outboard motor help

[lovetofish]

My 1988 mercury 60hp motor turns over, but then locks... i can turn it back by the flywheel, but it only locks again if i turn it back the other way. it feels like something down just below the head of the motor... any thoughts??? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

thanks,

 

lovetofish

[Fisherman]

Just to clear up your description, does the motor(flywheel) turn over completely, more than a full 360 degrees, or only part way?

[lovetofish]

only part way

[irishfield]

Did you have it stored on it's side.. or fully tipped up. Sounds like it's hydraulic'd to me..

[Fisherman]

Well if it's hydraulic lock, remove the plugs and see if it will turn over all the way. Beyond that, there may be something broken.

[T Fisher]

My 1988 mercury 60hp motor turns over, but then locks... i can turn it back by the flywheel, but it only locks again if i turn it back the other way. it feels like something down just below the head of the motor... any thoughts??? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

thanks,

 

lovetofish

 

Pull the plugs and try it again. If your still having trouble drop the bottom end exposing the drive shaft, that connects the power head to the bottom end gears now can you rotate the engine?

[lovetofish]

i tried pulling the plugs out and it still does the same thing. I ordered a manual for it and am waiting for it to show up before i try pulling it apart. It was rebuilt maybe 5 or 6 years ago. hoping its nothing to do with the top end again. It was stored right side up. It gave me trouble on the last trip of the year of the boq. hour and a half ride back on the electric trolling motor into the wind... thank goodness for a fully charged deep cycle battery! I will try pulling the bottom off asap, i am a license car mechanic, but don't have much experience with outboards.

 

thanks for the help guys

 

lovetofish

[vance]

Would that engine be a 4 cylinder or 3 cylinder engine?

 

 

vance

[kevin booth]

sounds like a broken ring thats jamming.

[lovetofish]

its a three cylinder. I took the drain plug out of the bottom end and barely any fluid came out at all... hoping its something in the bottom end then

[vinnimon]

Im thinking as well as another, hydraulic lock.Pull the plugs and try again, if it persists, then im leaning towards upper end.Valves stuck closed.Broken cam gear?Or if you are hearing banging and knocking noises while trying to run it.Then I would look at the crank has shifted enough to react with the conn rod and cap.Causing lock up.

[vinnimon]

sounds like a broken ring thats jamming.

That would allow fuel to mix with oil as well.

[Big Cliff]

its a three cylinder. I took the drain plug out of the bottom end and barely any fluid came out at all... hoping its something in the bottom end then

 

Did you take the top vent plug out as well? When you pulled the plugs did you check to make sure they weren't damaged?

[Fisherman]

That would allow fuel to mix with oil as well.

Eh? last I heard rings were there for compression and allow smooth movement of the piston inside the cylinder...mixing oil and gas in a 2 stroke...

[mikemicropterus]

My 1988 mercury 60hp motor turns over, but then locks... i can turn it back by the flywheel, but it only locks again if i turn it back the other way. it feels like something down just below the head of the motor... any thoughts??? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

thanks,

 

lovetofish

Merc didn't make a 4 stroke in 88, it's a 2 stroke. Drop the gearcase pull the plugs if it still stops turning over by hand it's a rod.

[Sinker]

I'm assuming its in neutral?

[lovetofish]

it is in neutral. the plugs were not damaged at all and i did pull the vent plug out of the gearcase... the manual came in today and i'm going to pull off the bottom end, hopefully this weekend. thanks for all your help and suggestions, i will post back when i know more. It is a 2 stroke and it was oil injected, but it is disabled so i mix the oil and gas. I was wondering if the 2 carbs weren't adjusted properly and 1 was running lean, maybe one cylinder wasn't getting enough oil? thanks again,

 

 

lovetofish

[Uncle Buck]

curious, why would you wait to the start of the season to see whats wrong with it?

 

if you had problems on your last trip out last year, should have addressed it then... No?

[lovetofish]

i didn't do it at the end of last year for two reasons: too cold and i feared the worst. My fears were correct, when i stick a coat hanger in the cylinder and turn the motor over, the middle cylinder doesn't turn and i can push the piston with the coat hanger. i'm thinking broken crank or connecting rod. thanks for all ur help.

 

 

lovetofish

[ecmilley]

sounds like you squeeked a piston good luck on your repair