!!!Outboard help please!!!

EllWilcox · 18 June 2008, 21:29

Hello

Could anybody answer a couple of questions for me... I will start from the beginning could some one please help.

Where is the oil seal in a yamaha 55 outboard?? Is it in the gearbox?
Firstly I am thinkin of putting a good gear box on another yam55 which gear box is buggered but the rest of it is ok. So...

Right i have a yam 55 with a seized head, so that's gone, i took this to a mechanic and found this out but they said the gear box was ok. For one if the power head is seized would this have any affect on the gear box or parts attached to the gear box???
Now i am thinking of attaching my gear box if its ok which i think it is to a yam55 which is running except its gear box, this gear box is broken because the last guy ran over some fishing line and it damaged the oil seal. Secondly is the oil seal only in the gear box?? and also would it affect any other parts of the outboard??

Overall i think if the oil seal only affects the gear box and if my gear box is fine i think it could be a good move to swap the gear box on to the good engine and get me in the water for the summer.

Let me know any advice as all is welcome and i could do with it all
?????

Thanks

Nos4r2 · 18 June 2008, 21:33

The seal that will be damaged is the prop shaft oil seal. Simply remove your gearbox from your seized engine and put it on the one with the damaged gearbox-or given your lack of mechanical knowledge get an engineer to do it and get the impeller changed at the same time-if you do it wrong it'll be expensive.

It's worth flushing the damaged gearbox out with fresh oil then draining it and keeping it for spares if it still selects gears OK.

jyasaki · 19 June 2008, 06:03

Nos is right. Thre's several "oil seals" in an outboard, each sealing different oils, or sealing different spots of the same oil pools.

When you run over fishing line, the prop wraps it around the output (or prop) shaft, and it works its way in to the rubber seal that hold oil in while allowing the shaft to drive the prop. The resultin cut seal allows either the gear oil to flow out, or water to get in, either of which will trash the lower unit gear set.

There are other oil seals, though, up in the power head, but that's not what you should be worried about (at this point, anyway.) Nos's suggestion of getting a good mechanic is spot on, as well. A botched job will cost a lot more than the cost of doing it right to begin with.

jky

EllWilcox · 19 June 2008, 13:52

Hey thanks for the advice.

Could you possibly tell me some ways or idea in figuring out if my gear box on my seized engine is any good?? Is there some ways to check this out myself that i can do at home?? When i took it to the mechanic two weeks ago he said it was alright i am pretty sure but i kind of want to double check.

Also when looking at the engine with out a gear box other than seeing it running or turning over which the guy said he'd do is there any other things i should look for to see if it is ok??

Lastly any advice on doin the gear box change over because i think i want to try it might self, i really want to learn how to do things on my own engines and i want the knowledge for the future, i guess you have to start somewhere or is this a bit out of my depth??

Thanks for the help.

m chappelow · 19 June 2008, 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by EllWilcox

Hey thanks for the advice.

Could you possibly tell me some ways or idea in figuring out if my gear box on my seized engine is any good?? Is there some ways to check this out myself that i can do at home?? When i took it to the mechanic two weeks ago he said it was alright i am pretty sure but i kind of want to double check.

Also when looking at the engine with out a gear box other than seeing it running or turning over which the guy said he'd do is there any other things i should look for to see if it is ok??

Lastly any advice on doin the gear box change over because i think i want to try it might self, i really want to learn how to do things on my own engines and i want the knowledge for the future, i guess you have to start somewhere or is this a bit out of my depth??

Thanks for the help.

GOOD POINT about mending things on your own , a lifeboat man told me that if you cannot fix your own engine you shouldent be out at sea in it . well within reason ,cant see how anyone would go on with a hole in the piston or snapped shaft,

jyasaki · 19 June 2008, 14:56

Get hold of the service manual for the engine (not the owners manual; it's usually called the shop manual or something like that - explains takeapart and inspection procedures.)

