68' Evinrude Fastwin Problem

[atuck593]

I took my boat to the big lake (Beltzville) for the first time this season and I ran into a problem with my motor. It started up just fine at first and I let it run for a few minutes to warm up. When I shifted into forward (has shifter on the side) I was able to move a little but it seemed to slip out of gear. It feels like it's barely catching the gear for either forward or reverse and as I pick up speed or give it throttle it slips out of gear easily. It doesn't feel like its going all the way into gear and the shift lever is as far forward as it can go. I am not sure if this is an issue with the clutch or gears or...?
The motor ran perfect last fall when I put it away. Not a slip of the gear, but I feel like I may have messed something up when I painted it this past winter. I didn't take anything from the power head apart, but I did take off the shift lever itself. When I put it back on it seemed like it could only fit one way. Does anyone have any idea as to what may be going on? What did I screw up? lol

 

[atuck593]

Just trying to trouble shoot what may have happened, but I also attempted to remove the lower unit when I was painting the motor. When I took the bolts out for the lower unit it dropped a few inches and then stopped. In my inexperience I never unbolted the top of the drive shaft from the motor power head. I never pulled on it but I am thinking the weight of the lower unit itself may have pulled something loose in there? Not allowing the motor to fully get into gear and catch it? Does anyone with experience on outboards have any advice? I have around $500 bucks in the motor and I am afraid if I take it to a garage or marina the bill will be more than that.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[bikeordie092]

there should be a cover on the side of the motor right above the lower unit itself, two screws and its a lil oval shaped cover... there is where your two shifter rods connect, u may want to make sure that they are completely together, u have to disconnect this to remove the lower unit and if u did not, u may have caused this to slip out slightly... just a suggestion...

 

[atuck593]

Hey thanks I just looked at it tonight. the two screws are covered in carbon I assume from the exhaust. The piece connecting the two rods is loose. it spins about 180 degrees and has an 1/8 inch gap between it. would this be enough to screw it up?

 

[bikeordie092]

I'm no mechanic, but I would say that could more than likely be your problem... I have 2 18hp evinrudes and I'm quite familiar with them..

 

[Pappy]

If it does it in both forward and reverse I would lean more toward a simple prop hub failure. Before everyone has you disassembling everything it would do you well to check this.

 

[cajuncook1]

This link will tell you how to figure out if you have spun hub. Its free!!!

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13786

 

[atuck593]

Well I am 99% sure it was the shift linkage that seperated. When I had the boat in forward and turned the prop it wouldn't move and I felt the compression of the motor just as it should. If I would wiggle the prop a little back and forth it would slip and spin freely as though it were in neutral. I think this is what was happening on the water. When it would idle it would work fine... give it gas and the linkage would slip causing the prop not to spin. I took the lower unit off and re-fit the linkage back together. Now if I would wiggle the prop when its in forward, there is no slip. I have to test it out on the water though just to make sure everything is ok.

On a side note, and I know there are probably a million threads on this, when I removed the lower unit I decided to check the water pump impeller. How do you know when to replace it? What's a sign that you need a new one? Or is it just after so many hours of use?

 

[bikeordie092]

Most recommend every 100 hours to replace it, but also if u see any rotting or if the ends don't move pretty freely or are "stuck" in opposite directions or if u just don't think it looks good, you should probably replace it. Replacing your impeller is NEVER a bad idea, especially since its only like $15... good preventative maintanence is priceless... and could save you a world of hurt down the road.

 

[atuck593]

Well I just ordered a new one to be safe. I guess I have to rip it apart again after I just put it back together and "fixed" the first problem lol. However, the screws holding the water pump in place were tough to get out which leads me to think it hasn't been replaced in a while. It also looked like it was starting to crack in places as old rubber does. I think it will be worth the work to keep the motor running in top shape and save more work down the road. Thanks for the help.

 

[bikeordie092]

Well, at leasst it not a big motor lol... those motors aren't too bad to take apart and put together... if u need anything feel free to pm me :wink:

 

[atuck593]

True... there isn't much to them. I enjoy learning how they work and how to work on them. Before this project I wouldn't have thought myself able to do something like this, but thanks to this site and people on this site helping I think I have become a little more handy in the mechanical department.

 

[bikeordie092]

Same way with me, I haven't been on here long and I have already learned so much.. the people on here are great and so informative, we need more people in everyday life like the people on this forum lol

 

[atuck593]

Ha I agree 100%

 

[atuck593]

Well the 1% came back to bite me in the rear. I took the motor out tonight... motor fired right up in neutral... idled for a little to warm up... shifted into forward... and nothing but bubbles. Shifted into reverse and nothing but bubbles. It doesn't seem like the gears are catching while the motor is running. Reverse worked a little as I could feel the gear catching, but
I am at a loss, becasue when the motor isn't running the prop doesn't spin freely unless in neutral. I fixed that last time and I thought that was the issue. If in forward or reverse and I try to spin the prop I can feel the compression of the motor as I try to spin it. It moves one way while in forward or the other while in reverse I am assuming like it should.
I don't think its a spun prop becasue it uses a shear pin that isn't broken. As well as the prop doesn't give when I try to spin it. The motor will pump the piston as I turn the prop with my hands like you would when you spin a lawnmower blade when cleaning it.
What would a clutch dog do in all of this? Might that be a problem? I am ready to take the motor to a mechanic at this point but I don't want that big repair bull. I feel this may be an easy fix...but I just can't figure out whats going on with it. As always any help would be great becasue I would love to have this resolved by Memorial Day weekend.

 

[MrSimon]

I don't actually know what it is, but I've read that something called a clutch dog can cause the problems you are having.

Head over to the Johnson/Evinrude forum on iboats and do a search for "clutch dog".

 

[atuck593]

Well a little update... I took the motor to a family friend on Friday and we pulled apart the whole lower unit to find something and.... nothing. Everything looked fine for the age of the motor. No unusual wear. It ended up being that darn shift linkage that had pulled apart. I guess I never had it all the way up into the bracket. I took it out Friday night and Sunday... ran perfect... like new. Leaving the dock on Sunday to load onto the trailer it wouldn't go into reverse. It would pop right out. Now it was crazy at the ramp... 10 boats trying to get in all at once... I may have tried to shift before the RPM's were down enough. I need to run in a bucket tomorrow, but forward worked fine at the end of the day.


Mr. Simon... do you ever make it up north at all to fish Nockamixon or Beltzville? I fish Beltzville pretty often but I am looking into heading down to Nock this summer a looking for any advice to fishing the lake.

 

[MrSimon]

Well a little update... I took the motor to a family friend on Friday and we pulled apart the whole lower unit to find something and.... nothing. Everything looked fine for the age of the motor. No unusual wear. It ended up being that darn shift linkage that had pulled apart. I guess I never had it all the way up into the bracket. I took it out Friday night and Sunday... ran perfect... like new. Leaving the dock on Sunday to load onto the trailer it wouldn't go into reverse. It would pop right out. Now it was crazy at the ramp... 10 boats trying to get in all at once... I may have tried to shift before the RPM's were down enough. I need to run in a bucket tomorrow, but forward worked fine at the end of the day.


Mr. Simon... do you ever make it up north at all to fish Nockamixon or Beltzville? I fish Beltzville pretty often but I am looking into heading down to Nock this summer a looking for any advice to fishing the lake.

Nope, never fished Nock or Beltzville ... heard good things about both though. Everytime I hook up a boat and head North, I seem to end up in Canada