Johnson 35 hp Sea Horse

[catfishhoward]

The boat idles fine and the noise only occurs when I'm going between 10-25 mph about every 30 seconds +/-, it's a very aggressive noise that fills and sound like I hit a stump, even the motor bounces. I have had some starter problems that weekend and had to hit the top of the starter with my oar if that helps any, could the starter be activating by mistake?

I took it out this weekend again and never went faster than 4 mph and it never made the noise, my starter did just fine this weekend, I did notice some oil on my propeller just before doing this forum, is this normal? I usually have to choke the motor to get it to start.

 

[pro-crastinator]

Sounds like a "lean" cough. I have been there, did that.

 

[F_R]

Classic and well-known symptom of a worn-out clutch dog and possible also forward gear in the lower unit. It is coming out of gear, rotating half a revolution, and slamming back into gear, which makes that violent banging you are experiencing. Each time it does that, it causes more damage, so it is to your advantage not to ignore it, but fix it now.

 

[catfishhoward]

A clutch dog might be it, I found this video on line and It's about the same as mine.

 

[F_R]

As I said, that is So.o.o.o. classic. Outboard mechanics hear it very often. Especially the "hit a stump or log" description. Or here in Florida it often is "hit a gator".

 

[gm280]

I agree with F_R. I thought it soundly like a bad clutch dog as well.

 

[relics hunter]

I had a similar thing with my old 35 evinrude that turned out to be the shifter handle was being vibrated in and out of gear at higher speeds.

 

[catfishhoward]

Thanks for the responses, I'm going to take the lower unit apart and do an inspection, the black thick oil coming out from the propeller is not a good thing anyway you look at it. I'll also look up information about the shifter handle.

 

[catfishhoward]

Just drained the oil, I no mechanic but this doesn't look like oil to me? I had black oil? coming from the propeller and you can see some leakage on the outside of my motor above the bolts holding the lower unit.

 

[racerone]

The black stuff is from the exhaust housing.---Perhaps you are not aware that some fuel and oil goes right through the motor.--This fuel / oil is never burned !---It then collects and gathers black stuff from the housing.--The gray stuff is the gear oil and may have water in it.

 

[catfishhoward]

Yes, the black stuff does smell like gas. I just got the bearing assembly out and the O-ring is cracked so I guess that's where the water came from? I'm stopped for now until I get a tool to take the retaining ring off.

 

[F_R]

No Title

Just so you know...most people look at those clutch dogs and say they look fine, when actually they aren't. Here is a picture so you know what you are looking for. Actually, this one is very, very, very, worn out long ago. They don't look nearly this bad in the early stages. But every time it jumps it chips off a tad more metal till eventually it comes to this. And also beats the gear and linkages to death.

 

[catfishhoward]

Here is the clutch dog, it has some rounded corners. I think the other gears are good. Thanks for the help.