Prop wont spin when outboard is in gear... (motor, engine, Mercury)
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I have a 40 hp Tracker evinrude outboard. I haven't put it in the water yet. The prop spins freely when it is in neutral, but when I put it in forward or reverse I can't spin the prop at all in either direction. I'm quite sure it should spin one direction but not the other when in gear. If I really give it some pressure I can spin it both directions and the flywheel on top will also spin in both directions depending on which way I turn the prop.
Not sure what's going on here and I'm afraid to start the boat and put it in gear.
I probably have no more knowledge than you do about motors, but neutral isn't typically neutral, that is the transmission is free of the motor/generator. When in-gear the motor will either work as a power source or a resistance force; being in neutral should disconnect the motor and thus your prop should free-spin. Just like in a car, you have gears (including Park for conventional automatic transmissions). Why not check try to replicate this on a known functioning outboard and compare?
There is a bunch of gears and stuff in that lower unit and like a cars transmission if you put it in neutral those gears are bypassed but when engaged, in gear, those gears are meshed up and ready to spin the prop or wheels on a car.
I would be more concerned if the boat motor was in gear and you could spin the prop by hand.
I say hook up the muffs or put the motor in a barrel of water, start it up and put it in gear but don't rev up to much until you get it into the lake.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cape Cod Todd
That is what I was thinking.
There is a bunch of gears and stuff in that lower unit and like a cars transmission if you put it in neutral those gears are bypassed but when engaged, in gear, those gears are meshed up and ready to spin the prop or wheels on a car.
I would be more concerned if the boat motor was in gear and you could spin the prop by hand.
I say hook up the muffs or put the motor in a barrel of water, start it up and put it in gear but don't rev up to much until you get it into the lake.
Even without a bucket of water, it won't hurt to run it for a minute dry. The water is just for cooling and it won't get that hot just starting it and putting it in gear long enough to see the prop spin. I would always do that before launching the first time each year, best to find any problem before you are in the water.
the OP's concern about not being able to spin the prop when in gear was normal operation, seeing the flywheel turn when the prop was spun in gear.
But the post above about "it won't hurt to run it for a minute dry" is not correct.
With an outboard motor that's been out of the water for some time, the water pump impeller will be dry. The rubber water pump impeller relies upon the water for lubrication.
Running that outboard dry for only a few seconds will be more than enough to destroy the impeller. It may not totally fail in that time, but the ends of the impeller arms will be damaged and will never pump properly again. Typically, an impeller run dry will break apart very soon after.
I've seen the results of this type of damage for many years. Replacing damaged impellers ... even on a low-time impeller ... due to dry running is one of the biggest sellers in my shop.
Perhaps a glance at an OB owner's manual will clarify the question for some folks. Every manual I've ever seen requires that the motor be immersed in water or an alternate water source provided to the motor before running.
PS: even Pro fishermen make this mistake. I was fishing last week with my pro guide and he'd inadvertently fired up the 9.9 Mercury Kicker motor on his Ranger fishing boat with the kicker in the raised position. The new impeller, installed in May of this year, was destroyed in a couple of seconds and had no tell-tale water when he lowered the motor into the water. He took the boat into his dealer's shop, and they put a new impeller in the motor. How did I get to hear about the problem? I was his first client after the motor repair, and mid-day through a day of trolling, the tell-tale on that kicker quit squirting. We pulled the tell-tale hose off and pushed out a broken off piece of the black rubber from one of the impeller arms. Reinstalled the hose and the tell-tale again flowed water.
when the ob is in gear the transmission is coupled to the engine. to spin it you would have to overcome the motor's compression. In neutral the prop is free to spin because it is not connected.
Never run the motor without water going to the impeller.
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