No neutral on Ted Williams 7.5 outboard

[rscholar]

Re: No neutral on Ted Williams 7.5 outboard

Thanks for all the help, suggestions, memories, but I will continue my endeavor to get this motor running the way it was designed. My local marine parts supplier, said they have the part (Van?s Marine in Grand Rapids, MI), which when I get the clutch assembly out and decide it needs to be replaced, I?ll follow up on. I have been in boats for over fifty years, and do know how to pull and go, and aim to the sea, but that is not the problem. It?s coming into the haul out dock, in high winds that poses the problem. Judging the speed to reach the dock isn?t always that easy, in high winds, and when I have to shut the motor down, then get blown off my coarse, I end up in the rocks! Where if I had a neutral/forward, I could ease in, much more safely. And, has anyone tried turning the motor around 180 degrees (reverse), while heading down the lake? Good way to get thrown out of the boat! And try to pull the cord with the motor at 180 degrees, one would have to be standing behind the boat and get run over/chopped up in the process! If all I had to do was shut down and run into a sandy bank, I could live without neutral. That said, I?ll keep you informed.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: No neutral on Ted Williams 7.5 outboard

That's good you were able to source a clutch. I've found some NLA parts by scouring the internet and calling around to local marine shops. Some of those places have a ton of parts "no longer available"

When you get the power head off, try to turn the clutch, it should spin free (well relatively free) in 1 direction and lock up in the other direction. If it's stuck solid, then you have to start figuring it out.

 

[rscholar]

Re: No neutral on Ted Williams 7.5 outboard

That is a BIG help, trying to figure out the problem. If it doesn't turn in any direction, I'll try lubing it up good for a few days, then see if it begins to loosen. If not, plan B, see if I can replace it.

 

[rscholar]

Re: No neutral on Ted Williams 7.5 outboard

Fishrdan: First of all I again say thanks for all the help, but I have to tap you one more time, if it's okay? Now that the snow has given way to a bit of green, I went out, used penetrating oil on the six (6) bolts/screws that hold the power head on, then two days later was able to remove them without any problems. I gave the lower unit a couple of bangs with my hand, but I didn't see anything indicating it was about to separate the head from the lower unit. I simply left it like that, not wanting to break anything, and figured I'd ask for more help before I continued. So, is there a simple fix, like laying it on it's side and banging some more, or is there something I've missed? I don't want to bang on the lower unit, only to discover parts falling out, that I wouldn't have a clue where they came from. Any advice would be sorely appreciated!!!

 

[fishrdan]

Re: No neutral on Ted Williams 7.5 outboard

This is going to be like the blind, leading the blind as I haven't owned that outboard for 5-6 years... But as I remember it rolleyes you have to disconnect the shift linkage, heck, possibly other things to get the power head off. Honestly, I don't remember how to get the power head off and don't have a manual to look at, I just winged it when I had to repair mine.

Is the powerhead stuck on solid or is it loose with something holding it from coming the rest of the way off? The water tube and/or drive shaft could be stuck too, keeping the power head from coming off all the way.

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: No neutral on Ted Williams 7.5 outboard

if the lower unit is stuck on the leg or column, best bet would be is the shaft is stuck in the clutch, if so turn the unit upside down and spray some pb blaster in the exhaust holes and hope you hit the drive shaft and wait...repeat...

If the column or leg is stuck after diconnecting every thing and removing the lower unit and have pulled all the bolts, your just dealing with a old column gasket

 

[rscholar]

Re: No neutral on Ted Williams 7.5 outboard

The local lakes are losing their ice, and I somewhat started losing my patience. Not being able to break the seal between the powerhead and lower unit, I just put the screws back in, and started it. Thanks to the suggestion from mrcrabs, I put some pb blaster in the exhaust holes, and now when I switch from drive to neutral, I hear a little clunk! Before I put the motor on my boat, I'll put some more in the exhaust holes, and maybe it will break free on its own. Here's to a fun fishing season!

 

[rscholar]

Re: No neutral on Ted Williams 7.5 outboard

Still have no neutral, but will use my electric trolling motor to and fro from docks. But now one more question, if I may. I went to check my motor yesterday, and noticed the extra plastic fuel tank was empty! It is only a 3 gallon tank, I had put 2 gallons in it, used it one short trip, but now the tank was completly empty! I thought someone had stolen the gas, but saw that there was gas on the ground below the lower unit. I had the littler screw cap closed on the plastic tank. Should I disconnect the fuel line from the tank to the motor when not in use? This didn't happen to me last season, and I always had it hooked up.

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: No neutral on Ted Williams 7.5 outboard

float may have stuck, or sank