2001 25 hp 4 stroke leaking water around tiller and sounding alarm

good afternoon

I own a lightly used 2001 25 hp 4 stroke big foot mercury. last time out trolling i got an alarm (constant ) and water coming out around the top of the tiller hinge. I tried to power up and the engine bogged down. I took the motor to my mechanic and he said that the "old" 4 strokes - 2001- had a problem with corrosion around the water jacket and would rust through. he said that corrosion would cause a rubber ring to break away and cause the leak. He seemed to know right away what the issue was and had three other motors of that era for scrap with the sae issue. he said that it is a big deal and will cost at least $1500.00 to repair I have scoured the internet and this site and cannot find any such common problem. Anyone out there see this before? What is this all about?

Thanks
Bigdeadfoot

Re: 2001 25 hp 4 stroke leaking water around tiller and sounding alarm

I am not a super-expert on this subject, but I do know that the 25 BigFoot has a water tube that comes up through the leg to the power head. The seal on this tube at the power head end of it can fail. It isn't that it is a difficult job or expensive parts, but the level of disassembly is impressive to fix this problem.

I was at the local independent outboard mechanic's shop one day, and since he knows I have one of these he showed me an unrecognizable pile of parts on his bench and explained (with a bit of a glint in his eye) what he was doing: replacing that tube.

The low power output thing is built into the engine controls so that it automatically reduces power output when it detects a fault. The idea is you can putter home at reduced power. Yours probably detected and overheating situation.

Now I'm pretty handy as a DIY mechanic, and when or if I had this particular problem I'd just get the manual and dig in. Paying a mechanic their rate to do what amounts to easy unbolting and and reassembly is not my cup of tea. I'll save my money and pay the pros for the tough stuff or the stuff that requires special tools and training. But if you aren't mechanically inclined and the owner of a full set of mechanics tools this job would be a daunting task to tackle.

However, before you go all nuts and take the thing entierly apart check the easy stuff first. There is a rubber hose on the port side of the engine to the telltale hole in the back of the unit. If that hose is leaking it could cause your problem. It could also be fixed in less time than it took me to write this reply. The zip tie that clamps that hose is a special one. Don't use a regular zip tie. Get one for about 50 cents from your mechanic if you need to replace it.

Peter

Re: 2001 25 hp 4 stroke leaking water around tiller and sounding alarm

thanks Peter for the reply

I used to do lots of repairs myself, but found that I would start, leave it, and it would become a daunting task to return to, so I gave up. One trip to a mechaic with cardboard boxs of parts was sufficient humiliation for a lifetime.

I have left the motor with the mechanic; he is about an hour away. He is going to haul it apart and give me the definative diagnosis next week, but it seems that the common problem of which he speaks is not that common. Will that pipe cause water to come out of the tiller hinge under pressure?

The mechanic had several of these 4strokes on a shelf that had all been scrapped due to rusting of metal in the power head causing this leak.

I am just as befuddled with his experience with these, and lack of similar experience on the web.

Bigdeadfoot

Re: 2001 25 hp 4 stroke leaking water around tiller and sounding alarm

We have all been through the walk of shame to the mechanic with a simple problem we screwed up. Don't be humiliated. No one was born knowing the tricks and tips to every job. Mechanics get a kick out of ribbing you about it and making you feel bad, but I guarantee that somewhere in their past they did more or less the same thing.

I am not sure if the water tube I am talking about is the same thing as what your mechanic is talking about. It is just one 25HP BigFoot problem which I happen to know about that sounds like it might be related.

Here is a diagram of the 25 BigFoot drive shaft housing:




I believe parts 1 and 13 are the pieces my mechanic was servicing, but since the motor was a giant pile of parts on his floor and bench I'm not 100% certain.

The mechanic had several of these 4strokes on a shelf that had all been scrapped due to rusting of metal in the power head causing this leak.

Click to expand...

This sounds like he might be reffering to something else. Interesting why he would keep several on the shelf if they really were scrap. One old scrap motor for parts is one thing. "Several" implies he thinks they have value: i.e. he can refurbish them cheaply and resell them. "Cheaply" here means he doesn't pay himself for his time, of course, just parts.

Either way it looks like you are well on your way to getting it all fixed.
Good luck
Peter