Model number location
You should be able to find your model number on a small plate on the port side (left) transom bracket near where motor is fastened to boat.
If the plate is missing, there should also be a model nomber on the block. It will be stamped on a nickel sized concaved disc that resembles a freeze plug.(sometimes silver, sometimes painted)
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FUEL to OIL RATIO
128 ounces = 1 gallon 1 ounce = 0.0296 liters
16 ounces = 1 pint 1 gallon = 3.789 liters
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon
Example of calculation:
GALLONS X 128 (ounces) / RATIO = OUNCES OF OIL TO MIX WITH GAS
6 gallons X 128 (ounces) / 50 (50:1 ratio) = 15.36 ounces of oil for 6 gallons of gas.
6 gallons X 8 (pints) / 50 (50:1 ratio) = 0.96 pints of oil for 6 gallons of gas.
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Cold starting
When you start your motor you almost always have to use the fast idle for a minute or two to warm engine.
When you first start your motor when cold you have to push in on key and hold it in while cranking, that is your
choke. ( just turn key to on position an push it in and you should hear a clicking at the motor.
If you take cover
off and look at area near carbs you will see a lever pull the chokes shut when someone pushes key in.
To sum it up, when you first crank engine in morning:
Pump fuel primer bulb til tight, lift to fast idle, hold key
in to choke while cranking(after it cranks you might have to bump it back in a time or two til motor warms up.
Some are just a little cold natured.
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Possible fuel problems
If your problem started all at once a good first place to start would be contaminated fuel.
My first suggestion would be to check fuel filters and water seperator.
You can easily get fuel already contaminated with water at a service station see:
http://www.brokeboats.com/troubleshooting.html
Most models have a filter on the fuel pump.
If you have a water seperator installed, unscrew the element and pour it into a glass jar and examine the fuel for presence of water or other contaminents.
Have you tried a new Primer bulb or complete hose assembly?It's the most common fuel related problem on an outboard engine!
Even with a fuel pump problem your motor should run run while pumping the primer bulb if carbs are not obstructed with trash.
Look under cover of motor while someone moves throttle from idle to full speed and back a few times and see if something appears to be sticking or hanging up. All of that linkage is locater on side of motor in plain view.
Examine spark plugs for fouling(black build up) at low speed or flooding at low speed(one plug extremely clean when compared with the others).
Check the manual primer lever(little red lever) on primer assembly and make sure no one bumped it or turned it to wrong position accidentially and causing flooding at low speed.
High speed operation would appear okay in this case.
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Point Setting (most older outboards)
Your basic timing setting is achieved by setting your points to 0.020 in. , after that , timing is advanced as you increase throttle VIA movable breaker plate under flywheel. As the timer base advances it should start to open the throttle just as the line touches the throttle pick-up - you should see it just behind the carb as you advance the throttle. The wide open timing is preset and not adjustable on most motors. It's always good to refer to a manual to double-check settings for your particular engine. If you don't have a manual in front of you; I'm pretty sure most public libraries have one in the technical or reference section.
Points are under the flywheel and you'll have to use a puller to remove it.... hammers, prying, beating, and banging is only gonna bust something and you'll still have to go get a puller!
Clean the points on your motor and shine em up with a little 360 grit sandpaper if necessary, clean again, then set to 0.020 inches; carefully wipe any residue from point surface with a clean, dry T-shirt.
Set flywheel back on, don't tighten it yet.
With spark plug removed and held tight against block with wire on it, you should be able to spin flywheel by hand and see a spark at electrode of plug.
No spark;
recheck your work and/or replace coil or condenser.
A cracked coil can leak spark to ground, usually visible under coil, when re-tightening coil; align outside lamination of coil with both machined areas at top of mounting posts.(usually pushing in toward crankshaft while tightening coil is sufficient, but check it anyway)
Make sure wires are not grounding out anywhere, and out of way of flywheel.
Sparking now?
Retighten flywheel and go fishing.
Good Luck, Wayne
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Harness and switch problem elimination
To eliminate the wiring harness you need to locate the black with
yellow stripe wire at power pack plug and disconnect it from plug. A
little alcohol will help lube and loosen the pin and aid in removal from
the plug. Plug the plug back together without the black/yellow wire.
This will completely eliminate the stop circuit .Now check for spark
again.
Remember, you have just eliminated ignition stop portion of key switch
and wiring harness so you can't cut motor off with switch if it cranks
now.
If all cylinders are now firing, then you know the problem is the switch
or harness leading to switch.
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Timing light checks
What I mean by checking with timing light is that it is a good tool to troubleshoot with.
