Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

[wineyarders]

5hp 2 stroke got flung off transom at FULL throttle (~10mph) as result of an unexpected and immediate 90 deg turn. So although I'm lucky it didn't knock me out, its now in about 20-40' of SALT water and I'm planning to dive and recover it from my 12' skiff in the morning (~10 hours from now). Please help with advice. From the quick searches I've done it sounds like the procedure is highly proscribed but I don't have a lot of time to search the internet or this forum. From what I've gathered I need to purge the engine with fresh water once recovered (assuming i find it), then drain, and then try and get the thing started. Do I need to pull the carb, drain the gear case oil, pull the power head, brek it open? Any thoughts. I love this engine, please help! Apologies if you see this pop up in another thread.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

Rusting will start as soon as the engine is raised to the surface.

Flush it with fresh water.
Remove flywheel and blow out the magneto, timer base, whatever (You don't say what year it is).
Remove carburetor float chamber drain screw and apply slight air pressure to fuel hose to blow out fuel system.
Blow out the block/crankcase of water..... air pressure, leaf blower, whatever.... In carb throat, out plug holes.
Hopefully you've regained ignition/spark.
Be prepared to carefully remove/install spark plugs quite a few times (don't damage threads).
No need to drain the gearcase... think about it. It's underwater all the time anyway

Good luck, let us know how you make out.

 

[the machinist]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

Here is one that may help also, however this was fresh water. http://www.leeroysramblings.com/Submerged_outboard.htm Follow Joe's advice & do it ASAP once it is up.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

 

[AEROCOOK]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

I've never had to deal with a submerged outboard before but in my area more than a few snowmobiles go through the ice each year and the rule is to get them dried out ASAP (ideally within an hour) start the motor and go on a good long ride. The mistake some folks make is in getting it running for a minute or 2 and shutting it off thinking they succeeded. They need a good long run / heat cycle to get all of the trapped moisture out.

 

[Daviet]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

Have recovered a few salt water engines, Joe's advice is right on.

 

[boobie]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

Follow Joe Reeves instructions, but if you can, throw it in a tub of fresh water until you can get to it. Don't leave it sit out in the air.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

throw it in a tub of fresh water until you can get to it. Don't leave it sit out in the air.

Amen to that Boobie!

 

[wineyarders]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

Thanks for all of the advice. Needed to wait until this afternoon to attempt recovery, but I'll report back on how it works out. Thanks again.

 

[wineyarders]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

So the freedive mission failed, a little too deep and dark. Back tomorrow am with tanks - which will leave it on bottom for 3.5 days.

 

[rockyrude]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

Whille not ideal, your mortal enemy right now is air.

 

[jimmbo]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

Being that it got dunked in salt water, the engine really needs to come apart and get the bearings and the ignition system thoroughly cleaned.

 

[nwcove]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

jmo, but unless the motor has some sentimental value, at this point its only a parts motor , and not really worth recovering. cut your loss and look for a replacement.

 

[AEROCOOK]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

jmo, but unless the motor has some sentimental value, at this point its only a parts motor , and not really worth recovering. cut your loss and look for a replacement.

But what about the challenge aspect! I'm following this post like a good mystery novel, cant wait to see how it all plays out.

 

[nwcove]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

But what about the challenge aspect! I'm following this post like a good mystery novel, cant wait to see how it all plays out.

i think the last chapter of this post is gunna be disappointing.

 

[boobie]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

Don't give up yet until you try it. If you find it that is.

 

[wineyarders]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

Lol, even with tanks we couldn't find it. Looks like the '84 15hp evinrude is my new go to. Pretty morning though.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

keep watching the news for "local fisherman hooks outboard"

 

[wineyarders]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

So the first try freediving last Wednesday was pretty useless, the 2nd try with tanks on Friday we never got on the spot I wanted. So without feeling like I ever got a good shot at finding it I gave it one last try. Even though I didn't have much hope for the engine it had turned into somewhat of a vendetta. It would either be 3 strikes or 3rd times the charm. I was prepared to do some sequentially larger circles using a rope attached to the anchor line, but I didn't need to. I pretty much dropped the anchor on top of it. The engine looked clean. Got the engine up, put the engine head in a tub of water on way to dock, and then into a tub of fresh water for the drive home. Once home I pulled and drained the carb, purged the fuel lines, sprayed down the engine with deep creep, pulled the plug and flushed the internals with fresh water, turned it over to the remove water, pulled it over some more while injecting deep creep, put it all back together with a new plug and pulled it over a few times without luck. Gave it a dose of starting fluid and on the first pull there she goes, started right up. I ran it for about an hour a variable RPMs without a single stall and it was idling very smoothly within a few of minutes. So after a week and a day at 40-50' on the bottom of the ocean the engine is back to life. Thanks a bunch for all the great advice and commentary. After this dive I was ready to just delete the gps mark, but I'm glad I gave it another shot. I'll need to keep an eye on things long term, but so far so good.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Engine is on the seabed advice needed - 5hp 2 st

Just keep running it as often as you can, for as long as you can to make sure all moisture is gone.