Flywheel sticks

Joined
Nov 29, 2003
Messages
17
Hello everyone, I'm new to this site and I'm also a new boat owner as I just bought my first boat about 5 days ago. It's an old one but I got it for cheap. The question I have has to do with the motor which is an 86 Johnson 65HP. When I bought it the guy cranked it up for me and it started right up. I took it home and put more gas (yes I mixed with oil) in it cause it was low and went to start again and it didn't turn over. I explored all the problems I could think of and I narrowed it down to the flywheel sticks. I took the cover off and tried starting again to see If I could spot the problem. I saw the starter engage and turn the flywheel almost one complete rotation but then stopped. I then turn the key again and the starter would slowly move the Flywheel through this "rough spot". I then went over to turn the flywheel by hand and It turns freely except for this one certain spot where I have to muscle it through then it becomes free moving again. Can anyone help me. and please if you answer this post I'm not really familiar with boat motor terminology so please explain to me like a 2 year old. Thanks -Mike
 

rodbolt

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 1, 2003
Messages
20,066
Re: Flywheel sticks

hello<br /> pull the plugs and look for water or gas in the cyl causing a hydraulic lock. try turning the flywheel with the plugs out. if it turns easy try a compression test and see what ya got<br /> good luck and keep posting
 

rolmops

Vice Admiral
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Messages
5,518
Re: Flywheel sticks

Hello.<br />Try and use a fully charged battery and see if it still has the same problem.You may have bought it with an old and tired battery.Also check and clean all the battery connections having to do with the starter including the ground.<br />Keep us posted.
 
Joined
Nov 29, 2003
Messages
17
Re: Flywheel sticks

First of all thanks for the response. I do have a fully charged battery. It's one of the first things I did when I bought it. When I do pull the plugs and if I find water or gas in the cylinder which causes hydraulic shock how is that fixed. also how do you do a compression test? DO I just turn the flywheel and listen for the compression or is there some NASA space tool I need to have. Like I said I'm new to this boat motor stuff. Got the car and the motorcycle down but this is a foreign language. <br /><br /> - U.S Army Ranger<br /> SSG Mike Dean
 

partslife

Cadet
Joined
Nov 29, 2003
Messages
19
Re: Flywheel sticks

get a compression guage from any auto parts store ,pull the plugs screw the guage into the block turn the engine over and the guage should get a reading. all the cylinders should be within 15 psi of each other.
 
Joined
Nov 29, 2003
Messages
17
Re: Flywheel sticks

Alright, here's what I've learned so far. I pulled the plugs and turned the flywheel by hand and it did not stick so I put them back in and tried starting it and the flywheel turned but did not start. After a couple of attempts it started to stick again so I removed the plugs again. Once I turned the flywheel by hand again I saw some fluid spurting out of the hole that the bottom plug was in. Is that normal? Any suggestions on how to fix 1. the flywheel sticks when plugs are in. and 2. if fluid is not normal how do you fix it?
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
4
Re: Flywheel sticks

What kind of fluid is spurting out? If it's oil/fuel, a little bit is normal. If it's water, you got a crack in your block or head that's letting cooling water into the cylinder causing it to hydrolock (the engine is trying to compress fluids, which it obviously cannot). A blown head gasket could also cause this. Definately do a compression check - you can learn a lot from it.<br /><br />Good Luck,
 
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