By running motor with timing light on different cylinders and looking at light you can often determine if the miss is ignition or fuel.
Also using the light connected to one cylinder and inspecting for crankcase or gasket leaks on opposing cylinder as they would be losing "Pressure" as the cylinder your light is on is building Compression and fires, good for looking for reeds not closing as it will light as fuel is spit back out oposing carb...You need to be in shade or close to dark for these checks to be easier.
As far as setting your throttle pick up timing at ? degrees; just remember that's only a starting point and often has to be changed to acheive a good idle( Never change WOT timing though) .
As you adjust your idle fuel mixture in does your motor respond and start to cough or spit as you get too far in and then smooth back out as you turn adj. out?
Have you removed plug wires one at a time while running to see if one cyl is better or worse than others?
Water leaks into cylinder/s would be internal and not seen, usually a cylinder getting a little water or steam in it has a cleaner plug than the other cylinders as the steam cleans it well. Good indication of exhaust cover gasket or head gasket leak!
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On many ignitions there is not a seperate high and low speed coil as in
newer motors.
I can't help but think that your problem is in carbs: The high speed jets
located in bowl behind what appears to be bowl drains may be clogged with
shellac if motor sat for a while.
The gasket between bowl and carb can cause
a suction problem going from low to high speed as you try to get through
mid-range.
A good way to check if ignition is problem area is to connect an inductive
timing light to each cylinder and observe spark as you are operating boat
looking for loss of spark.
After motor is warm and running til misfiring you may also try to remove
plugs and look for steam(obivious amount) exiting holes possibly indicating
a leak at exhaust cover gaskets.
Throttle pick-up and full advance timing is also important to reach high
speed- I assume you have a repair manual handy and understand these
settings.
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GET AN INDUCTIVE PICK=UP TIMING LIGHT FROM SOMEONE.
Put it on the top plug wire with plug installed.
Locate your timing pointer
arrow on top front inner cowling and find the little numbers on flywheel.
Have someone spin motor while looking for a flash near the zero mark on flywheel at pointer.
Throttle lever at idle position for this check.
If it was near zero # 1 is in time(close) ......Make your own mark straight
across flywheel (180 degrees) with paint or whatever.
Repeat this check
with timing light on bottom plug wire to confirm timing for # 2.
Make these checks and get back to me with model/serial number to
row ahead.
402's had quite a few particular electrical and wiring problems
and we'll try to nail it down.
Give me a good history leading up to problem and
what you have checked to this point too.
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High altitude main jet differences (example)
If your carbs are clean and set properly then you may need to decrease jet size for higher altitude. I can't find exact specs on your motor right now but I'll kepp looking around the shop.
Here is an example of jet size changes for high altitudes though:
++++++++++++++++++++
1976 50 HP 4 cylinder
Elevation up to 2500' ------- jet size------.055
Elevation 2500'-5000' ------- jet size------.053
Elevation 5000'-7500' ------- jet size------.051
Elevation 7500'and up ------- jet size------.049
++++++++++++++++++++
1976 65 HP 3 cylinder
Elevation up to 2500' ------- jet size------.084
Elevation 2500'-5000' ------- jet size------.082
Elevation 5000'-7500' ------- jet size------.078
Elevation 7500'and up ------- jet size------.074
Those are probably not your motor, but you can use it as a guide.
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If you don't have access to a mechanic's stethoscope you
could try this trick.
Take a long (2 or 3 foot) dowel (or screwdriver) and holding
it tight to your outer ear and while touching other end
to suspected origins of the "knock" and you should be
able to isolate the problem area.
Be careful around the
moving parts.
With a little pratice you'll find this works
quite well.
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If you drop one of those stainless bolts or screws down in the motor cowling or the bottom of the bilge don't grab a magnet cause it won't pick up stainless. Sometimes a dab of grease on the end of a slotted screwdriver will stick right to it.
This trick is also useful to retreive a dropped needle bearing; which by the way a magnet will attract... But you certainally don't want to magnetize a needle bearing, do you?
When you get it back, put the grease on one of those linkage or slide areas you forgot to grease in the spring, or winter, or summer, or fall.
There, don't you feel better for the friction now?
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I have a 1992 Evinrude 60 HP.
When running at full throttle (5000 RPM) the engine cuts out and an alarm horn sounds. I have to wait for a short time and put the engine to nuetral before it will start again.
I have no problem running the engine all day at speeds up to about 4200 rpm but after that it's dicey as to whether it will cut out or not.
I have had it into the shop and they claim that they ran it for two hours in the shop, and out on the lake wide open and had no faults.
The first run after I got the boat back it faulted again.
