Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

[Jayboid]

I have a 150HP outboard that runs great on earmuffs but will not run well in gear on the water (under load). The problem is that I don't have a trailer or a car large enough to tow this. I have to pay $220 for a hydralic trailer to put in and another $220 when I take it back out of the water, when I try it out after fixing what I think might be wrong.
Is there a way to load the moter while on land to test it? Would sticking the lower unit in a large barrel and running it in gear do the trick, or would this be not much more load than the earmuffs. Any ideas?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

That big motor operating under load for two seconds would empty the barrel and you would get a bath in the process. It won't work.

 

[F_R]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

Got a dynamometer?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

why go through all that? Hire a mechanic who makes "house calls."

Lots of folks around here, including me, like to save a buck and get the satisfaction from doing it ourselves. But you have to know your limitations. You have to work on that motor in the water, or pay to take it somewhere that is set up to work on a motor that big.

Maybe you can rent or borrow a trailer. Try the mechanic you are going to take it to.

Sounds like a thorough carb job is in your future, assuming your prop isn't spun. And you know it runs well on muffs--pardon the assumption, but you don't want to rev it up in neutral or on muffs.

 

[d.boat]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

There's a couple of ideas, but I have no idea if they'd work with an engine that large.

One way to use a normal ~55 gallon drum is to lay it horizontal and cut a hole in the top just large enough so that the leg of the engine fits in there, and the lower unit is covered by water when you fill up the barrel. When you run it, little water escapes because the chamber is covered except for that hole. If that makes sense.... This does indeed work for smaller outboards, but 150 might be just too big for that.

Considering the cost of the alternative you described, another way is to get an oblong (not round) livestock water tank. I don't know exactly what sizes are available, but you can certainly find them at least 6 feet long X 2-3 feet wide and a couple feet deep - probably twice that wide and long easily. Probably your size limit would be what you can transport in the back of a pickup truck - or maybe the place you buy it would deliver it?

Fill with water and run the outboard in it. If you're getting too much water loss from the prop, cover it so that the only open area is where the leg of the outboard enters it. There'd be a lot of ways to make the cover, but what comes to my mind is that plywood and strong bungies or ratchet straps hooked to eye bolts in the side would probably work.

Just thinking out loud. I have no idea if these would work beyond a high idle in gear, but worth thinking about.

 

[Fisherball]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

They make test wheels to match motors. A weighed wheel that you replace prop with that simulates being under load. My Johnson manual has a section on what wheels to use for what motors & there are a few for each motor depending on how much load you want. No idea of cost or if available for other brands.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

Even those big livestock water tanks will be empty in seconds.
That motor pushes a ton of water.

Where are you at that they charge that much to launch it?
If you post your location in your profile there may be someone close by to help.

I have extra trailers and a Dyno...

 

[bob johnson]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

I have a 150HP outboard that runs great on earmuffs but will not run well in gear on the water (under load). The problem is that I don't have a trailer or a car large enough to tow this. I have to pay $220 for a hydralic trailer to put in and another $220 when I take it back out of the water, when I try it out after fixing what I think might be wrong.
Is there a way to load the moter while on land to test it? Would sticking the lower unit in a large barrel and running it in gear do the trick, or would this be not much more load than the earmuffs. Any ideas?

just the back pressure of the lower unit fully submerged might help you trouble shoot your motor..

on muffs there is NO back pressure on the exhaust.

you can also put even a motor that big IN GEAR in a tank or barrel and be fine...you just wont be able to give it any rpms...but you will be under some load

I was also going to suggest the test wheels.....

I know several mechanics that are not on the water, but perform all the test needed to assure a good running motor... if you can get a large enough container to clear the prop underneath it.. and cover the cavitation plate

you could put a lid on the back end any way possible and , i bet you could rev the motor past idle.. and keep your water in the tank...

other wise, wait till you can afford a trailer


good luck

bob

 

[F_R]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

A test wheel would be worthless on a 150hp motor unless it is in a suitable test tank. "Suitable" does not include barrels and livestock tanks. Even a test wheel stirs up a ton of commotion in the water.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

I started to say it seems like we are spending $1,000 to avoid a $440 expense. But the OP has to pay that regardless of what test tank or wheel he ends up with.

