Bang and Grind F9.9 LEA Yamaha

Monmouth00

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Nov 26, 2017
Messages
198
Hello All,

I just put a 2008 (2011 EIS) Yamaha 9.9 LEA on the back of my Starcraft.

The motor is in really good shape. I bought it from the first owner, whose son only used it on his little whaler a few times through each summer. It was maintained annually, in the same manner as the larger engines on his dad's boat.

Out of the water, not under load, the engine shifts very smoothly. However, when I have it in the water, it clunks hard into forward. When putting it in reverse, it grinds like it's not going into gear. If I push hard into reverse, louder grinding, followed by an engine stall. (I've only done that once, not wanting to repeat it and damage the gears) Since then, I've just used my trolling motor to get away from the dock before going into forward gear.

Is my idle set too high? What could be the cause of the clunk into forward and grind into reverse under load?

Thanks for any ideas....
 

99yam40

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Sep 7, 2008
Messages
8,851
have you checked the lube in there?

might need to have a look inside to see what is going on

are you sure the prop is proper along with washers?
 

Monmouth00

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Nov 26, 2017
Messages
198
The lower unit oil was checked in front of me by a marine mechanic when I was buying the engine. It had been changed at the end of last season, and the engine had not been run since. It was clean then, and I have no reason to believe that there's anything wrong with it after I've only run the boat in the water about half a dozen times.

To my knowledge, the engine has not be re-propped. This should be the original prop that was sold with the motor.
 

99yam40

Fleet Admiral
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Sep 7, 2008
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8,851
props need to match the boat and load.
one prop does not fit all rigs
as far as I know motors do not come from Yamaha with props.
Yamaha has no idea what you will be putting it on to


if the clutch dogs will not set correctly into the reverse gear, then something is out of adjustment, worn,or there is something bent or twisted keeping it from doing what it should
 

robert graham

Admiral
Joined
Apr 16, 2009
Messages
6,908
Was the lower unit off recently for water pump service and maybe the shifter linkeage was left slightly out of adjustment? In any event probably a good idea to drop the lower unit and look at shift linkeage....
 

Monmouth00

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Nov 26, 2017
Messages
198
props need to match the boat and load.
one prop does not fit all rigs
as far as I know motors do not come from Yamaha with props.
Yamaha has no idea what you will be putting it on to


if the clutch dogs will not set correctly into the reverse gear, then something is out of adjustment, worn,or there is something bent or twisted keeping it from doing what it should

I was just at a Yamaha dealer this weekend, and every single one of the outboards they had on display was for sale complete with a prop.

As i said, the motor goes into reverse just fine when not under load, so I don't think anything is out of alignment.
 

5150abf

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
5,808
Yup, sounds like the linkage is a bit out of adjustment.

With no resistance it hooks just enough clutch dog to spin but in the water it doesn't have enough bite so it slips causing the grinding.

All outboards bang or grind a bit when put in gear, you want to get it in gear as quickly as possible rather than easing it in.

Google lower unit gears and you can see the different components and will understand why it does this, they are not nice synchronized boxes like in a car.

The clutch dog has male lobes, the gears have female detents that the lobes fit in, the grinding comes from the lobes trying to find detents in the gears, the quicker you make that happen the less wear there in on the parts.
 

boscoe99

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
1,785
I was just at a Yamaha dealer this weekend, and every single one of the outboards they had on display was for sale complete with a prop.

As i said, the motor goes into reverse just fine when not under load, so I don't think anything is out of alignment.

If they all had propellers on them they did not come from Yamaha that way. Smaller motors generally will have a propeller. Usually not the correct one. Larger motors do not come with propellers. A boat builder or a dealer usually decides what propeller to install. Usually one with too much pitch.
 

Monmouth00

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Nov 26, 2017
Messages
198
Yup, sounds like the linkage is a bit out of adjustment.

With no resistance it hooks just enough clutch dog to spin but in the water it doesn't have enough bite so it slips causing the grinding.

All outboards bang or grind a bit when put in gear, you want to get it in gear as quickly as possible rather than easing it in.

Google lower unit gears and you can see the different components and will understand why it does this, they are not nice synchronized boxes like in a car.

The clutch dog has male lobes, the gears have female detents that the lobes fit in, the grinding comes from the lobes trying to find detents in the gears, the quicker you make that happen the less wear there in on the parts.

Thank you! Very insightful, and a good explanation for a beginner like me.

Much appreciated.

She'll go to my local service center in the off season for an adjustment.

You think that kind of thing is covered by warranty?
 

99yam40

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Sep 7, 2008
Messages
8,851
If someone tried to force the shift into reverse while the motor was not running and the clutch dogs did not line up properly things can get bent or twisted.
no warranty for that type of things especially for a 10 year old motor
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Engines should only be shifted forward or reverse when ON. When OFF most times won't be possible to shift at all, if forced too hard will bend, screw things inside gearcase.

If idle rpm is set or found way high will produce a louder clack sound when gearing. Could adjust CCW idle carb screw enough to lower rpm till engine gears smoothly and doesn't die.

Mixture screw must be well adjusted in order to play with idle rpm while decreasing it. Check with a induction tach at which rpm is the engine idling at neutral, will need the idle factory parameters for that procedure.

Happy Boating
 

Monmouth00

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Nov 26, 2017
Messages
198
If idle rpm is set or found way high will produce a louder clack sound when gearing. Could adjust CCW idle carb screw enough to lower rpm till engine gears smoothly and doesn't die. [/QUOTE said:
Thanks, Sea Rider

I finally got around to taking the motor to the shop, and the tech said as soon as he started it he knew the idle was too high. He adjusted, dropped it into his tank, and I'm told it shifted into forward and reverse just fine.

The boat has been winterized, so I didn't get a chance to test it out on the water.

Fingers crossed for an early Spring!
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
If you would have adjusted as suggested, would have saved a few bucks to be invested in cold ones. LOL!!

Happy Boating
 
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