I don't have any indicator lights that would narrow the problems down, just the alarm horn.
Any answers/suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
When you mention cutting out in the same sentence with alarm sounding it makes me think it might be a fuel problem such as water or trash in fuel.
This may be causing the VRO pump to not deliver proper amount of fuel at WOT(wide-open-throttle).
You have to be very careful because your fuel is your lubrication VIA VRO pump mixing oil + fuel.
One of the alarm horns mentioned above could be the VRO alarm sounding.
Less critical but still important is your water pump impeller; it may be worn just enough to not supply sufficient volume of water at high speed operation.
A blocked cooling water passage, or defective thermostat could prevent proper cooling at high speed as well.
These couple areas would sound the over-heat alarm horn.
***SAME HORN......Different senders!***
You could try to disconnect the over-heat sensor (tan wire going to cylinder head) by sliding the rubber cover on wire back to reveal knife connection.
***NOTE: You have now disabled the over heat sender for test purposes!***
Try a couple runs and see if alarm stops....no alarm, suspect water pump/thermostat.
Still alarming....suspect VRO pump.
Re-connect tan sender wire now before you forget!
Don't take any chances with VRO pump, either replace it or start mixing your fuel and oil in tank manually. VRO pump failures have wiped out more than their share of powerheads over the years!
I would also reccomend you do a compression test on each cylinder to make sure you haven't caused any damage to powerhead thus far.
As far as disconnecting the oil injection goes, I often reccomend doing away with system on OMC motors but in my opinion as far as other oil injection systems out there; I personaly would keep it but.....mixing the fuel is also a sure fire way to know you have lubrication.
Many customers like the idea of mixing the oil and gas manually.
Many folks want some much needed storage space were the oil tank sits now; others just like the peace of mind of mixing it themselves.
Haven't had time to get a manual yet and wondering if there is anything that you have to disconnect, cross, or change to accomplish this or can you just disconnect the oil line to the motor and start mixing the fuel and go fishing?
Eliminating the VRO (Variable Ratio Oiler)
Disconnect your oil line at motor and cap with rubber plug and clamp, then mix oil at 50 to 1 .
If alarm sounds when running disconnect tan wire at VRO pump.
Better yet,remove the complete VRO assembly and install A standard 3 hose OMC fuel pump to ensure proper fuel delivery.
If your pump is almost 10 years old or so now;why not spend 40 or 45 bucks to get a new one without the oil injection.
Any pump from a 70's 3 cylinder OMC motor should be of the three hose variety.
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Fixing Leaking Aluminum Hulls
About once every week or two someone calls regarding a leaking aluminum riveted hull. The topic also appears from time to time on Internet boating newsgroups. Solutions range from using silicon type sealers, epoxies, welding, to pounding the rivets with a hammer. Each, despite problems, has it supporters. Although I deal with epoxies, I generally back-off from suggesting and epoxy cure because epoxies are brittle and aluminum hulls flex a lot. Also, epoxies can have problems bonding to aluminum. That said, several epoxy professionals and I have been kicking around our best guess epoxy fix ideas. Here's our current thinking:
1) Clean the aluminum seam with muriatic acid cut 50% with water. Muriatic acid is sold in hardware stores for a few dollars per gallon. The acid will help clean the surface and slightly etch the metal.
2) Flush well with water - all traces of the acid must be gone. Let dry completely.
3) Apply a very thin, watery epoxy on the seam and around the rivets. The thin epoxy should seep into the tiny fissures and spaces filling and sealing them as well as ‘locking' loose rivets back into tightness. It will also provide a firm anchor for a topcoat of a second epoxy.
4) Between the time the thin epoxy has setup and within 72 hours, topcoat (bury) the thin epoxy and seams with a thicker, flexible epoxy. By using an epoxy with an elongation of 25% or more instead of regular epoxies with an elongation of under five percent, the repair should better withstand the flexing of aluminum hulls.
