7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

[jimmwaller]

Just picked up a 7.5hp gamefisher. Seller said it ran great and used it all the time. I took it out the other day for the first time, and it ran for about 2 minutes and I shut it off because I didn't see any water dripping out and I assumed it was water cooled. I spent like 10 minutes trying to find water ports, and some other boater came up and asked if I needed help. He seemed to know those motors well and mentioned that some of them were aircooled. He took the shroud off and looked, and said "there's a fan on the flywheel, but it also looks like there's a water jacket on the engine. maybe yours is air cooled and water cooled".

He thought it would be fine to run, so I started it back up--although I had to start it almost at full throttle. Then it ran for like 5 minutes or less and died. The engine seemed really, really hot, but it didn't completely seize up because I can still turn the prop/piston. I am afraid to start it up because I have the feeling it overheated.

I tore into it today because I thought I should check and see if it even has an impeller. I separated the lower unit (although I didn't get it totally disconnected) right at the cavitation plate and peeked in, but I didn't see an impeller. Are they somewhere else on these motors? Is it possible that a 7.5hp is aircooled? that seems kind of powerful to be aircooled, but hey, I guess if VW beetles can be aircooled, why not tiny outboards?
I also peeked into the flywheel area to see if I could see a clear fan, but I can't tell if there's actually a cooling fan on there. Is there an easy way to tell if my gamefisher is aircooled or liquid cooled? If it's aircooled, why did it die on me?

thanks for any info!

 

[tpenfield]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

If it were air cooled, there would be cooling fins on the cylinders. From your description it sounds like it does not have cooling fins. So, water cooled would be the thing. Probably why it overheated . . .

I think you are headed in the right direction by looking for the water pump/impeller.

There are a couple of recent threads about folks looking for an impeller for their Gamefisher 7.5HP.

 

[jimmwaller]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

hi, thanks for the response.

I should have mentioned: It looks like there are cooling fins, but it also looks like there's a water jacket. I'm going to look again, I can't confirm the water jacket but I can confirm the cooling fins.

I took a photo for you... I disconnected the plug wire just for the photo, and the "shroud" thing covering the right part of the head is just a plate, not the cooling jacket thing.

Also, i took the photo with the engine sideways. the metal "shroud" covering that is covering the right half of the head in the photo would actually be on the top part of the head if the engine was mounted.

In other words, what is "right" in the photo is actually "up".


Thanks again!

 

[tpenfield]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

Yup cooling fins

perhaps the previous owner was being a bit vague in saying that it ran fine?

 

[jimmwaller]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

Yup cooling fins

perhaps the previous owner was being a bit vague in saying that it ran fine?

Hmm. Maybe. I mean, it really ran great for a bit, and I can't think of any other way it would have died out after a few minutes if not by overheating. It had a full tank of gas, i didn't like accidentally leave the choke on or anything...


So it's plausible that a 7.5hp engine could be aircooled? Is it possible that it's both air an water cooled? Although I'm becoming less and less confident that it has a water jacket.... i think it may just have thick walls on the engine.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

I mean, it really ran great for a bit, and I can't think of any other way it would have died out after a few minutes if not by overheating.


So it's plausible that a 7.5hp engine could be aircooled?

Sounds like the ignition could be heat sensitive, works when cold, but craps out when hot. Seen it before... Check for spark (with a spark tester) when it dies again.

That does look like a "Tecumseh" engine which has an air cooled cylinder, but the exhaust is water cooled. As I remember.... There are idle relief ports on the back of the leg and water should mist out when the engine is running.

The impeller looks like this

 

[jimmwaller]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

OK, thanks for the info!

What happens if the water-cooled exhaust isn't cooling? Does it just cool the... what. can't be just to keep the exhaust temps down, right? Could a hot exhaust cause preignition?

I'll check for spark when it dies next. Guess I have to run it in a barrel, I don't want to take it out to the river until I know it's in working condition!

 

[brim_buster]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

do you have a serial #. I have the repair manual in PDF format if you would like a copy.:joyous: And that is correct that it is both air/water cooled. The water also cools the bottom of the powerhead as well as the leg.

 

[jimmwaller]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

Hi-
Thanks for the offer
Did you mean the model number? The model number is: 217-585932

I can also grab the serial number if you need that, too

Thanks so much!

 

[brim_buster]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

1980 year with Tecumseh power head

 

[F_R]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

If you haven't figured it out yet, it is air cooled AND water cooled. The leg is water cooled. If the pump is shot, the leg will get hot as blazes, and then it is just as if the powerhead were sitting on a hot stove (heat travels upward).

 

[MahtyMaht]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

You need the water pump, it will burn down without it. There's a two screw oval access plate on the port side of the leg. If you pull it, you'll see the shift linkage connection. Take that bolt out, and the lower will come off the rest of the way. The first thing the drive shaft enters on the lower is the pump impeller housing. Do NOT turn that motor over without the plug wire grounded, it will fry your solid state ignition.

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...47/1305320?pathTaken=&prst=0&shdMod=217585932

 

[fishrdan]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...47/1305320?pathTaken=&prst=0&shdMod=217585932

Find your part number through Sears, then go hunting the internet for your parts. Most of the parts will be NLA through Sears, and the ones they do carry will most likely cost you 3-4 times what other places sell the parts for.

BTW, I wouldn't suggest buying a manual through Sears. I made that mistake on my 98 Gamefisher and got a $20+ photo copied owners manual that was worthless, it wasn't a repair/shop manual. (Luckily, they let me return it.)

 

[jimmwaller]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

Hi all, thanks for all the responses. .

I took off the lower unit, cleaned out the water pump, realigned the pin. The impeller looked... fine. I ordered another one just to be safe, but I reassembled everything and started it up in a barrel.

I just wanted to make sure water was coming out of the exhaust relief ports on the leg. Here's what I noticed: when I first start it up, I get pretty good jets of water coming out of there. It comes out well for like 10-20 seconds, and then over the next minute or so it seems to slowly disappear. I let it sit for a while to cool down, and then tried again. Same thing. I'm kind of hoping that that's supposed to happen... maybe the water turns to steam or something or evaporates as it cools the bottom of the head?

I feel like my impeller is fine, when it's cool it seems to pump well. BUt as it gets warm, the water seems to stop flowing out the leg holes. If I hold my hand there, it gets wet after a while, which makes me think it's still pushing out steam, but I didn't want to run it too long and I kind of feel like even the steam was disappearing, so I don't know what happens when the engine is actually hot.

Is this normal? Why would it pump well when cold but not warm?

thanks!!!

 

[MahtyMaht]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

They really just mist out of those holes. When it's idling in the barrel, it should make your fingers wet within 2 - 3 seconds. If it does that, you're fine.

 

[jimmwaller]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

well... the thing is, when it's cold, it actually sprays water out without fail. over the course of about a 30 seconds, it will spray less and less water until it's basically just spraying steam, and then over another 30 seconds it will spray less and less steam until I can hold my hand there for 5 seconds or so and it's just hot gas, I don't think my hand gets wet at all. But then if it's sits for a bit, it will pump water again for a short time. So I don't think it's an impeller problem, I have no idea what it is!

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated!
thanks!

 

[MahtyMaht]

Re: 7.5 HP sears gamefisher outboard... aircooled?

There IS a pump impeller in the leg - It pumps water up to flow across the crank end of the block. Without it, the motor locks. Find your model number and plug it in here;

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/

You can click on some 'spoded views and get an idea of how it's put together. It's a good place to get part numbers, but not parts. get parts here;

VinParts