But, to answer your question, to check the leg you can do a pressure leakdown test (basically, you pump air into it and see if it holds the pressure - that tests the seal integrity); check for play in the gears (the manual will have specs for allowable backlash); other than that, it's pulling it apart to visually inspect the gears and such, at least as far as I know.

jky

Rogue Wave · 19 June 2008, 14:57

clymer I think do a useful workshop manual on all yammie engines it's in one volume and it's about20 quid from yamaha. Those yammie engines are excllent and well worth keeping gpoing.

Nos4r2 · 19 June 2008, 22:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by EllWilcox

Hey thanks for the advice.

Could you possibly tell me some ways or idea in figuring out if my gear box on my seized engine is any good?? Is there some ways to check this out myself that i can do at home?? When i took it to the mechanic two weeks ago he said it was alright i am pretty sure but i kind of want to double check.

Also when looking at the engine with out a gear box other than seeing it running or turning over which the guy said he'd do is there any other things i should look for to see if it is ok??

Lastly any advice on doin the gear box change over because i think i want to try it might self, i really want to learn how to do things on my own engines and i want the knowledge for the future, i guess you have to start somewhere or is this a bit out of my depth??

Thanks for the help.

You need a workshop manual if you want to do it yourself. Don't even think about trying it without one-you'll break it. It's not a hard job with a manual to refer to.

If you undo all the bolts and the gearbox won't come off with a few slaps of the palm of your hand then put them back and take it to an engineer.It's quite a hard job to remove it if it's siezed on and I'll guarantee you'll muller the anti-ventilation plate trying.

Poly · 19 June 2008, 23:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

GOOD POINT about mending things on your own , a lifeboat man told me that if you cannot fix your own engine you shouldent be out at sea in it . well within reason ,cant see how anyone would go on with a hole in the piston or snapped shaft,

mmm... not sure he would really expect you to drop the leg, change gearbox at sea etc either! but yes understanding how the engine works, diagnosing common faults and e.g. changing plugs, draining carbs, changing filters etc.

EllWilcox · 20 June 2008, 10:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

Get hold of the service manual for the engine (not the owners manual; it's usually called the shop manual or something like that - explains takeapart and inspection procedures.)

But, to answer your question, to check the leg you can do a pressure leakdown test (basically, you pump air into it and see if it holds the pressure - that tests the seal integrity); check for play in the gears (the manual will have specs for allowable backlash); other than that, it's pulling it apart to visually inspect the gears and such, at least as far as I know.

jky

Thanks for the advice by the way.
With regards to pumping air in to the gear box where abouts should i pump the air into and also what shall i use??? Anything in particular?? Also how can i check if it still selects gears etc...??

Finally where abouts should is a good place in the uk, either online specifically or down south i.e dorset or hampshire areas? where i could find the service manual or workshop manual???

Thanks for all the help.

Nos4r2 · 20 June 2008, 20:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by EllWilcox

Thanks for the advice by the way.
With regards to pumping air in to the gear box where abouts should i pump the air into and also what shall i use??? Anything in particular?? Also how can i check if it still selects gears etc...??

Finally where abouts should is a good place in the uk, either online specifically or down south i.e dorset or hampshire areas? where i could find the service manual or workshop manual???

Thanks for all the help.

Buy a manual. before you try anything or you'll break it trying anything like that.I can't emphasise that enough.
You won't have the gear to test it unless you've got access to specialist equipment and if you don't already know how to check it goes in and out of gear you shouldnt be messing without a manual..

Any Yamaha dealer will be able to order you one.

jyasaki · 23 June 2008, 16:25

What Nos said.

You want to be able to check the seal integrity without blowing them out (though, I suppose, then you'd know you had to replace them...) Which means you have to know the spec they're supposed to hold. Which will be in the shop manual, along with a description or part number of the gauge and plug used to perform the test, and the procedure for doing so.

As to saving a bit of money by doing it yourself: I could probably find you the steps and equipment required to, say, perform an appendectomy; I certainly wouldn't suggest you do it yourself. Some things are best left to others better equipped and more experienced and skilled.

But, to answer your question, you pressurize and read through the gear oil fill hole. Special diagnostic tool, as far as I know (I've never needed to have it done, but would take it to a shop if it was required.)

jky