Motor just quit working

[gmarshall43]

This may be hard for me to explain what is wrong with my motor but I'll give it my best shot. I have a 190 hp v8 motor with a mercrusier outdrive. I believe the year of the motor is 1975. All summer long the motor has started right up and everything has run smoothly until yesterday. I was crusing the lake and notice a vibration from the back. The next thing I know the boat slows and the vibration gets worse. I stop the motor. The motor will not start now. It will not even turn over. It feels like something is preventing it from turning over. The battery is good. I was able to bring the motor up and I can turn the prop freely by hand. There is oil in the motor. It looks dark but doesn't smell burnt or anything from the ordinary. My gages gave no indication of a problem. I hope my motor isn't blown. Any suggestions? I am going to take it to a mechanic but I was hoping that someone might give me an indication of what might be wrong.<br /><br />Thanks

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: Motor just quit working

Pull the plugs and see if any water comes out.With all plugs removed see if the motor turns over.Charlie

 

[ron7000]

Re: Motor just quit working

sounds like you siezed the upper bearing in the outdrive. Had that happen to me, exactly as you described. Your engine would be fine.<br />Outdrive looses oil and that's the first thing to go. In neutral on a merc outdrive, the prop will still turn since the gear shifting happens in the lower half of the drive. The upper half of the drive is always spinning with the motor. The bad news is you'll have to pull the boat out of the water and take the drive off; good news is there's a chance that all you'll need to do is have the one bearing replaced and find the source of the oil leak in the outdrive.

 

[gmarshall43]

Re: Motor just quit working

I've got the outdrive off and I have the upper and lower units separated. Shouldn't I be able to grab the drive shaft in the upper unit and turn it freely without the lower unit attached? And likewise with the lower unit. Can't I grab that shaft and turn it freely. Neither one will turn at all. I can spin the prop.<br /><br />Thanks

 

[tommays]

Re: Motor just quit working

the upper should turn freely by hand unless it is damaged<br /><br />the lower has the water pump and will be harder to turn <br /><br />was your motor ok after removeing the drive ?<br /><br />tommays

 

[gmarshall43]

Re: Motor just quit working

I wasn't sure when I would get to work on the outdrive so I had the motor winterized. I didn't think it would be smart thing to do. Is there a way to do a quick check to the motor without the outdrive on it and not damage it?

 

[tommays]

Re: Motor just quit working

they could not have done a correct winterize with out running the motor so you will have to let us know what they did<br /><br />tommays

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Motor just quit working

Pull the plugs and with a socket on the front pully turn the engine. If it turns over it is OK. <br />The upper unit should turn. That is probably the source of your trouble.