Is my motor toast?

[lent0n]

Hi all

Bought a new boat about a month ago and I've been enjoying the rest of the summer. Was out yesterday and out of nowhere the motor just quit, at first I thought I hit a log or something.

Couldn't get it started right away but eventually it came to life, but I couldn't put the cover on without it dying, I noted that the engine had a distinctly louder sound to it.

Thankfully was close to the launch and opted to take it out of the water instead of going back to the dock.

At first I thought insulation was getting sucked into the air intake but looks like it's much worse

On inspecting the motor I found some bits of shrapnel and then discovered this hole underneath the flywheel area. Looks like possibly the top cylinder blew open a hole.

I'm at a loss for words because honestly this just came out of nowhere from a motor that's otherwise ran great since I've had it. Is this repairable? how does this even happen? Insanely disappointed if this is game over on the boat.

Motor is a 93 Johnson VJ70TLETS

Any help or guidance is appreciated.

TIA

 

[brodmann]

Picture is much too close up. I can't tell what I'm looking at. Did it ever run hot? Were you mixing gas/oil at the correct ratio? What do you see inside there? Looks like it might be above the top combustion chamber. Do you see crakshaft in there?

 

[flyingscott]

Motor is toast. Find a different powerhead or motor.

 

[lent0n]

Picture is much too close up. I can't tell what I'm looking at. Did it ever run hot? Were you mixing gas/oil at the correct ratio? What do you see inside there? Looks like it might be above the top combustion chamber. Do you see crakshaft in there?

I'll wait until daytime to take another photo for context, I just figured it was the top cylinder. Considering the gas/oil coating on the top of the motor I'm gonna say it's a combustion chamber.

Mixture was 50:1 but leaned towards 40:1 if I was rounding to a number.

From what I know the motor never ran hot, the day it happened was a hot day but the water stream felt warm to the touch but certainly not hot, the flywheel was hot, but after an hour of boating I don't think that's unexpected.

Only real symptom was that there seemed to be a lack of power leading up to this but I couldn't really get a good tell, it was an extremely choppy day and lots of other boats out so it was a lot of slowing down and waves.

 

[lent0n]

Motor is toast. Find a different powerhead or motor.

That's what I'm assuming, at the price of $2200 USD it's going to be another motor, not worth it since I can get a used one for $1200-1500 CAD.

Get some money for parts since the rest of the motor is fine.

 

[racerone]

Looks like something loose inside the motor and popped a hole in the crankcase.----Your location in Canada ?

 

[lent0n]

Picture is much too close up. I can't tell what I'm looking at. Did it ever run hot? Were you mixing gas/oil at the correct ratio? What do you see inside there? Looks like it might be above the top combustion chamber. Do you see crakshaft in there?

Went outside and looked it's the crankshaft case. Don't know if that's better or worse

 

[lent0n]

Looks like something loose inside the motor and popped a hole in the crankcase.----Your location in Canada ?

Yeah on second look today it's the crank case. And yes I live in the Ottawa area. Currently looking to see if I can find a compatible motor so I can use this one for parts.

 

[racerone]

In Canada----evinrudeparts.ca----might be able to help you.

 

[lent0n]

In Canada----evinrudeparts.ca----might be able to help you.

I'll give them a ring but it looks like a crankcase/powerhead is around 2k usd. Not worth the money Vs getting a quality used motor from the same line for half the cost. I'd still like to figure out how something like this could happen.

 

[racerone]

Rod bolts come loose.----Piece came off the skirt of a piston.-----Are just 2 things that might have happened.-----Kijiji has lots of used motor options for you.

 

[lent0n]

Rod bolts come loose.----Piece came off the skirt of a piston.-----Are just 2 things that might have happened.-----Kijiji has lots of used motor options for you.

Yeah I'm looking at FB/kijiji seems like 1000-1500 gets me essentially what I have now.

Based on that, is that something I could've feasibly prevented or seen coming? Obviously things happen. Time and randomness are unavoidable, and parts let go. But really just trying to make sure I don't have a repeat of this. My initial thought was an overheat, but it doesn't look like an overheat situation.

 

[tphoyt]

Only having for the boat for the short time you have it would be hard to tell IMO. Usually you will notice small changes in performance and even odd sounds before stuff like this happens but not always. Do you have a tac and know what kinda of rpm’s you were running at wot? Previous owner could have just put any old prop on there for the sale and it was over doing the rpm’s.

 

[stresspoint]

old motors are going to do what old motors do "" carc it eventually ".

have an end of life service for it by holding it WOT in the driveway with no water , have a few beers with some mates whilst you watch it struggle to run anymore , make it go out with a BANG.

sorry for your loss !.

 

[lent0n]

Only having for the boat for the short time you have it would be hard to tell IMO. Usually you will notice small changes in performance and even odd sounds before stuff like this happens but not always. Do you have a tac and know what kinda of rpm’s you were running at wot? Previous owner could have just put any old prop on there for the sale and it was over doing the rpm’s.

Yeah I noticed a small dip but on a choppy day with lots of other boats on the water it's really hard to discern. I had just passed a marina so I had been at low low speed and was slowly working up to speed. Prop seems ok, he said it was more set for speed than torque so more than 4 people it would struggle, but I had myself and 2 guys at 150lbs (I'm 220) on a 70hp in a 16ft boat. My guess is a possible rack of proper winterization. A lot of guys I've talked to motor shopping say an outboard doesn't need anything to be stored.

 

[lent0n]

old motors are going to do what old motors do "" carc it eventually ".

have an end of life service for it by holding it WOT in the driveway with no water , have a few beers with some mates whilst you watch it struggle to run anymore , make it go out with a BANG.

sorry for your loss !.

Not a terrible idea hahahahaha,

I'm going to be stripping it for parts though. Even gonna ship off the block for money.

 

[racerone]

If the cylinder is OK then I would repair that block.

 

[lent0n]

If the cylinder is OK then I would repair that block.

I'm not even sure how I'd go about repairing the block or where I'd go to have the work done. The consensus from some mechanic friends is that if it was a crack it'd be salvageable but with a hole it'd require the same budget as buying something else.