Outboard Issues

[sbfishySC]

Hey yall,

 

Please excuse any terms used that are not very technical. I'm a fairly new boat owner and I'm definitely a newbie when it comes to outboards. I've got an issue, however. I'm gone working all summer in a different state, so I haven't seen the issue in person, but my brother is using my boat and had the problem. My motor is a 2001 Mercury 90hp ELPTO.

 

Here is how my brother explained it to me:

 

"I have no idea WHERE it was leaking from, but when I would try to crank it, it would spit out a light rainbow film onto the water from underneath the water and it smelled like gas...then on the last 2 cranks some bubbles popped up that were black in color and when i touched them, it looked like burnt up oil on my fingers...i checked the oil level and it appeared to be good. i could never see where the leaks came from even once we pulled it out of the water, but some black dripped down from the motor onto the support thing that keeps the motor up off trailer. i have not taken the cover off because i dont know what im looking at. i never got it to turn over. it wasnt much oil...but it was enough to make me say NOPE and trailer back up...i know SOME gas leaks out no matter what when the engine has to be cranked a couple times but this was a LOT. Some attempts at cranking were with choke, some without. Fuel bulb stayed firm."

 

Some things to consider: Before this, the boat had been taken out once about a week or so before this happened and it cranked and ran fine for a while. He fished and tried to crank to head back in and she wouldn't crank. No leakage, just would not crank. Jumped the cranking battery (which he did fully charge beforehand) and got it started but it was tough to start. I thought maybe the battery was going bad. Then he goes out and has this leakage issue and it won't crank. Before that trip, the boat had not been run since mid-May and during that period of it not running we had about a month's straight worth of rain. My boat cover had ripped and was not able to be replaced at the time, so during that rain the motor was exposed to the rain and trimmed up.

 

Any ideas on what could be wrong or what I can check?

 

Thanks,

Stephen

[martintheduck]

Well it appears oil is leaking from the lower unit somewhere. We can pinpoint it because the leak happens under the waterline, and the only part in the water is the lowerunit. From everything I've gathered over the years on outboards, if it you LU is leaking oil, take it to a mechanic. Wish I could be more help, but your description of the problem is vague and not easily diagnosable if you aren't standing in front of the motor.

[Downeaster2010]

Again, before you assume the motor has a serious problem,,  pull your prop off and see

if fishing line may be wrapped around the shaft and seal, causing an oil leak, and letting water

into the lower unit.  If so make sure you get all the old fishing line out.

 

On examination the oil in the LU will have a white milky look to it.  If so it needs to be replaced,

[james 14]

Did he check the kill switch? Motor will turn over but not crank if the switch is pulled.

 

Leaving the motor uncovered in the rain shouldn't be a problem.

 

The motor's exhaust comes out through the prop. If you're trying for a while to crank it you're going to have gas come out the exhaust and, therefore, into the water. It it floods or backfires (or sometimes for no reason) it can also spit out black goop of some sort.

 

Still using the same battery?

 

Jumping an engine, usually off the TM battery if the cranking battery isn't working, doesn't give it the same amperage which can make it tough to start...especially if you've already tried to crank it unsuccessfully and flooded it.

 

A lower unit problem will not keep the motor from cranking so you can probably rule that out.

 

It's either something like the kill switch or it could be a carb issue.