The epoxy products suggested for this proposed (still untested) fix are: Low V epoxy ($36 for a 48 ounce unit which includes shipping within the USA), and Hi-flex epoxy ($30 for a 48 ounce unit, including shipping within the USA) or Corro Coat FC 2100 ($42 for a 48 ounce unit, including shipping within the USA). All are available from Progressive Epoxy Polymers; 603-435-7199 or order online at: http://www.epoxyproducts.com/marine.html
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hello- I own a 9.9HP '81 Evinrude outboard. I noticed recently that there was a small drip of oil coming from the propeller- it's out of the water and I haven't used it in a month. I removed the propeller and found some milky-looking oil behind it, in front of the gearcase bearing assembly. I removed the assembly- it had an o-ring on it that seemed OK. I cleaned everything, reassembled what I had taken off, and then changed the oil. When I changed the oil, it looked OK and wasn't foamy and didn't have any metal shavings or anything in it. I put a pair of earmuffs on the garden hose and hooked it up to the outboard and started the engine. The engine ran great, but I noticed after a bit that there was a foamy water/oil combination coming out of the propeller. It looked like a cappucino machine! I unscrewed the oil plug on the side of the engine, and the oil in there looked fine and was not milky. Do you know what my problem could be here? Is both exhaust and water supposed to come out of the propeller area normally? Somehow the oil is leaking out. I was going to change that o-ring, but I'm not sure that's the problem. Are there other gaskets/o-rings that I should look for? Thank you
I think your problem MAY not be in the lower unit at all but it is possible for lube to leak out of lower unit and water not enter the unit.
Prop shaft and driveshaft seals (under water pump) areas actually consist of 2 seals each- back to back.(4 total)
One seal prevents water from entering gearcase and the other prevents lube from escaping gearcase.
If your lube is not getting milky out of drain plug and the level of lube at top vent screw is not dropping, we need to look elsewhere.
Spent water and exhaust are mixed and exit through the prop; thus the term, "thru-hub-exhaust".
In a properly tuned engine the fuel/oil mixture should ignite and burn completely before entering the exhaust area.
A spark plug fouling due to a bad plug, coil, power-pack, bad fuel/oil mixture, water in cylinder, carb adj. too rich, low compression, and the list goes on, can allow un-burnt fuel/oil to enter exhaust and exit through prop. Sometimes as a white-milky substance and sometimes a dark or black thick substance.
The first thing I usually do is rub some between my fingers and smell it. Lower unit lube and un-burnt oil have two distinct odors and over the years I know the difference.
You could start by:
1-Examining the spark plugs for fouling,black and wet.
2-Checking compression on each cylinder.
3-Checking spark on each cylinder.
4-Carb too rich,plug wet with gas but firing okay.
5-One plug extremely clean and with steam exiting a warm cylinder after removing plug is a sign of a bad exhaust cover allowing water to enter cylinder.
6-The above checks are good starting points and usually lead to the solution. I have some pages on my website that would help with some of these areas see:- www.brokeboats.com -
In order to properly test your lower unit you will have to do a pressure test(lube out) and vacuum test(water in). I've got instructions for this as well on my website.
I hope this helps a little.If you have further questions, get back to me.
STAY SAFE AFLOAT, Wayne
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MercCruisers
Symptoms:
Leaking U-joint bellows will cause severe damage if not tended to immediately.
The two most common symptoms noticed first by customers are water constantly leaking into the boat
and noise coming from the back of the engine/drive area.
It's important to note that once these things are noticed, that some damage has already occurred.
The grumbling noise that so many customers hear is from a rusted gimbal bearing.
The noise will get worse as the drive is turned to full left and full right.
Sometimes a customer will notice water in the drive lube as well.
The front seal of the outdrive is meant to hold OIL in the drive and
is NOT meant to hold water out of the drive.
Inspect the Gimbal Housing Assembly:
With the boat hauled, take a good look at the bellows with the drive
placed in different positions.
Look for barnacle growth, rips and deterioration of the rubber.
The bellows should be clean and firm
A complete inspection will require the removal of the outdrive.
Place the shifter into forward gear and remove the outdrive.
After the rams and the six mounting nuts are removed, the drive should come off. If the bellows have been leaking, the drive might be stuck.
If the drive is stuck, tilt the drive up by hand and let the drive drop back down freely.
The dropping of the drive should free up the driveshaft from the rusted gimbal bearing.
If dropping the drive by gravity still won't free the unit, then some downward "slamming" may be required.
Note: Slamming the drive is a "close-to-last-resort" and MAY damage other components.
Use common sense and maybe a few flat chisels carefully placed to assist in the drives removal.
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OMC Cobra Water Pump
I think the impeller in you outdrive is a little weak. Remember when
you hook a hose to it your are already supplying some pressure that is
not present in the water.
It it simple to check/replace impeller in the Cobra:
Remove the cover on bach to reveal pump housing; remove the bolts from
pump housing cover and there's your rubber impeller. At idle speed it
just won't quite pump enough to keep the motor cool and is okay at high
speed.
Hope this helps a little, Wayne
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Two hose tank to new one hose tank OMC
The best way to convert to a one hose tank and pump is to locate a later model junk motor with a fuel pump.
Most dealers and shops have a junk pile of old motors and will sell parts pretty cheap, especially if you're willing to dig through the pile.
