15 H.P 4 stroke Evinrude cracked head

[j carter]

I have a 2000 15 H.P 4 stroke with 30 to40 hrs use.While travelling at full throttle engine suddenly slows down begins running rough and backfiring barely making it back to dock.Dealer claims I struck a rock causing the keyway to break causing serious internal damage.They will not warranty it.There is minor damage to the prop and skeg but typical of cottage use.I did not hit anything this was spontaneous.Any ideas?[/LIST]

[JB]

I wasn't aware that any 2000 OMC products were warrantied, Brady. Is this a Bombardier warranty or a dealer warranty?If the key you are speaking of is the flywheel key it would only affect ignition timing and could cause the engine to do as you describe.In order to cause serious internal damage it would have to shear the key on either the crank timing pulley or the cam pulley, in which case the engine would die or grenade on the spot.I think it is very unlikely that even a severe collision with a rock would do any more than "spin" the prop hub. That is why the rubber hub is there.Your Topic says "cracked head". Do you mean the cylinder head or the power head? What is the condition of the skeg and the rest of the engine's "foot"? What is the "serious internal damage"?Unless there is more that you haven't told us or that your dealer hasn't told you I think his "diagnosis" of cause is very unlikely.

[j carter]

Thank you for your response.You are correct about the lack of factory warranty It is the dealer who gave me the 2 year warranty who is refusing my claim. Go figure the engine died with 2 weeks remaining.There is clearly only minimal damage to the prop and skeg from typical cottage use.Definetly no impact occurred as the dealer claims.This is what baffles me as to how they claim the damage to what I believe is a cracked cylinder head secondary to the flywheel key being sheared is a result of a collision that didn't occur and shows no significant damage

[JB]

Sounds like one of those "we'll warranty it as long as nothing goes wrong" dealers.Get a lawyer to explain what it will cost him to lose in court.Good luck.