I don't have a clue!!

[tipitina]

This is going to be a bit long, because I want to include as much as possible. First things first, I have a 1978 17.5' fiberglass bass boat. The motor is a 1978 Mercury 1500. Three weeks ago I went out to the lake and hit a huge rock. I was barely going, (in first gear if you will), and when I hit it, the whole motor turned off. I only stayed out about another 30 minutes, then ran back in and everything seemed fine. One week later I go out, and get about half way across the lake, thinking something sounds wrong. Then it quickly starts missing out. I get ready to turn around, so I kill the engine to check vitals. I restarted, and when I try to put it in gear, it just stuttered and died. Similiar to popping the clutch on a truck. Anyway, tried it a couple times, same thing. It seemed to get worse. First time it went a bit then died, the last time, it wouldn't even move. I trolled in to the dock, and tried it once more, same thing. After I got home, I noticed that where the powerhead meets the lower end of the motor (right about water level) there is some oily substance on the motor. This is not the lower unit, it is the part that connects the lower unit to the powerhead. This may be unimportant, since I have a small tilt and trim fluid leak. I haven't touched the boat since, but I am on vacation this coming week. If I can't find a fix (for cheap) I will likely sell the boat. Please HELP!!!! I don't want to be boatless!! Let me know any further info needed. Thanks in advance!!

 

[tipitina]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

FYI, to my knowledge it does still start. I will check for certain tomorrow. It's going into gear where things seem to go bad.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

Sounds like you buggered up the innards on the lower unit. Find a competent mech who will work on old Mercs and let him inspect the LU. If its hosed, you can probably find a replacment for less than $300. If you're lucky, it is something inside that can be replaced for less than that. nd if you don't want to be boatless, why consider selling it until you at least find out what is wrong? Would you sell your car just because you hit a chughole and knocked the wheels out of alignment? Don't think so, unless you hated the car to begin with. Have it checked out...ask the other boaters you see running older Mercs who does their work and go from there. You can always rent a boat until yours is fixed.

 

[tipitina]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

Could I inspect it myself? I would prefer to fix it myself, as I am fairly handy. I've heard people say it could be anything from an open choke to carbs and now lower unit. Would prefer to do myself as opposed to pay someone to potentially "fix" all these....

 

[flips]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

Not reel sure, but if you hit lower unit i would be looking for a bent shaft in lower unit or drive shaft which would tear out seals,and make them leak oil. pull down leg and look before you sell could be minor.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

Ditto on flips suggestion. I think you're gonna have to pull the LU and check it out. $20 for the right service manual is well worth it to get the right procedures, etc. Or you might try searching this forum for instructions...that's how I found out how to drop my LU before I was smart enough to get a factory service manual.

 

[Clams Canino]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

Ya get the manual and start in... the lower might be a coincidence or the key. Assume nothing. <br /><br />Check the compression, inspect the lower, drain the fluid, etc etc.<br /><br />-W

 

[b20]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

could be a cracked/broken gear tooth.seen this happen on mercruisers.hit something and about 4 or 5 engine hours later a gear tooth flicks off.real messy.you did say it sounded funny.funny how?like a grinding noise?

 

[tipitina]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

Made this post a long time ago......with winter I didn't mess with the boat. My wife is now three months pregnant. I found a '97 Bass tracker with a 40hp on it for only $2500 and it runs great. This would be perfect but the wife says I can spend NO money. I only payed $1500 for the boat mentioned above, and am now trying to decide if I should fix or sell and wait for her to let me buy a new one. The motor is still messed up, and I have no idea how much it would cost to get fixed....Also, if I take it in, I would replace the floor and transom while the motor is in the shop...I'm thinking it would cost at least $1,000 just to fix this boat. Does that sound right? Moving on....if I decide to sell, how much should I ask as is? The trailer is in great shape, motor is as stated and floor and transom are ok now but will need to be replaced before long.......all replies appreciated!!!!

