Rod end bearing replacement

[CILO]

Hi all, I've recently acquired an evinrude 50hp '89 motor that had problems with the powerhead. upon inspecting and partial dissassembly I found that the problem appears to be that the rod cap bearings in the bottom rod had broken/fallen apart (!). now my questions are:

do I have to remove the magneto in order to split open the powerhead? and if so, will removing it cause any timing issues?

and

provided there is not major damage to the rod, is it possible to just replace the rod cap bearings only?

finally

below the powerhead I noticed that there is a midsection thats about 2" thick. once I remove all attached screws around the powerhead does this piece come off also? what is this part called (I have a Seloc manual so it go into much detail)

 

[mikesea]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

yes,you need to remove the mag.on the top end. You should have no problem with the timing as long as you dont mess with the long screw that stops the timer base.it should have a rubber stop that needs to be installed if removed,the ADAPTER you mention,above the midsection will have additional bolts holding it down,these will be seen after you remove the powerhead.No need to mess with it.Be sure to have someone mic,up the rod,it may have some out of round issues.Be sure to change the bottom crank bering and seal,you might consider a total rebuild,including reboring the cyl.next over size ,new pistons and berings,if you do the work other than the machining it wont cost much to do that eng.If you take all the electrical off with caution and care,it will all come off connected together ,so when you put it back on,it will drape over the eng,all components should fall into their original location,just remove it carefully and set it on a tray or hang it Good luck

 

[CILO]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

thanks for the response mike. as for the full rebuild, reboring the cylinders in particular, my current finances wont allow it. fortunately, the previous owner did tell me that prior to this happening the motor was running top notch. uppon hearing a clatter he had shut off the motor and then babied it back to sure. When he took it to a mechanic the guy told him he'd have to replace the whole powerhead for $2500. because of this he parked the boat and motor on the side of the road for 3 years before I came along and bought it off of him. Although it was a gamble on my part buying this boat, the worst case senario would be I'd have to do a full rebuild. Anyhow, should all the seals be replaced or only those showing wear?

 

[mikesea]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

I would say you will need to replace the connecting rod,I never saw a rod end blow that didnt need replacement,so berings as well, you will need to replace the gaskets,Thebottom main seal needs to be replaced and you should do the bering too.They are not overly expensive,you can buy these parts through aftermarket companies like seirra or aqua power,perhaps this site sells these items and suggest you try buying through if you can,you can buygasket kits that provide all the gaskets for a rebuild,which you will esentially be doing,you want to be sure all litte bits and pieces are out of the engine,between the compression and vaccum that gets produced this stuff gets sucked through everything,these engines are called loopers and fuel etc,flows through ports in the pistons,so stuff from number 1 can travel to 3 ,be sure to completly take it apart and clean good,you can use the upper seal which is in the upper bering carrier,and the center can be reused if need be,but change the bottom,hopefully the crank has no issues,you will likely need to buy a used con.rod

 

[CILO]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

Well guys I finally got the powerhead apart and i cant even find the words the describe the condition of the bearings. I'll try to upload the pics;bear with me

 

[CILO]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

as i said, I dont know what to say of this. the rod end doesnt look damaged though. it feels smooth to the touch on the inside where the bearings would normally be seated. Although I havent taken apart the other rod to compare it. i did notice that one of the screws that holds the rod end in place was not tight and was easily removable with my fingers. I'm wondering if that was the cause of this bearing desintegrating like it did.
any and all input is welcome

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

I'd bet that he rod is toast, and probably the crankshaft, too. Getting a mono-bearing like that takes some heat, and that heat can take the hardness out of the rods & crank. Re-using that rod, even if it doesn't appear damaged, would likely result in a catastrophic failure later - letting go and taking the block with it.
- Scott

 

[CILO]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

Thanks for the dark revelation Scott, lol. At least its friday. Anyway, would replacing the rod be sufficient in this instance? I REALLY would hate the idea of having to shell out for a new crankshaft. Which brings me to my next question- does anyone know what the ballpark figure is for a replacement crankshaft? i requested a quote from Master@#$% on a reconditioned one but i cant find anything online for a new one

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

Hi CILO,
I'd go used - keep an eye on eBay. Also, you'd be surprised what your local marinas might have kicking around in the "junk" pile. Sometimes if you're patient and seek out the old codger with the grease under his nails you can get around the squeaky clean kid at the counter who wouldn't know a crankshaft if it fell in his lap. The old codger knows where the "good" junk gets stashed. This is the blow motors and such that the marina feels isn't worth repairing, but might be useful at some point, or might be valuable enough to scrap out "when they get the time". I've picked up more than a few motors over the years for scrap value as it saves the marina time and money in paying someone to strip it down and haul it away. Aim for the marinas that have actually been around awhile. The nice new marinas look good, but usually don't have much of a graveyard built up yet...

Good luck!
- Scott

 

[Harker]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

Twin City Outboard in Minn. probably has one. You could probably go out and buy a good used outboard for what a new one cost. Maybe show a pic of the crank here and let the pro's take a peek at the damage...maybe it's not that bad, if you are lucky.

 

[CILO]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

Thanks for the replies guys. I havent taken any pics of the crank as I havent finished fully disassembling it. I'll try to put something together tonight or tomorrow. As for marinas, I dont know of any in my area (Morris/Passaic cnty nj) and the nearest large body of water, where marinas would be,is about 15 miles from me. So that leaves me in sort of a pickle, if you know what I mean. If anyone knows of any places in my area please give me a heads up

 

[iwombat]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

I'll chime in here and say I'd be totally shocked if you didn't need some kind of crankshaft machining or replacement. I'm not familiar with that motor. Maybe oversize bearings are available. If so, you could simply have it machined to take the oversizes.

I'd replace the rod without thinking about it too.

 

[CILO]

Re: Rod end bearing replacement

Hi guys, sorry I havent posted pics of the crank yet, havent had time to disassemble it yet. However, i was able to get a price on a new crank of approx 200. would that be considered reasonable?