dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

academic one

Recruit
Joined
Mar 11, 2013
Messages
3
End of season got dock line caught in prop & some smoke in cabin. After sail engine wouldn't start. Where to start trouble shooting? Flywheel turns manually w/o resistance. Wont have access to yard til 15th so need to be ready with ideas. Didn't try manually starting cuz had surgery. TIA for thoughts.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

What engine and drive you working on? Year might help too.

Smoke in the cabin from a line in the prop ??????
 

southkogs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
14,785
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

LOL - I was thinking, "sails don't smoke!?!"

Welcome aboard academic one.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

End of season got dock line caught in prop & some smoke in cabin. After sail engine wouldn't start. Where to start trouble shooting? Flywheel turns manually w/o resistance. Wont have access to yard til 15th so need to be ready with ideas. Didn't try manually starting cuz had surgery. TIA for thoughts.

Lots of things not making sense here, you posted in the IO forum so that would indicate you have a sterndrive of some kind.

You also say there is smoke in the cabin? Engines for sterndrives are not in the cabin.

After sail engine wouldn't start.

Sail? is this a sail boat? or was that supposed to be "Sale" ?

Flywheel turns manually w/o resistance

Beginning to sound like an outboard motor of some kind. You can't get to the flywheel on an IO.
 

Howard Sterndrive

Rear Admiral
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
4,603
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

I'm thinking it's an OMC Saildrive. but I know nothing about them. Outboard powerhead.
zephyr.jpg
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

My Gawd!!!! They wouldn't put one of those in a cabin would they ???? :eek: :eek:
 

wrench 3

Commander
Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
2,108
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

Wondering if the dock line stalled the engine and kicked it over backwards. Exhaust out of the flame arrester, hence smoke in cabin.
 

jerryjerry05

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
17,924
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

Profile? Location?
Make ,model,Year?
Pics?
It's be amazing if it was the old OMC sail drive.
I saw one of these once. It was in pieces on a guys garage floor,he wanted me to fix it?
He had no idea what it was(neither did I).
 

wrench 3

Commander
Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
2,108
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

Your one up on me. I've heard of them but never seen one.
A second thought on my last post. If that's a two stroke, then forget about it being a problem if it kicked backwards. A two stroke is just as happy going in either direction.
 

academic one

Recruit
Joined
Mar 11, 2013
Messages
3
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

What engine and drive you working on? Year might help too.

Smoke in the cabin from a line in the prop ??????

OMC Zephyr sail drive. 1977 maybe the 15s10s or 15s10g. Was motoring out to lake Michigan from Chicago harbor and dock like was caught in prop. First indication was cabin was smoky since access to engine is through cabin. (Mirage 26). Dismissed because previous boat was Bristol 25 and outboard in lazzerette would always smoke till oil/gas ratio was adjusted. Upon heading in, engine wouldn't start so sailed into harbor. Couldn't attempt to manually start because I was recovering from surgery. Did move flywheel so it didn't seize up. Starter didn't engage so at this time, thinking thats where to start.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

Moving this over to the Outboard forum, it's not an IO with a Ford or Chevy inboard engine and sterndrive, what you have is an outboard powerhead on a midsection and lower unit designed for sail boats.
 

Chinewalker

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Aug 19, 2001
Messages
8,902
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

It's possible the flywheel key has sheered. Sudden prop stops can cause the flywheel's momentum to sheer the key...
 

nwcove

Admiral
Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
6,293
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

I'm thinking it's an OMC Saildrive. but I know nothing about them. Outboard powerhead.
zephyr.jpg
ok..looked at that pic for ten mins......what the heck is that thing where the prop shoud be??
 

boobie

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Messages
20,826
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

It had a folding prop on it. When you were sailing the prop blades folded up. When you started it up, the prop blades would come out and act like a normal prop. Clever, huh ??
 

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
10,083
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

ok..looked at that pic for ten mins......what the heck is that thing where the prop shoud be??

It's a "streamlining" prop.

that way once you shut down and are under sail, the prop and drive produces minimum drag.
 

nwcove

Admiral
Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
6,293
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

It's a "streamlining" prop.

that way once you shut down and are under sail, the prop and drive produces minimum drag.

geez...wish merc would put them on all their motors......would save me some fuel towing them back to the dock!! :laugh:
 

V153

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Messages
1,764
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

Correct. It's a 2 blade prop that flips out when you add rpm.

OMC made a similar contraption with a conventional prop/gearcase called the L drive. If memory serves me it was installed in a few Bayliners.
 

boobie

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Messages
20,826
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

I may be wrong, but I thought it was Chrysler that made the L drive as they were connected with "Trash Liner".
 

Lone Duck

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
868
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

It's possible the flywheel key has sheered. Sudden prop stops can cause the flywheel's momentum to sheer the key...

Yup! That was my thought . Smoke in cabin! Where are the batteries?
 

robert graham

Admiral
Joined
Apr 16, 2009
Messages
6,908
Re: dock line caught in prop & engine wont start

geez...wish merc would put them on all their motors......would save me some fuel towing them back to the dock!! :laugh:
Now that's VERY funny!....May be some PO'd Merc guys on here, but that was great!:laugh:
 
Top