The mechanic who will work on the motor will probably have the best ideas of how to get the motor to him and his test tank, or get him to the boat in God's test tank, than we can from afar. He'll know how to rent or borrow a trailer (I would think there is a business for this, since there is a need).

 

[Jayboid]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

Thanks for your ideas guys. But it looks like I won't be able to get a large enough load on land. In the water it will go up to 2500rpm where it starts trying to push the boat up on plane, but that load is too much for it to rev any further. I guess that large of a load is too much to simulate on land. Except maybe a 55 gal barrel filled with jello?
My boat is a lot like the pictures of Gary H's boat in his post above. Mine is a 1989 Chris Craft 216 SeaHawk walk-around cuddy with a 1989 150HP Johnson. I think that Home Cookin' is right when he says that cleaning/rebuilding the carbs is the next thing to try. Unfortunately there are six of them! This I will have to do on land, especially since I've never done it before.
I find it almost impossible to do any complex work with the boat on its mooring. There's almost always a chop bouncing everything around. As soon as I take off the engine cowel off, the wake from a passing boat will soak the engine with salt water. I can always tell my boat tools from my other tools...they are the ones brown with rust from being soaked in salt water. So am I soaked with salt water which flows into the boat from the self-bailing ports. And it never fails after I get things torn apart, the tool I need is not in my tool box. So I usually end up trying to do the job with the wrong tool rather than take the long row in my rowboat back to shore and climb up the steep hill to get the tool.
Thanks again for your ideas.

John Bird
Harpswell, Maine

 

[T Smack]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

Sound like you need a compression test, buy yourself a gauge and do a quick test. Cheapest solution for right now. The reason why I said that is because the last time my boat didn't perform underload was because of a melted piston.

 

[Jayboid]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

Yea, I've done compression. No melted piston for me since all compression numbers are fairly equal. The bad news is all numbers are low...the high 70's. I have a feeling I'm about to be booted off this forum because this is not supposed to involve "troubles or repair". Unfortunately boating with old boats is mostly about troubles and repairs.

 

[bob johnson]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

Yea, I've done compression. No melted piston for me since all compression numbers are fairly equal. The bad news is all numbers are low...the high 70's. I have a feeling I'm about to be booted off this forum because this is not supposed to involve "troubles or repair". Unfortunately boating with old boats is mostly about troubles and repairs.

so pick up your thread and plop it down the repairs forum!! ha ha ha


you should try and do a decarb , before you give up on those even BUT low numbers.

bob

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

Most outboard mechanics in my area offer a free pickup and drop off. I don't know about where you live, but it might be worth checking out.

 

[Jayboid]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

Before paying $700 plus for carbs rebuild or trying to do it myself, I've been looking for a replacement engine, used but with good compression. What I've found is that in Maine, good used outboards are very rare, at least in the $5000 or less range. I've been looking for a Johnnyrude 150HP not because I think they are great, but because it would be an inexpensive bolt-in installation.

Why are good used outboards so rare and so expensive? I'm guessing most people don't think about repowering until their present engine is worn-out or blown-up.

 

[d.boat]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

Before paying $700 plus for carbs rebuild or trying to do it myself, I've been looking for a replacement engine, used but with good compression. What I've found is that in Maine, good used outboards are very rare, at least in the $5000 or less range. I've been looking for a Johnnyrude 150HP not because I think they are great, but because it would be an inexpensive bolt-in installation.

Why are good used outboards so rare and so expensive? I'm guessing most people don't think about repowering until their present engine is worn-out or blown-up.

I think the main reason people sell less-used engines (and also boats) is because they get frustrated because they're too small. I'll bet you'll see a lot more, and less-used 90-125 hp compared to 150-225. If the engine is large enough, they just run until they feel the actually need a new engine, therefore the one they're selling is quite used, like you said.

Remember, if you do find something, the "fair" price is totally local. What might seem high to others, might be a great deal to you simply because there's no alternatives up there. I know that was the case when I bought a 15 year old (low hours, known maint. history) J200 a few years ago. Some would think I overpaid several hundred, but it was an excellent price for what I got, given the lack of local alternatives.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Can I put a load on my outboard while on land?

Obviously different in Maine. With all the 4 stroke repowers over the last couple of years, around here good used 2 strokes in the 150-225 HP range are a dime a dozen.