Hi All.
I have a 2000 Trophy, 4.3L Mercruiser, Alpha One, Gen 2 outdrive.
I got to my destination with her yesterday, and launched her. All was well shifting into reverse and backing away from the launch when the trouble started. Went to shift into forward and there was definitely a 2 or second delay before she jumped into gear and began forward propulsion at idle. This was the first sign of trouble. Dropped her into neutral, no issues. Shifted back into forward and same thing, a few second delay until it was as though the forward gear grabbed and started moving her. Went back to neutral, shifted into reverse, no issues. Repeated the forward shift from neutral a third time and same outcome as the first two times. I did goose her with some throttle a time or two after what seemed to be her jumping into forward gear and seemed as though she wanted to thrust forward pretty good as normal. Motored a short distance back to the dock and tied her up. Opened the engine hatch and no apparent abnormalities.
Began scouting the internet and noticed a “test” of putting into gear, with engine off of course, and seeing if prop locks/doesn’t move the one direction. Did this with reverse, prop locked as I read it should. Did this in forward, prop spins freely both directions…uh oh. Here are the events leading up to this which may (hopefully) shed some light:
1. Brand new water pump installed by mech a week ago.
2. I installed a brand new prop/hub assembly a day or so later.
2.a. I went to the lake to test prop on Wed., everything worked normal and she ran great.
3. Got home from lake, next morning, noticed a puddle of blue outdrive or LU oil below the drive. Discovered it was leaking from one of the two holes (starboard side) just above the LU. Called mech, said bring it back over. I waited and watched while they loosened and dropped the LU, about two inches, but not fully off. They discovered a small o ring and unseated and/or was not there. They added in a new o ring and closed her back up. Got her home and oil leak stopped.
4. As mentioned, all the trouble started yesterday and the only thing I did in between was run her a bit on the muffs at idle and in neutral a few days ago. I did screw up though as the mechs said when I left, don’t forget to fill your oil reservoir back up. Well, I’m human and I forgot…ugh. When I fired her up on the muffs a few days ago, alarm immediately going off. Though that’s odd, has oil pressure, etc. Hadn’t occurred to me at that point that I’d forgot the reservoir oil. Thought perhaps just a bad sensor causing alarm. Started her a couple more times running for a few seconds with alarm. Opened the hatch and of course it hit me, that I forgot to fill the reservoir. Promptly filled it up started her, all was good.
Im at a loss and hoping for some insight as I sit here 2.5 hours from home with a boat in a slip that I’m even worried to try to motor over to the launch at idle to load her up and get her home.
I’m wondering, could I have caused that much damage just by starting her a few times for a few seconds with the oil reservoir empty? I feel terrible that I forgot that. Is it possible that when the mechs lowered the LU those few inches for the o ring that it threw the shifting mechanism off somehow? If it was a bad coupler, it seems to me when I quickly goosed it, it prob wouldn’t have the normal torque as it seemed to have had?
Prob worth noting as well, I put in a whole brand new thermostat yesterday, a 160, and she never overheated while this was going on, but toward the end when I tied her up and was at idle in neutral trying to sort it out, she did climb to around 180, which she never has before.
Not even sure where to start…appreciate any help or insight.
I have a 2000 Trophy, 4.3L Mercruiser, Alpha One, Gen 2 outdrive.
I got to my destination with her yesterday, and launched her. All was well shifting into reverse and backing away from the launch when the trouble started. Went to shift into forward and there was definitely a 2 or second delay before she jumped into gear and began forward propulsion at idle. This was the first sign of trouble. Dropped her into neutral, no issues. Shifted back into forward and same thing, a few second delay until it was as though the forward gear grabbed and started moving her. Went back to neutral, shifted into reverse, no issues. Repeated the forward shift from neutral a third time and same outcome as the first two times. I did goose her with some throttle a time or two after what seemed to be her jumping into forward gear and seemed as though she wanted to thrust forward pretty good as normal. Motored a short distance back to the dock and tied her up. Opened the engine hatch and no apparent abnormalities.
Began scouting the internet and noticed a “test” of putting into gear, with engine off of course, and seeing if prop locks/doesn’t move the one direction. Did this with reverse, prop locked as I read it should. Did this in forward, prop spins freely both directions…uh oh. Here are the events leading up to this which may (hopefully) shed some light:
1. Brand new water pump installed by mech a week ago.
2. I installed a brand new prop/hub assembly a day or so later.
2.a. I went to the lake to test prop on Wed., everything worked normal and she ran great.
3. Got home from lake, next morning, noticed a puddle of blue outdrive or LU oil below the drive. Discovered it was leaking from one of the two holes (starboard side) just above the LU. Called mech, said bring it back over. I waited and watched while they loosened and dropped the LU, about two inches, but not fully off. They discovered a small o ring and unseated and/or was not there. They added in a new o ring and closed her back up. Got her home and oil leak stopped.
4. As mentioned, all the trouble started yesterday and the only thing I did in between was run her a bit on the muffs at idle and in neutral a few days ago. I did screw up though as the mechs said when I left, don’t forget to fill your oil reservoir back up. Well, I’m human and I forgot…ugh. When I fired her up on the muffs a few days ago, alarm immediately going off. Though that’s odd, has oil pressure, etc. Hadn’t occurred to me at that point that I’d forgot the reservoir oil. Thought perhaps just a bad sensor causing alarm. Started her a couple more times running for a few seconds with alarm. Opened the hatch and of course it hit me, that I forgot to fill the reservoir. Promptly filled it up started her, all was good.
Im at a loss and hoping for some insight as I sit here 2.5 hours from home with a boat in a slip that I’m even worried to try to motor over to the launch at idle to load her up and get her home.
I’m wondering, could I have caused that much damage just by starting her a few times for a few seconds with the oil reservoir empty? I feel terrible that I forgot that. Is it possible that when the mechs lowered the LU those few inches for the o ring that it threw the shifting mechanism off somehow? If it was a bad coupler, it seems to me when I quickly goosed it, it prob wouldn’t have the normal torque as it seemed to have had?
Prob worth noting as well, I put in a whole brand new thermostat yesterday, a 160, and she never overheated while this was going on, but toward the end when I tied her up and was at idle in neutral trying to sort it out, she did climb to around 180, which she never has before.
Not even sure where to start…appreciate any help or insight.
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