I don't have a clue!!

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

I'd say get the manual, then troubleshoot the motor before you buy parts, unless you get a really unusual deal. It seems from your searching so far that these lower units show up pretty regularly, though I don't know that from my own experience. Just my two cents worth. It does sound like you probably lunched the LU. Once you get the manual you can pull the LU and you'll be able to turn it and shift it manually and get a feel for what's going on there.

 

[tipitina]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

Finally got my manual! WooHoo!! I am also getting pretty excited about fixing her up. I will hopefully be able to tear into her this week. I was thinking about it the other day though, and I seem to remember that a month or two before this mishap, I would sometimes try and ease up into gear and it would slip and nearly die and I would have to pull back down to idle. I could throw in a good hard hole shot, and it would be okay, but it would sometimes stall and I would have to let off. I'm sure this could be related, and since I am pulling her off this week, I thought it might help with my next question of what should be the first things I look at when I pull the lower unit?

 

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

First thing I'd suggest you look at is the lower unit lubricant, and check with a magnet to see if there are chunks of gears in it! Once you get it off (the LU) you can operate the drive shaft and the shift shaft by hand to see if the gears are working and how they feel. Then depending on what you learn, you could proceed to disassemble it, carefully following the manual and laying out and labeling all parts. A digital camera comes in handy, as does a big, clean and clear workbench. You already have some idea of what it would cost to replace the entire lower unit, so you know what you're looking at it if you tear it down and it is beyond repair.<br /><br />I am not familiar with your particular motor (others here can help with this) but you may need a special tool to remove the nut on the lower unit (not the prop nut, but the nut that holds the bearing carrier in). You can fabircate this but you might be able to just take it to a shop after you pull the LU off and see if they would take the nut loose. Or, depending on where in the country you are, you might even get a hand from someone on this board.<br /><br />Your problem with stalling getting into gear could be related to your lower unit but it could also just be a carburator adjustment. Carbs have to be adjusted with the motor in gear and the prop in the water or else it will usually be too lean and will stall when you put it in gear.

 

[tipitina]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

So I will drain the fluid first, and if there is no metal in it, should I still pull the unit. I plan to rebuild the carbs anyway, so I could start there if there are no flakes. I also saw somewhere that said the hub could be spun if the prop spins when it is in gear. I tried this, and when in forward, the prop would spin and make a ratcheting sound going forward, but it would not spin backwards. Does this mean anything? And again if no flakes, should I start with the carbs?

 

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: I don't have a clue!!

First, a spun hub wouldn't make your motor die when you put it in gear. But you need to have it running and in the water to really check that out, which you do by marking the relationship between the prop and the prop nut, run it until you think is slipping, then recheck to see if it has changed.<br /><br />If the LU lube looks good, you could pull the plugs, put it in gear, and turn the motor (use a wrench on the flywheel and see how the LU shifts and turns, and how it feels with a hand on the prop shaft while the motor turns. I would suggest you only turn the motor in the direction it normally runs.<br /><br />The ratcheting when you turn the prop is likely just the clutch dog and is normal, if I understand your description.<br /><br />Do you have a test tank (trash can) in which you can test the motor?