sudden stop hard cranking

[Sherman]

1979 evinrude 115hp. Six miles off coast trolling at idle it stopped abrubtly, like it froze up. When I tried to restart it cranked very hard but started and ran fine for another 30 min. then stopped abrubtly again and again it cranked slowly and hard but started again and ran fine the rest of the day. Subsequent starts were normal and not at all hard. No signs of overheating at least when I got back to the dock the head temp was normal. <br />Anyone have any ideas I don't know where to start.

 

[Solittle]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

If you are going to work on this engine yourself the best place to start is by getting the OMC shop & parts manual specific to your motor. Hit your public library in the reference section if you are not able to buy the manuals at this time.<br /><br />What have you done so far to troubleshoot?<br /><br />What are the rpms at WOT when running?<br /><br />See subject A. in the FAQ section. Check compression, ignition & fuel systems.

 

[Sherman]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

Well I will work on it myself. I have the factory manual. I just ran a compression check two weeks ago and that looked like 118,118,120 & 120. I recently replaced the timer base, plugs, and found the oil bleed back hose that runs from the air box to the block pinched closed. My experience with my dealer of late has not been very good. They had the boat for a week and couldn't find anything wrong, sold me a power pack because "it may be the problem" (which was an intermittent lose of power from one cyl). That power pack would not fire at all. I tried to return it and after a month was turned down by evinrude because it was manufactured in 1989. They both insinuated I must have done a parts switch. I won't be going back there ever. And I will not be buying an E-Tec either.

 

[Solittle]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

Your symptoms do not clearly point to either fuel or ignition so it could be either at this point.<br /><br />Again when it is running will it run wide open throttle and if so what are the rpms? What do the plugs look like & do all look the same?<br /><br />YOur compression is as good as it gets.<br /><br />The hard cranking could be battery not fully charged, bad connections or overheating (need to check overheating when the problem occurs not back at the dock). Check all these.<br /><br />On the electrical side you could have a component that has an intermittant failure. Follow the troubleshooting procedure in the manual. The fact that you replaced the powerpack with a 1989 powerpack does not mean that it is either good or bad - need to check it and the other electrical components.<br /><br />For fuel - check all connections and do you have a water seperator that you could check for water?

 

[Sherman]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

Sorry I left out that is runs at about 5800 rpm at WOT. It was really rough out on the ocean today so I didn't want to pull the cover out there. <br /><br />I just checked the compression again 120, 120, 117, & 118 Cold<br /><br />On the power pack all I know is when I installed the new (1989) pack both cylinders would not fire.<br /><br />When I just pulled the plugs the bottom two are much more carboned up than the top two. These do not look normal to my untrained eye. These are new QL 77JC4 plugs with about 5 hours on them. I do a lot of trolling on this motor when the weather is rough.<br /><br />I do have an fuel water seperator with a new element.<br /><br />It seems like if I had an overheating problem it would be worse at higher speeds not at idle. I had been at idle for about an hour when this first happened. If I put this thing in a big bucket and not on the muffs might I duplicate this problem at home?<br /><br />One other thing that the wrench at the dealer told me was that the starboard head was running 30 degrees cooler than the port. When he had it on the dyno. That's what led him to recommend that I change the power pack. There was no apparent temp difference when I got back to the dock today after a long run.<br /><br />Thanks for the help!

 

[Sherman]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

Well when I turn the motor over by hand there is a loud noise coming from the area of the water pump. Sounds like rubber rubing hard against metal. Might also be a spun bearing race. Is this type of sound normal or am I missing something.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

Thats the rubber impeller turning inside the water pump. Just make darn sure you always turn the flywheel clockwise.<br /><br />Hows the lower unit grease?

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

If any mention was made above pertaining to the warning horn, I missed it. Check it as follows.<br /><br />Key in the ON (not running) position. Slide the rubber insulating boot back from one of the TAN heat sensor wires that leads out of the cylinder head(s), revealing the metal connector. Ground out that connector to the powerhead. The horn should sound loudly. If it does not find out why.<br /><br />The only time(s) I have ever heard of or seen a powerhead seize up as you've described, then later on crank normally, is when it had overheated to an extreme.<br /><br />The cylinder heads running at different tempertures is usually caused by a thermostat problem.... your engine has two of them.<br /><br />The only other factor that will make one head run hotter than the other is having the water deflectors swell in one bank which would create a restriction to the water flow. The only way to tell for sure if this problem exists is to remove the heads to inspect them.

 

[Joey One]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

I had the same symptoms on a 4 HP while moving at idle speed, but only once. The motor stopped, I could smell the odor of hot paint; so I checked the <br />lower unit and pulled off a plastic bag.<br />It took a he-man pull to start the motor, but it has run normally ever since.

 

[Sherman]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

Maybe a jellyfish got rapped around the lower unit. Joe I checked the horn and sure enough it doesn't work. I will trouble shoot it ASAP. I am concerned that the waterpump noise I discribed earier is really loud (it can be heard from approx. 30 feet away. I have never heard it before and I have turned this engine by hand a number of times in the last 15 years.) If I don't have to teach tomarrow I think I will pull the lower unit and take a look.

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

Try draining the lower unit,and see if you have a lot of metal in the oil.Also drop the lower unit,turn the motor by hand,and see where you stand.<br /><br />DHP

 

[Sherman]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

I checked the lower unit lube and did find about ten small flakes about the diameter of pin head and very thin on the magnetic plug the oil was very clean with no water. Is that an indication of a major failure in the lower unit? If so I may just give up on this thing and try to find a better used motor. My less than nice dealer quoted me 8400 for a 90 e-tec installed and that is out of any realm of possibility.

 

[Sherman]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

I pulled the lower unit and the engine now turns freely. It was very difficult to turn the shaft because the waterpump was so tight. I disassembled the water pump and found nothing wrong. This is a 6 month old oem complete waterpump. It must be of a different design than the original as it seems to pump a lot more water. Should I replace the water pump impeller, complete assembly or just reassemble as is. I used a little oil to assemble and that helps it turn somewhat easier. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Sherman]

Re: sudden stop hard cranking

Thanks Joe! Sure enough the wire had come off the back of the warning horn now it works great.