hand. I have not tried to restart the motor. However it will need to be towed about a half mile to get to the nearest boat ramp so I can get it out of the water.

A friend of mine thinks that I may have just blown a seal. Does anyone have any idea if this may be the case? Did I get off that easy? Is this something that can be repaired by someone with VERY limited experience with outbaord motors? Am i just completly screwed? If i can actually get it into the local mechanic (long long waiting list) how many hours of work will this be? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

In Guantanamo Bay? Wait there's a Coast Guard base there as well. Oh man that's parts! I haven't been there myself but...is that a possibility for a mechanic?

 

[mpriley]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

Joe, I haven't had a chance to get back to the boat and check the model number. Will do so right after work.

As far as using the coast guard for parts / mechanic . . . . The engines they use are much bigger then mine so parts are still very limited. Most likely I'll have to mail order them and wait the 3 weeks or so it takes for mail to get here. As far as using them as mechanics . . . they are the only ones on the island. The company contracted to take care of the shore patrol boats will also work on privately owned boats as time permits. Generally several weeks / months before they even get around to looking at it.

Still leaking sludge. Still not fishing

 

[Bindernut]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

It sounds to me like the sludge coming out of your motor might be leftover oil from the exhaust. There are a few little weep holes in that cavity that are supposed to let it drain out, but once they're plugged it doesn't take long for the crud to build up.

 

[hoeser]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

Bindernut is right... you may have just managed to unclog one of the holes which drains exhaust oil and it may appear as though you are leaking a lot.

Care to send us some pictures if possible?

Have you tried re-starting the engine at all.. or even cranking it over by hand?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

i'm going to vote 99% that it is the exhaust sludge, you just have never lifted it up just after running. it's what makes the oil slick around the motor. when you normally stop.

 

[cougar1985]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

hold it now!exactly how much bigger are the coast guard motors and more importantly do you think they will miss one??you can always blame it on the reds.can you get one of those cubans to work on it ,anybody that can drive a truck half way to florida is sure to be a mechanical wizard.the coast guard should of let those guys go all the way to florida as they deserved it if only for the ingenious way they did it.

 

[mpriley]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

I can't thank you all enough for all the responses. I got a chance to go back to the boat today after work and took a picture of the leak. I removed the plastic bag and it doesn't seem to be leaking anymore.

After thinking about last night a little more, i do remember a steady stream of water coming out of this spot before the sludge started leaking. I just wasnt thinking about it too much at the time. I was too busy tying up the lines. After closer inspection (in the daylight this time) there might be a small hole there disigned to drain some sort of fluid i assume? Again, I'm a novice at outboard motors.

I started the motor today. Started up just fine. But i didn't put it in gear. I do lift the motor out of the water after every use, i just recently started noticing an oily slick on the water. I dont think it did that the first few times I've used it. The previous owner didn't run it much.

Model number on the engine is E5OBELCO (hard to tell if they are o's or zero's)
Seriel number- G1039787

(to answer some other questions)
As far as getting the cubans to help, it'd be tough to convince Bush and Castro to buddy up long enough for me to get into the real Cuba to find a repair shop.
And the coasties have nothing smaller then 175's. Me thinks the boat would sink.

Again, thank you all so much for taking the time to give such helpful advice. The tarpon are breaking water all over the place taunting me. Hopefully I can get back to fishing the Carribean.



Many thanks,
Mike

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

mike, can't tell much by the picture. your going to have to put it in gear and listen for anything weird. that on a short ride. we are always glad to help those serving our country. i'm a disable in country veitnam vet 2nd class hospital corpsman.

 

[mpriley]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

Woohoo Corpsman up!! We have something in common. Second class corpsman here as well.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

The model number of E5OBELCO indicates that your engine is a 1985 50hp Evinrude.

E = Evinrude

50 = 50 horsepower (That's a zero)

B = Made in Belgium

E = Electric start

L = Long shaft

CO = 85 (1985) - That's a "O" as in Ohio

OMC's code is the word INTRODUCES where each letter stands for a number ie I=1, N=2, T=3 etc.

The C in the model nmber = 8, and the O = 5 (85 = 1985)

 

[jammer]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

I can't thank you all enough for all the responses. I got a chance to go back to the boat today after work and took a picture of the leak. I removed the plastic bag and it doesn't seem to be leaking anymore.

After thinking about last night a little more, i do remember a steady stream of water coming out of this spot before the sludge started leaking. I just wasnt thinking about it too much at the time. I was too busy tying up the lines. After closer inspection (in the daylight this time) there might be a small hole there disigned to drain some sort of fluid i assume? Again, I'm a novice at outboard motors.

I started the motor today. Started up just fine. But i didn't put it in gear. I do lift the motor out of the water after every use, i just recently started noticing an oily slick on the water. I dont think it did that the first few times I've used it. The previous owner didn't run it much.

Model number on the engine is E5OBELCO (hard to tell if they are o's or zero's)
Seriel number- G1039787

(to answer some other questions)
As far as getting the cubans to help, it'd be tough to convince Bush and Castro to buddy up long enough for me to get into the real Cuba to find a repair shop.
And the coasties have nothing smaller then 175's. Me thinks the boat would sink.

Again, thank you all so much for taking the time to give such helpful advice. The tarpon are breaking water all over the place taunting me. Hopefully I can get back to fishing the Carribean.



Many thanks,
Mike

You are so welcome. All here are so knowlegable. Me I'm just one that broke so much and know so much more due to no one helping me that I want to try and help. So no..thank you.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

Hey, Doc how about an update on the diagnois.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

The purpose of the small holes where water drains from is that when engines are used in areas that eventually encounter freezing weather, if those drain holes were clogged or non existent, the water trapped in that area would freeze and crack the castings.

 

[mpriley]

Re: Broken motor. No Mechanic. Please Help.

Work has been kicking my but these last few days. I haven't had much time to look over the motor. Im going to take her out on a very short trip and listen for any odd sounds i spose. I really hope its just the exhaust oil building up. Hopefully i can talk my buddy into driving my truck to to the ramp so I can take the boat out of the water. I bought some new oil for the lower unit and wanted to replace it just in case.

Again, you guys are the best. It's nice to see people taking time to help others. Hopefully I'll learn something worthwhile so I can contrubute

Many Thanks,
Mike