2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

[ajrogers31316]

I'm in the Army, just getting back from Iraq, and ready to fish. I was wondering if someone can help me trouble shoot my problem with my boat motor so I can get on the water. I don't have the money to put the motor in the shop so I am going to have to tackle the issue o my own. My wife and I were fishing the river two or three days in a row. The last day after fishing all morning, I cranked the motor and We started hearing metal type clinking noises. I thought the motor through a rod or something. I noticed when I put it in gear, the boat would not move. It made the noise like it locked into gear but when hitting the hot foot it wouldn't move forward. When I put the lever to reverse, smae outcome. It sounded like it went into gear but the boat would not move. I took it home an put it on the hose clamps. The motor turned on and purred like a kitten. The jets were pumping with a good deal of pressure. I put the boat into forward, and the prop started spinning, but look like it was wobbling. I turned the motor off, and tried wobbling the prop, but no success. The prop wobbles at idle in forward and reverse position, but when put into forward/reverse position but when you give it gas there is no thrust. Any ideas? I looked at a new lower gear box, and they were pretty pricey. I called a mechanic, and he said right off the bat, work to the lower gear box will be anywhere from 3500 to 5000. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

 

[boobie]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

With out seeing it, it sounds like the drive shaft broke. If you want to do this work yourself, get an OEM Factory service manual and go from there. Stay away from Seloc or Clymer.

 

[James R]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

Sounds like the prop shaft is broken or bent.
Go on Ebay and look for a replacement lower

 

[AlTn]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

research.... SEI lower units...may be an option

 

[jeffersondodson561]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

Welcome back! Make sure you get your Veteran Benefits, its there for you. I would open the top drain screw on the gearcase to vent and then reinstall and then open the lower gearcase screw and check for water/metal shavings in the gearcase and on the magnet of the lower drain screw. Anything more than the consistentcy of "graphite" indicates lower unit damage. When was the last time you remember using it/last time gear oil was changed?

 

[ajrogers31316]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

Thanks for the help guys. I know it's tough to come up with a conclusion without laying eyes on the equipment. Supposedly just before my return my wife had the fluids changed, in a full service. The plugs were new, and compression was fine. The motor purrs like a fat cat. Timing doesn't sound off and the idle is pretty sound.

What would cause the prop shaft to bend or break, without hitting something? Sorry for my ignorance, though I've owned biats my entire life this is my first motor of this magnitude.

Oh and thank you for the SEI lowers advice, much less pricey than the competition, if I can't fix the one I have I now see a decent alternative.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

Does the propshaft wobble or just the prop?

 

[wilde1j]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

Have you checked for a spun prop hub?

SPUN HUB: Mark the inner and outer prop hubs with an indelible marker, run the engine in the water, under load and examine marks. If they've moved relative to each other, hub is spun. Take prop to a prop shop to have it rehubbed.

 

[ajrogers31316]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

Thanks for the information. I have twenty four hour duty tonight so I can check the spun prop hub untill tomorrow. But I do assume it's the prop shaft that is wabbling due to the fact when I try to move the prop by hand it doesn't wabble at all. I can only turn it, nothing out of the ordinary when the boat is not running. Thank you guys so much for the advice, and can't wait to check the hub tomorrow.

 

[woody66912]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

31316. What did you find?

 

[boobie]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

wilde1, dumb question. How can he run the boat in the water to check for a spun prop hub if the boat won't move??

 

[wilde1j]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

Maybe, but he did say the prop turned when in fwd. Maybe magic turned it?

 

[boobie]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

Read his first post again. About when the boat was in the water.

 

[ajrogers31316]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

You guys know what? It only rains all weekend when you want to get something done real bad. LOL. I got as far as getting the prop off before the sky fell on me. Wasn't a total loss. All the parts to the prop seem fine. There is a squared off hard plastic fiill in behind the prop, with a few minor cracks, I will replace it for future preventive maintainance. Other than that all the parts to the prop look find. The prop shaft is obviously off track. It is bent some where in there. Managed to find the schematic of the break down for the complete lower. Looks like after by new shafts and parts, just for the parts through OMC it will still be cheaper to go with the other guys advice about an after market lower, SEI. The 3 year full return warranty sounds nice. I started researching blogs on their lower. Down side they don't come with an upper drive shaft. But, they do sell them for pretty cheap. They have a 14 hour break in period as well. That sux, because I 'm moving to Texas soon and have some tournaments I wanted to get in. But, long story short, I haven't found anything negative about SEI, so I'm going with it.

So, my question no to prevent this in the future, is, what can cause a bent or broken prop shaft without hitting anything, and what can I do to better prevent that from happening on a 225hp motor. Thank you guys for all the help by the way.

 

[James R]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

Any sign at all of damage to the prop. I assume you are running Stainless in which case the damage may look insignificant. If your shaft is bent then you hit something or you have had a bearing seize.
I have had good luck with Ebay for lowers.

 

[wilde1j]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

If your lower unit is trashed, you may want to consider one from SEI. Less than $1000, brand new with a warranty (three years I think). A brokem/bent prop shaft most commonly is the result of a hard strike. The best protection ... don't hit stuff.

 

[ajrogers31316]

Re: 2004 Evinrude 225 Direct Injection

I don't recall hitting any thing. I was Jigging some deep structure. I turned the boat in and it started tearing up kind of out of no where. I'm willing to bet it was from a siezed bearing then. I sent an email to SEI to ensure compatibility with their lowers. They don't carry one to fit my make/model. So I think Ebay is probabaly my next bet.