Hit anchor with Force 120 Outboard, Flywheel seized, won't start

[Bokomaru]

I have a 1996 Mercury force 120 HP outboard. It had been running fine. After fishing for a bit my friend pulled the anchor but didn't stow it-- just left it on the bow, unbeknownst to me. I fired the engine up and took off. When I made a turn the large metal anchor slid off the side into the water and hit the prop, which immediately killed the engine. Now the flywheel won't turn forward. It has a definite stop in it. The starter won't spin it past this stop, and I can't get it to turn either.

What I've done so far:

I pulled the spark plugs which had no effect. Still stuck.

I dropped the lower unit and surprisingly it also had no effect. Still stuck. I was sure the lower end was broken or seized.

I'm at a complete loss. What else could this be?

Thanks so much for your help.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Well, The first thing is to remove the lower unit because the gears are always in mesh. So, a problem there can cause the engine to seize. BUT---You have already done that.

Thus, the lock-up is in the block. A hard stop has been known to do all sorts of damage, from broken and/or bent rods to a broken crankshaft. At this point, first pull the head and see if there is any obvious piston problem. If that looks good, remove the carbs, manifolds, and reeds and examine what you can see of the rods and crankshaft.

Ultimately you may need to remove the engine block and disassemble it. Hate to give bad news.

Post your approximate location--perhaps there is a forum member nearby to help.

Moderators: Since the forum has been upgraded, why not make it a requirement to post approximate location in the name and rank section? I for one am too lazy to look up personal info in the user profile--if it is there at all..

 

[Jiggz]

In addition to what Frank already mentioned, you might also want to remove the flywheel and inspect underneath. It is not unusual a magnet or two could have fallen off caused by the sudden stop and jammed the flywheel.