Did I blow my '90 115 Merc?

I was at the lake with my son this week and after we had had lunch in a cove (where I had raised the engine) I took off to another spot and gunned the engine. The prop started spinning in the air and the revs went off the tach. Turns out I hadn't lowered the engine all the way down. I back off the throttle and popped it in neutral. I revved the engine in neutral and it made a gawd awful sound - very rattlie, if that's a word.

When i put it in gear and accelerated slowly, there was no noise. I putted around for another hour or 2 and when I headed to the dock I slowly brought her up to almost full throttle and everything seemed fine as I drove back (about a mile). It ran like it always does.

Unfortunately I need to keep the boat up by the lake and have no way to play around with it at home. Any ideas what I may have done. Anything I should check out before I take her back out?

Thanks for any advice!

Re: Did I blow my '90 115 Merc?

if you didnt lose any power and it ran as good as normal..then you didnt blow your powerhead.....but you can always do a compression check just to make sure...

Re: Did I blow my '90 115 Merc?

The "Rev in neutral" ..how? Fast idle lever or similar? Aint no other way to rev in neutral. Just probably was not all the way out of gear...don't sweat it.

Re: Did I blow my '90 115 Merc?

Your water pump will need to be serviced much sooner than you anticipated.

Re: Did I blow my '90 115 Merc?

Do a compression check. Odds are good you hurt something.

Re: Did I blow my '90 115 Merc?

Vlad D Impeller said:

Your water pump will need to be serviced much sooner than you anticipated.

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Wrong ..its was wet already (lubed) ...take a LONG time to dry out and friction to come into play..he revved it for just a second..its pees, its fine

Re: Did I blow my '90 115 Merc?

j_martin said:

Do a compression check. Odds are good you hurt something.

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BS..odds are your fine..
"I revved the engine in neutral and it made a gawd awful sound - very rattlie, if that's a word.

When i put it in gear and accelerated slowly, there was no noise. I putted around for another hour or 2 and when I headed to the dock I slowly brought her up to almost full throttle and everything seemed fine as I drove back (about a mile). It ran like it always does"

Tells me it simply was a gear clash in the lower unit by a not fully engaged gear ...I do the same thing way to much...for 50 years..use it and go have fun.
By the way, with the compression BS...if ya slap a rod silly, it will clank and click like your mother in law at the thanksgiving dinner table. But compression will be fine...go use the boat..your fine...nuff said..

Re: Did I blow my '90 115 Merc?

Thanks everyone. I will pay attention all your responses.

Scaaty - What i meant as far as 'revving in neutral' is disengaging it by pushing in the button on my throttle control like you do when your starting the boat cold. Maybe not called 'neutral'?

For some reason I haven't been able to access this site from home and was thrilled to see the different responses and ideas from you all. Thank you.

Re: Did I blow my '90 115 Merc?

surfer00 said:

Thanks everyone. I will pay attention all your responses.

Scaaty - What i meant as far as 'revving in neutral' is disengaging it by pushing in the button on my throttle control like you do when your starting the boat cold. Maybe not called 'neutral'?

For some reason I haven't been able to access this site from home and was thrilled to see the different responses and ideas from you all. Thank you.

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Well, I'm still going to guess it as simply the clicking of the prop gears, as the click you would hear when in forward, and motor not running. And if you didn't have the motor all the way out of the water, you might not have taken a little life out of the impeller either. If ya put it back in gear, no noise, ran fine, go out and play. Not being there to hear or see it, ya might want to put a new impeller in over the winter though...they need them occasionally anyway..