dead outboard?
 

Hi,

We had been motoring from our dock for about 1/2 hour when one of our
outboards started making horrible mechanical sounds (I sort of forgot the
exact sounds because they were so alarming!). I pushed the kill button but
it took a few seconds to kill the motor, which seemed to be partially
running on oil. Oil was everywhere under the cowling and dripping into the
outboard well. Tons of oil smoke everywhere. Later trying to run the motor
proved that would idle but sounded very clanking at anything faster. I
killed it again quickly.

Does this sound like a terminal problem with a 1987 outboard (Yamaha 9.9
high thrust 4 stroke)? I recently bought a diesel inboard to be placed in
one of the hulls so I am reluctant to spend anything more than the salvage
value of the outboard motor. I tend to do all my own mechanical work but
have never had to work on a 4 stroke outboard so I don't even know what
could cause that explosion of oil/oil smoke.

Fortunately our boat is a catamaran and we have 2 motors. With one outboard
motor we can still get about 5-6 knots and she sails faster than she motors
when there is any wind! So the weekend trip went off without any troubles.
We hit 11 knots in about an 18 knot gust. grin


--
Evan Gatehouse

you'll have to rewrite my email address to get to me
ceilydh AT 3web dot net
(fools the spammers)

dead outboard?
 

If you're handy at that type of stuff, just start tearing it down to see
what went wrong. I'd guess blown oil line or maybe head gasket.

--


Keith
__
"How soon a ship can age and die for want of the love of a human being."
--Peter Gerard--
"Evan Gatehouse" wrote in message
...
Hi,

We had been motoring from our dock for about 1/2 hour when one of our
outboards started making horrible mechanical sounds (I sort of forgot the
exact sounds because they were so alarming!). I pushed the kill button but
it took a few seconds to kill the motor, which seemed to be partially
running on oil. Oil was everywhere under the cowling and dripping into
the
outboard well. Tons of oil smoke everywhere. Later trying to run the
motor
proved that would idle but sounded very clanking at anything faster. I
killed it again quickly.

Does this sound like a terminal problem with a 1987 outboard (Yamaha 9.9
high thrust 4 stroke)? I recently bought a diesel inboard to be placed in
one of the hulls so I am reluctant to spend anything more than the salvage
value of the outboard motor. I tend to do all my own mechanical work but
have never had to work on a 4 stroke outboard so I don't even know what
could cause that explosion of oil/oil smoke.

Fortunately our boat is a catamaran and we have 2 motors. With one
outboard
motor we can still get about 5-6 knots and she sails faster than she
motors
when there is any wind! So the weekend trip went off without any
troubles.
We hit 11 knots in about an 18 knot gust. grin


--
Evan Gatehouse

you'll have to rewrite my email address to get to me
ceilydh AT 3web dot net
(fools the spammers)

dead outboard?
 

Evan Gatehouse wrote:
We had been motoring from our dock for about 1/2 hour when one of our
outboards started making horrible mechanical sounds (I sort of forgot the
exact sounds because they were so alarming!). I pushed the kill button but
it took a few seconds to kill the motor, which seemed to be partially
running on oil. Oil was everywhere under the cowling and dripping into the
outboard well. Tons of oil smoke everywhere. Later trying to run the motor
proved that would idle but sounded very clanking at anything faster. I
killed it again quickly.

If it would start & run, then it's likely not a terminal problem... the
big question is how much to fix it? The oil, smoke, clanking, and
running at idle suggest a valve guide or something in that neighborhood.

FWIW I agree with Keith, start taking it apart until you get to the
broken part(s).

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

dead outboard?
 

FWIW I agree with Keith, start taking it apart until you get to the
broken part(s).


the standard -- and often only -- technique available to the "hammer mechanic".

NEVER buy a used car from a hammer mechanic.

dead outboard?
 

JAXAshby wrote:
NEVER buy a used car from a hammer mechanic.

Or a hammer head.

DSK

dead outboard?
 

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 01:02:03 -0700, "Evan Gatehouse"
wrote:

Hi,

We had been motoring from our dock for about 1/2 hour when one of our
outboards started making horrible mechanical sounds (I sort of forgot the
exact sounds because they were so alarming!). I pushed the kill button but
it took a few seconds to kill the motor, which seemed to be partially
running on oil. Oil was everywhere under the cowling and dripping into the
outboard well. Tons of oil smoke everywhere. Later trying to run the motor
proved that would idle but sounded very clanking at anything faster. I
killed it again quickly.

Does this sound like a terminal problem with a 1987 outboard (Yamaha 9.9
high thrust 4 stroke)?

Sounds like a cracked crankcase. Can come from a connecting rod
parting company with piston or crank. Invariably expensive.

Brian W

dead outboard?
 

Sounds like a cracked crankcase. Can come from a connecting rod
parting company with piston or crank. Invariably expensive.

Brian W

I have never seen a case like that where the engine continued to run. Why do
you think that is the case?

dead outboard?
 

JAXAshby wrote:
NEVER buy a used car from a hammer mechanic.

Or a hammer head.

DSK


or from someone who makes his living selling concrete slabs to brand new owners
of single wide mobile homes.

dead outboard?
 

On 16 Jun 2004 02:39:18 GMT, (JAXAshby) wrote:

Sounds like a cracked crankcase. Can come from a connecting rod
parting company with piston or crank. Invariably expensive.

I have never seen a case like that where the engine continued to run. Why do
you think that is the case?

Most of the time I've see that happen, the engine does continue to run
on the cylinders it has left operating. At least until it doesn't have
any more oil. I've seen engines continue to run (very poorly) in
everything from a 2 cyl lawnmower where the broken rod punched a nickle
sized hole in the crankcase to drag racers, where it happens frequently.

Steve

dead outboard?
 

schlackoff, you have had too many hard drugs too long.

Sounds like a cracked crankcase. Can come from a connecting rod
parting company with piston or crank. Invariably expensive.

I have never seen a case like that where the engine continued to run. Why
do
you think that is the case?

Most of the time I've see that happen, the engine does continue to run
on the cylinders it has left operating. At least until it doesn't have
any more oil. I've seen engines continue to run (very poorly) in
everything from a 2 cyl lawnmower where the broken rod punched a nickle
sized hole in the crankcase to drag racers, where it happens frequently.

Steve

dead outboard?
 

JAXAshby wrote:
or from someone who makes his living selling concrete slabs to brand new owners
of single wide mobile homes.

You're confused, as usual. My work has nothing to do with any type of
concrete.

DSK

dead outboard?
 

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...

I have never seen a case like that where the engine continued to run.

I have. I have seen a rod break near the wrist pin, punch through the
crankcase then snap clean off the crank (bolts sheared off). Other than
having a big hole in the crankcase the remaining cylinders were just fine.


Why do you think that is the case?

Horrible mechanical sounds and oil everywhere are the common symptoms of
having a rod punch through the block.

A burnt/seized piston could cause a lot of blow by which could force oil out
of the case, causing the oil mess but I wouldn't expect it to have the
horrible noises associated with it.

A rod knock would sure be noisy but wouldn't have the oil mess.


My guess is along the same lines as Brian's: it threw a rod, punched a hole
in the crankcase. What's left of the rod is still banging around inside the
crankcase.

That engine is toast.

Rod