 

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

All the advice above still seems good to me. If you are looking for the simplest possible next step that might tell you something, drain the lower unit lubricant and see if it has chunks of gear teeth or metal filings in it. You can use a magnet to see if any are present. I agree that it sounds like you damaged the lower unit. You may be able to find a working used lower unit on eBay, and if you are not experienced with lower unit repairs, you could simply replace the lower unit with a used one, rather than trying to repair it. Having the lower unit rebuilt by a shop might cost a good bit more than buying a used LU anyway. While you are at it, replace the water pump--and of course get a manual before you start. As far as what to sell your boat for, I can only say that it would be worth a lot more running than not! And if it's running, then why sell it?

 

[joblo33]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

If you don't want to go to the effort of fixing your lower leg look for a replacement, Look for a marine recycler, thats where I get used parts. I just got a replacement leg for one of my merc 50's for twenty bucks canadian that works like new, I just looked for a motor with a blown powerhead and got it off it.<br />Eric

 

[tipitina]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

Anyone know if this lower unit will work?<br /> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4536586240&category=50439 <br />PLEASE HURRY!!!!!! auction ends soon and I don't have my manual yet!

 

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

You should be able to check and compare part numbers at mercruiser.com on the parts diagram pages.

 

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

You should be able to check and compare part numbers at mercruiser.com on the parts diagram pages.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

yes, it will fit. id get it, thats a REAL CHEAP Price

 

[tipitina]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

Well......I contacted a mechanic and it doesn't appear to be worth the money to me to fix the boat at this time. He said it would cost around $100 just to look at it, and then it would just depend on a fixing cost. So can anyone tell me what a reasonable asking price would be for this now fixer upper?

 

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

The economics of older outboards, and I think the posts in various threads on this board will confirm this, are that it genearally will be prohibitively expensive to get one repaired by a shop, and will involve issues with parts availability, and unknown cost for hours of shop time, at anywhere from $50 to $100 per hour. So, in that sense, yes, it isn't worth the money to fix an old motor. This leaves the option of either junking a motor for a new one, or another older one, which will in time present the same problem. The alternative, which is what this board seems to be all about, is fixing these old motors ourselves. I say this as a boat owner and a fisherman, not a professional mechanic. I have two old Mercs, both in good running shape, both because I worked on them myself. There are things I have neither the skills or tools to do on these, such as rebuilding a powerhead. However, I would certainly not hesitate to buy a used powerhead or lower unit and install it myself. The lower unit you were looking at on eBay sold for $180--not much more than it would cost for the mechanic to "just look at it." Sorry, I don't mean to get on a soapbox here--it's just that I wouldn't be fishing this spring (at least not from my boat!) if I didn't work on those old Mercs myself. And I've grown to really enjoy it. Another benefit is that if something goes wrong while I'm out in the boat, I have a much better chance of knowing what it is and what to do about it. The manuals are not cheap ($50 for the factory manual from Grubbs) but will pay off in the long run. There is a guy who sells the factory manual for your motor (1975-1978) on eBay on CD on a fairly regular basis, and it usually goes for about $15. The help you can get here and on other sites like John's Old Mercury board--priceless! Whatever you decide to do, good luck! Again, I apologize if I got preachy here.

 

[tipitina]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

well.....this has certainly been a very long post and transformed quite a bit. I appreciate the soap box and was moved by it. No boat certainly might suck, so I ordered the motor manual tonight. Just the first step, but maybe I can fix it cheap then tackle a new floor and transom and be done by end of season. Especially since the season here in Texas goes through at least September! Thanks for the motivation, but you better be ready once I dive in, cause I am SURE to have LOTS of questions!

 

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

I'm glad to hear you're going forward with this--there are sure to be delays along the way, such as after you order a part and before it arrives, so maybe you can get a jump on your transom then. As for the floor--well, who needs a floor anyway? Just kidding. While you wait for the manual to arrive, you could go ahead and drain the lower unit lubricant and save the oil in a jar so you can check it for metal filings. This might get you started on your diagnosis. One bit of advice I'd pass along is to try to do as much dignosis as possible before you start tearing things down.<br /><br />Anyway, good luck, and be sure to check out John's Old Merc board also where some of the best Merc experts on the web hang out--I'm not one of them, but I sure have benefitted from their advice.

 

[tipitina]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

i found another lower unit on ebay that the guy claims will fit. this one is $200...should i go ahead and get it, or wait in case it is something simple like a seal or something?