1994 Evinrude 50 problem - please help

[silentwatch]

First off I'm brand new to iboats as well as outboard motors. I'm glad this site is here. So.... I recently bought a Lowe brand 16.5" boat with a 50HP Evinrude (2 CYL/2 stroke-mixing my fuel manually). Been out three or four times with no issues at all. Last weekend we went out at night to jug fish. Long story short we ran out of gas (seemingly faster than normal) we trolled to the dock and went home. I pulled the supply line from motor to tank and it sat that way for a week. I mixed new fuel (No Ethanol) at a rate of 20 ounces per 6 gal rather than 16 ounces per 6 gal as recommended. (From my dirt bike days I knew I could clean up oil cheaper than replace parts) So, we hit the lake at 5:00 am this morning. Primed the fuel and started cranking. Little slow to start but running at idle fine. Slowly pulled away from dock for about 70 yards. Began slowly accelerating. While traveling at around 3/4 throttle I turned it wide open. Got on plane fast (Smooth water surface) We go about 150 yards and motor begins too slow (similar to a lawnmower running dry of oil) and finally stalls (took about 18 seconds from fast to dead). Waited a moment and tried to restart without success. It sounded like the starter was only moving the flywheel an inch or two at a time (as if a dead battery). A few more attempts with the same result. We trolled for a while an anchored. Took the cover off and tried to turn flywheel by hand. It would move back and fourth about 3/4 of an inch only. I spun the prop which spun freely. After attempting to call for advice with no answers for 20 minutes I tried to turn the flywheel by hand and it turned. It was slow to crank but it did. It would run but at full throttle power about 1/4 than normal and after 3 to five minutes slows and dies. Whats going on? Sorry for so many words. I just want you guys to have the details since I am ignorant when it comes to outboards. So what the deal with the motor?

 

[ACAMS]

Re: 1994 Evinrude 50 problem - please help

Sounds like your water pump is out, or you didn't mix the fuel like you said.

 

[silentwatch]

Re: 1994 Evinrude 50 problem - please help

Sounds like your water pump is out, or you didn't mix the fuel like you said.

The water is peeing out of the motor as normal. So, is that not an idication of proper water pump function?

 

[ACAMS]

Re: 1994 Evinrude 50 problem - please help

Thermostat may be stuck ...... are you 100% positive on the oil mix? Did you do a full 6 gal?

 

[silentwatch]

Re: 1994 Evinrude 50 problem - please help

Thermostat may be stuck ...... are you 100% positive on the oil mix? Did you do a full 6 gal?

Okay, here is where you get to laugh. Where is the thermostat?

About the gas, the manual calls for a 50:1 mix. According to the oil container to obtain 50:1 mix for six gallons you should use 14 oz of oil. I used 20 oz in a full 6 gallons of no ethanol 89 octane gas. Are you thinking I may have used too much or too little oil?

 

[silentwatch]

Re: 1994 Evinrude 50 problem - please help

Update...Bad news. So I found the choke housing was cracked and causing loss of vacuum not a big deal. Now the bad news, the lower is completely locked up. So it seems when the motor was powering down while at full throttle maybe the heat expanded the crack in the choke housing and the lower unit was binding in phases and probably laboring the motor much of the time. I have been sick every since I discovered the lower unit problem. So the guy who looked at it said I need to find a new lower. The lower was working (shifting from forward to reverse with no problem and pulling well) I was running 31 mph with two adults and all gear in a 16 1/2 aluminum boat. The shaft is locked and will not turn at all after removing. In retrospect I remember hearing a low intermittent hum while running which I now know was a bad bearing. Should I attempt taking the gear box apart to see if I could simply repair that bearing and others or would I be better finding a used lower? I had planned to learn to work on outboards but not with the first one I ever owned!