The parts you need are the transfer port cover and the fuel pump that is mounted on it.
Don't worry about the condition of the pump as rebuild kits are readily available, easy to install, and only a few bucks.
Wear some clothes you don't mind getting a little grease on and I would take my transfer port cover along to ensure a proper match.
Remember that the dealer isn't making much trying to sell you a used part off a junk motor so think of it more as a favor instead.
The transfer port covers (one per cylinder) are located on the side of block and held on with 4-7 screws depending on model.
If you absolutely can't find a cover and fuel pump you could drill, thread, and install a hose fitting in the intake area and use a 3 hose fuel pump from a 70's 3 cylinder motor. That would be a last ditch attempt and I would have a qualified technician help with the installation.
There were factory supplied conversion kits available at one time and you may be able to still find one at a long established dealer in his NOS (new old stock listing).
9.9 to 15 HP
If you are trying to increase your HP to 15hp simply switching a carb
won't do it without also switching the cylinder head as well. It would
be way too expensive to buy both items new(around 300 bucks or so).
You should check around at dealers, shops, and friends, etc. and try
to locate a junk, blown 15 HP Johnson or Evinrude; both are same except
for the paint.
Remove the carb and cylinder head and clean and rebuild the carb with
a new kit; get a new head gasket, and install em on your motor.
You'll see quite a difference in power.
VRO Pump Elimination
Your VRO pump is your fuel pump and you can eliminate it by throwing
it away and installing a three hose OMC fuel pump and mixing fuel/oil
yourself.
Going by the description of your problem it definitely sounds as though
you have a bad fuel/vro pump anyway so you have to either replace it
with a new one or install a standard 3 hose fuel pump.
Stop by a dealer and ask for a fuel pump for a 1973 70 hp Evinrude and
it will work perfectly.
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Hydro-electric drive
How do I adjust the reverse on a 1970 115 HP Johnson outboard with hydro-electric drive?
HI,
Exactly what is your motor doing? Such as grinding noise or no attempt at all to shift.
Problem may be in shift switch at control box, or wires etc. To eliminate those you have to locate two wires going into a hole under the powerhead on the starrboard side of powerhead. They should each have rubber sleeves over the connectors, one wire marked green, the other wire marked blue. Slide the rubber covers up to access the in-line connections.
Get a 12 volt test light and connect to a good ground on engine block. Turn ignition switch to on position.
With gearshift lever (or shift button) in FOWARD test light won't light at either connector.
With gearshift lever in NEUTRAL light should light at one connector only.
In REVERSE position both connecters will have voltage (light the test light on each connector).
If these tests fail your problem is from those wires foward to control box.......
Bad wires, bad connectors, bad shift switch etc.
If these tests okay be sure to drain and change lower unit lube before going further.
BE SURE YOU USE ELECTRIC SHIFT LU LUBE...
nothing else will work, and wrong oil or contaminated oil will not pump enough pressure to push the clutch dog to reverse position but may pump enough to reach neutral, and of course with no pressure or voltage you still have foward.
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Engine Synchronizer
My engine synchronizer gauge pointer is pegged to one side of gauge?
First, check all the connections to make sure they are clean and tight. Of the two main components of the synchronizer, the module (black 5" disc) usually fails before the dash mounted gauge. It has all the electronics and is more susceptible to electronic abnormalities. If the dash gauge pegs to one side the fault is almost always the module. The module part number is located on the under side of the module.
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Fuel gauge
I am having difficulty with my fuel gauge.
The Teleflex fuel gauge and the level sender are designed to operate on 240 ohms (empty) and 33 ohms (full). Most other manufacturers build a marine fuel level system of the same resistance as gauges and senders may be mixed at the boat builder level.
There are only three components to the system-gauge, level sender, and the connecting sender wire. The sender wire should be inspected for breaks in the copper or corroded connection to the terminals.
The fuel gauge can be inspected in the following manner. Turn the ignition on. Remove the sender wire from back of gauge. Pointer must go below the empty mark. Next, connect the gauge sender terminal to ground. The pointer must go above the full mark. If the pointer moves past both E and F, the gauge is functional.
To check the fuel level sender remove wires from sender terminal. Connect volt/ohmmeter to two sender terminals (digital ohmmeter will tend to be jumpy). Ohmmeter should read approximately:
1) 240 ohms- empty
2) 100 ohms - 1/2 and
3) 33 ohms - full.
If the sender is not sized properly for the tank, errors in gauge reading can also occur.
Sorry this page is not as neat as it should be yet but I figured better than not at all...I'll get it fixed up real soon.
Check your motor and go fishing and send me some pictures of the fish, Wayne
