Questions about warning buzzer...

[j_martin]

Re: Questions about warning buzzer...

The someone, I guess, was Mercury.

Now I remember that the first generation of oil injection fried a few powerheads without warning. That must be why they put a sensor on the pump and added the module to read it.

Looks to me like committee engineering. The problem is a 10 cent plastic gear fails, where a 50 cent brass gear wouldn't. Solution, of course, is to add another layer of complexity to the warning system without actually fixing the problem.

All that said, if you keep them well oiled and reasonably clean and dry, they run forever.

An afterthought. Even with a warning horn, if a V6 going WOT loses oil, the alarm won't warn in time. Many remove the VRO and premix, and some (including me) mix about 150:1 oil in the fuel tank for a little insurance.

hope it helps.
John

 

[MercGuy]

Re: Questions about warning buzzer...

John,

Upon further review, I found a schematic in the front of my manual that details exactly what I have, no module, and either sensor completes the circuit. In the back of the manual the (slightly) more sophisticated system with a module is detailed.

The only real difference between these 2 systems that I can see is that the low oil alarm is intermittent while the temp is continuous. Not really a big deal when you get down to it.

Do you know if my engine actually has the plastic gear ?? In another thread that talks about an aftermarket oil injection system I noticed that it is only offered for the larger V6 engines. I hoped that meant that mine wasn't subjected to such a failure. As a reminder, my engine is a 4 cyl. 115 2+2.

Finally, you write "if you keep them well oiled and reasonably clean and dry, they run forever." What do you mean by well oiled and reasonably clean and dry ?? The gear is buried so deep that I can't imagine oiling it, or keeping it clean and dry.

Thanks for your input,

-Steve

 

[j_martin]

Re: Questions about warning buzzer...

Usually they fail in the spring, after a winter of storage. Condensation caused by heating and cooling cycles has it's way with many parts. On the oil pump it'll seize the shaft to the bushing.

If you fog the engine till it kills when you put it up, then drain the carbs so there's no fuel to evaporate and gum up, pull the plugs and spray some more fogging oil in the cylinders, change the lube in the lower unit, then store it in a place that isn't humid, it'll probably just start up and run good in the spring.

In the north where condensation is a problem, it is recommended that the oil injection pump is removed, and checked for free movement before the engine is turned over. The gasket's a buck, and it only takes a few minutes. It's also a good time to be sure the linkage is in good shape and adjusted right.

The other good thing to do is drain all the gas out of the main tank and run it in the family bus. Put fresh gas in the boat in the spring.

Somebody with a maintenance manual for that engine can tell you what the gear is made of. It will be in the instructions.

The big thing about the primitive oil alert is that it will not detect pump failure, and that will kill your motor quicker than low oil in the reservoir.

hope it helps
John

 

[Fred.Furrer]

Re: Questions about warning buzzer...

Yikes!! You are scaring me about oil injection in a Mercury engine. I have a Classic 40 with oil injection, and I think the only sensor related to oil injection is the oil level in the tank -- am I right? It seems to me that even having a sensor to ensure pump rotation is not a complete solution since the oil flow could still be impeded somewhere by blockage. I have had absolutely no problem with the oil delivery (as far as I know) but I gauge that on seeing a little oil smoke on cold starts. I liked your reference to "committee engineering", because that has been my assessment of the kind of engineering they used to do at General Motors. It seems to be better now. It's always better to put one competent man in charge of engineering, and have him delegate the work. Getting back to oil injection, do you really think it is prudent to remove and inspect the oil injection pump once a year??????

Usually they fail in the spring, after a winter of storage. Condensation caused by heating and cooling cycles has it's way with many parts. On the oil pump it'll seize the shaft to the bushing.

If you fog the engine till it kills when you put it up, then drain the carbs so there's no fuel to evaporate and gum up, pull the plugs and spray some more fogging oil in the cylinders, change the lube in the lower unit, then store it in a place that isn't humid, it'll probably just start up and run good in the spring.

In the north where condensation is a problem, it is recommended that the oil injection pump is removed, and checked for free movement before the engine is turned over. The gasket's a buck, and it only takes a few minutes. It's also a good time to be sure the linkage is in good shape and adjusted right.

The other good thing to do is drain all the gas out of the main tank and run it in the family bus. Put fresh gas in the boat in the spring.

Somebody with a maintenance manual for that engine can tell you what the gear is made of. It will be in the instructions.

The big thing about the primitive oil alert is that it will not detect pump failure, and that will kill your motor quicker than low oil in the reservoir.

hope it helps
John