Prop shaft not turning very easily

2000 Suntracker with a 90 HP Mercury outboard.

Was on the water for the first time in this boat yesterday as I just bought it used a few days before. The guy I bought it from said they'd used it over the summer numerous times. Sounds lke they put in, go to a cove and sit all day.

My family and I like to drive around the lake so we probably put 1.5 hrs on the motor yesterday. FYI we just started our first day of vacation with the boat...

Coming back into the dock we were just crusing along and then the motor acted like it had run out of gas and died. I couldn't get it to start. It almost acted like the batteries had lost cranking power. I thought maybe something got wrapped around the prop so I jumped in to check and couldn't find anything. This was when I first noticed that the prop would not rotate very easily. I know it is t supposed to spin freely but should spin with a little effort. It would spin but would hit a part in the rotation where I had to put both hands on it and forcibly turn it.

So we got towed back in and I got it out of the water. Did not touch it until the following morning. I inspected and even took off the prop and couldn't find anything wrapped around it. I tried to spin the shaft but it was again a little difficult. Not as difficult as the evening before but still would get to a point in the rotation where it was more difficult to turn.

I have not checked the lower unit oil but I plan to do that next while waiting to see if anyone had any advice.

Thanks in advance.

Pull the drain plug and I'll bet water comes out.

Jeff

That's what I'm afraid of. There's a bit of water that appears to be seeping from the bottom plug. Will do that and report back...

If it's seeping from the bottom (drain) plug the screw isn't tight or the gasket is missing....your source for ingested water....at least A source. If left sitting, water will come out then oil...if it has any oil upon removing the drain plug. If recently run, as I guess will be your case, if you have water ingestion, oil will be yellow and milky looking...homogenized water-oil. In N you should be able to turn the prop just thinking about it turning....aka with your little finger type thing.

OK, I just drained it and water came out. Very little oil came out and the oil that came out was dark and milky. When I removed the drain plug entirely nothing came out until I loosen the vent. I also don't see a gasket around the drain plug. I'm assuming there should be one there. It looks like there's gaskets on the top plugs, one of them being the then the other one oil level. But they look like they're stuck inside the opening.

Time to shop for a used lower unit.----Lots of them around in some areas.

Before I started chucking megabucks on a new lower (or into a shop for a rebuild) I would give it one last chance.

What "I" would do is clean out the lower unit well (diesel fuel works well) - feed it in the vent plug hole and let it drain out.

Let it dry out/evaporate for a day then refill the lower unit, with new plug gaskets and see if anything feels better. If it (seems) salvagable, turns over fairly easily by hand then I would drain it once again, pressure test it - replace any leaky seals try it on the water.

Dont waste your time on flushing, once these metric units bind up bearing/races are goners.. Find a unit and SEI is good place to start..

Thanks everyone for the comments and recommendations. They are all appreciated
Since this boat is new to me and I don't have any history with it to go off of, I took it directly to a shop for lower unit replacement. What sucks is that with this crazy time we are in everyone is buying boats now and so every shop is backed up with work. Hopefully I can get her back with enough time to enjoy the water before the weather changes!

Phogfan said:

Thanks everyone for the comments and recommendations. They are all appreciated
Since this boat is new to me and I don't have any history with it to go off of, I took it directly to a shop for lower unit replacement. What sucks is that with this crazy time we are in everyone is buying boats now and so every shop is backed up with work. Hopefully I can get her back with enough time to enjoy the water before the weather changes!

Click to expand...

Good luck. You probably have time. For most folks, Brrrrrr weather is a ways off.

Call and order one from SEI and do it yerself