pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

[briwarr66]

1999 Johnson 70Hp
Well I pulled a bonehead move tonight and now I’m in need some help brainstorming a solution to my error. Went out fishing tonight like I do 4 days after work and everything was just fine, low wind, a good strong outgoing tide, and the fish were everywhere. Well on my way in every time out I always stop at this subsurface rock right off Napatree Point and it usually produces 1 more fish for the day. Well tonight I forgot that I was heading in on a falling tide and ended up slamming my lower leg into a rock. The impact was pretty severe, I was accelerating just coming up on plane going about 10mph. After the impact I headed directly to the ramp which was about .75 miles a way. As soon as I got to the dock I knew I had a large problem as there was oil surfacing around the rear of the boat. When I took the boat out I could see the dent (about the circumference of a quarter) on the front of bulb portion (sorry for the non technical term) of the lower leg and it was leaking oil. How difficult is it to repair a lower leg? Now I’m not a marine mechanic but I am an engineer (computer), have the engine manual, motivation, and tools; is this something that I could accomplish or would I be better served having a professional tend to it? Or would I be better off just buying a new lower unit?


Brian

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

If it's not too severly damaged a good welder should be able to fix you right up. I'd be more concerned about internal damage if you hit that hard than a dent/crack in the pumpkin. Check to make sure it shifts okay after you drain/check the LU lube if there is any left. If small metal chunks come out you may be hosed.

 

[Evinrude Boater]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

Brian,
How deep is the dent and where is the oil leaking?
You'll probably get a good idea of how bad you damaged the foot by having a pressure test conducted. That way you'll be able to locate and mark all cracks. You can do it yourself by applying no more than 10psi to the oil vent hole (after you drain it) and dunk it in water. Watch for bubbles and mark the damage. It's important to distinguish between damage at bolted areas and other non-structural areas. I used JB Weld to seal some non-structural cracks in my foot and so far so good.
Tim

 

[samo_ott]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

JB weld works well. I have also used aluminum welding rods and a propane torch on my 5.5hp gear housing to fix it after I did not drain it one winter and it froze and split it open Interanl damage is the key though. But going 3/4ers of a mile means it seems like it's still working...

 

[briwarr66]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

Well now that the sun is up I can see the damaged area better. The dent is about the circumference of a quarter, and at the center of the dent it is depressed approximately 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch. The dent on the pumpkin is definitely the source of the oil leak as at the center of the dent there appears to be a small crack. I’ve visually checked the bolted areas and there is no damage there. Fixing the gearcase housing should not be a problem for me as I have a few master welders in the family who can tend to that. My concern is with the lack of reverse gear. After I pasted the rock I ran in and never engaged reverse, but when I tested it this morning it will not engage. I push down on the shifter and it is stiff.

Thanks,

Brian

 

[cheburashka]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

The nice thing about JB weld is that you don't need to completely disassemble the part. If you were to weld it, you'd need to take everything out of the case first. Is it possible to pull the indented section back out? Maybe drilling a hole in the middle and using a dent puller to pull it out to where it was originally? It sounds like the shift fork is rubbing on the housing and it's possible that just moving the damaged part of the housing back to its original location and JB welding it in place might be a good start, at least to know whether or not you'll be able to salvage the lower unit.

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

I don't know for certain if it would work, but I've used stuff called Sea Going Epoxy (sp?) on an engine before. I used it to fill a bolt hole that went to deep in the water jacket of a jetski motor and I've had no problems after several years. I also know they use this stuff internally in the crank case to re-work intake port areas.

 

[xtraham]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

marine-tex?

 

[jim_in_day]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

Sorry to butt in, but if you don't have reverse, you have a bigger problem than just a leak. Also, BRP strongly reccommends that after an impact like that, that you have the alignment of your lower unit checked. If it is out of alignment, the subsequent vibrations from running WOT will take out your powerhead in short order. Take it to a Johnson/Evenrude mechanic that knows what he is doing!

Edit: There is a service bulitten (i can't spell this morning) that discusses this problem, any johnson/evenrude service dept should have it.

 

[Captn Dave]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

Was the engnie running when you attempted to shift into reverse?
If not, spin the propeller while shifting.

 

[imported_lorin]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

It seems you have 2 problems, the smaller of which is the leak in the gearcase. The major problem is the damage that was done internally right behind the area where the leak is. Inside at the front there is a housing for the forward end of the prop that fits extrermely tightly in the "nose" of the gearcase where you hit the rock. I believe this housing is held in place by a small pin which fits into a small slot that is cast in the "nose" area of the gearcse. And behind this is reverse gear. If you dont have reverse then you have internal damage. If the area of the gearcase that has the slot for the above mentioned pin is damaged, you're probably going to have to replace the gearcase, but will probably be able to use most of the internal parts. If there's no reverse, get ready to disassemble the gearcase.

 

[briwarr66]

Re: pulled a bonehead move now I need some help brainstorming

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Lorin and Jim_in_Day you confirmed for me what I did not want to hear, that the lower unit is at this point toast and in need of some major work. I was holding out hope that the fix would be as easy as pulling the dent and changing the oil, but like most things mechanical it's better to err on the side of caution and have a trained pro tend to it. The ramifications of hacking it could lead to larger problem and it that is just not smart. My plan is to buy a rebuilt lower unit which will definately solve the problem asap and get me back to doing what I love the most (besides football, and my wife). My other choice would be to take it to a local repair shop and wait 5-7 weeks for it to be repaired. Too long, I can't have the fish thinking they got one over on me.


Thanks Again Everyone,

Brian