Oh no! Outboard probs!

[Anonymous]

4 stroke engines have an oil resevour for the oil, if water gets in and mixes with the oil the lack of lubrication can and will cause the bearing to sieze. Unless they are roller bearing. And even those can fry due to heat that acumilates due to lack of proper lubrication due to not enough oil due to the water in the oil.

Now, as far as babbit bearing, same with any 4 stroke automotive engine also - water in the oil is terminal for any babbit bearing. Don't clean it out properly and soon enough, the bearings will fry, and the crank with have to be replaced or ground due to scoring.

The bearings being mentioned here are the rod bearings, and main crankshaft bearings. What other type of bearings in a 4 stroke outboard, I have no idea, never had one apart. But they can go bad due to lack of lubrication also, as noted above.

[bassboattech]

When i worked for Chevrolet as a tech i seen hundreds of cars and trucks come in with anti freeze in the oil this is the number 1 killer of babbit bearing due to the acidic affect on the babbit, plain water in oil is just a crappy lubricant and will result in crank end play and bearing clearances increased resulting in knock and oil pressure loss . as to why the motor is hard to pull ( did they do an oil change-is it over full)(was the motor a carry in and was it stored correctly- tipping the four strokes in the wrong direction will cause oil to run into the cylinders resulting in hydrolock.)(is the motor shifting correctly-half into gear will cause a harder pull).....got me thinking now...so so hard to diag over the net no wonder you guys come up with some crazy stuff.

[bassboattech]

Four stoke outboard have an oil sump just like a car with a pump and no reservoir. 20 plus years at chev and never not one have i seen a motor seize from water-lack of oil yes. back to school for you.lol

[FishingFool]

[quote="Amx"]Sounds ok, maybe just condensation in the gear lube. It'll do that if outside in the weather changes thru the fall. After getting it on the water in the spring, drain a little gear lube out and check.

Speed limit on Meridian is]

There was a date on the Lake Meridian board. I remember reading it. Wasnt sure if the speed limit rules applied only between the date listed on the board. And any other time, it's only slow speed.

[Amx]

So, take all the oil out of an engine, put in only water, using any 4 stroke engine, then it will NEVER EVER seize? Just because they did it on the tv commercials doesn't mean it will acually work. Ya know how commercials REALLY are. lol

Once the oil gets frothed from water in it, most anything can happen. Probably just depends on how much water is in the oil.

[bassboattech]

4 stroke out boards have been making oil since they came out(for those that do not know what that is- when the motor oil keeps getting increasing its qauntity either from fuel or water with no ill effects. 4 stroke outboards have no roller bearings.

[Amx]

If there are no ill effects of water in the oil, then why worry about it? A most everyone does.
And if there is no problems, then why not just use water and save the oil for refining into gasoline?

I'd rather not have ANY water in the oil of my cars. I have no 4 stroke boat motor, but have thought about it. If I did have a 4 stroker, then I'd worry about it, same for any fuel in the oil - THAT has been known to blow up motors, at least the fumes in the oil pan anyway.

But fumes and such getting past the rings as been happening since the invention of gasoline powered engines.

[Amx]

Sounds ok, maybe just condensation in the gear lube. It'll do that if outside in the weather changes thru the fall. After getting it on the water in the spring, drain a little gear lube out and check.

Speed limit on Meridian is]

There was a date on the Lake Meridian board. I remember reading it. Wasnt sure if the speed limit rules applied only between the date listed on the board. And any other time, it's only slow speed.

Interesting about a date on the sign. I'm tempted to go to the launch just to see if they changed the sign. I haven't been on Meridian since spring of 2010. Any time that you can be there during the daylight? We can read it together and see what's going on with it. Otherwise I'll go in the middle of the day as I'm retired and have all day to screwaround.

[BigBoyF]

Sorry to hear about your problems. I have had great success at Limit Out Performance Marine. If your guys can't figure it out i would try them. They are great at troubleshooting problems. There website is www.LimitoutMarine.com

[bassboattech]

We talking boats or cars (cars have a closed cooling system with anti freeze-if your car has antifreeze in the oil the motors already half done) boat 4 stroke outboard motors have a hard time getting to full temp in some areas and the end result is condensation or water in the oil( fix change your oil regularly) .

there should be no condensation in your lower unit...period ....if you do you have a leak there is almost no air space in a full lower unit so there for no way for water to get in......do you just make this stuff up as you go?

[Amx]

If he had a bad seal, then air could have gotten in, therefore condensation is possible. Depends on which seal, air temps while the boat/motor is stored in his yard.

[bassboattech]

Were talking normal working lower unit, not one with a bad seal- which they found and fixed(condensation is not normal in a lower unit and would require a repair) not just change gear lube as you suggested)

[Amx]

Were talking normal working lower unit, not one with a bad seal- which they found and fixed(condensation is not normal in a lower unit and would require a repair) not just change gear lube as you suggested)

No, he mentioned 'water in the oil', then that was corrected to 'water in the lower unit gear lube' AFTER I asked for clarifacation in a previous reply so we all could be on the same page. I'm not going to read back to find it all, not worth the trouble. He also said that the water was in there due to a bad seal that was fixed. So, there WAS a bad seal, water DID get in, and due to water being in the lower unit condensation COULD happen while the boat/motor was sitting in his yard, like on a cold summer or fall night. It does make a person wonder how much water was in the lower unit. BUT it was all fixed, lube changed, so it SHOULD be ok now.

[Anonymous]

Four stoke outboard have an oil sump just like a car with a pump and no reservoir. 20 plus years at chev and never not one have i seen a motor seize from water-lack of oil yes. back to school for you.lol

And an 'oil sump' IS a type of reservoir, just not with an oil pan like a car has. At least the one 4 stroke boat motor I looked at last year, didn't look like there was any 'pan', just a 'reservoir' under the powerhead. I didn't inspect it closely, just glanced at it, and 'the guy' told me that is where the oil is held. But then we are just talking about 'definitions' of different words. Don't need to bother with that. So would that be more like a 'dry sump' system?

[MarkFromSea]

Last September my 90hp honda 4 stroke began making oil while I trolled with the main motor. That's engine oil not gear oil. I'm not a "bring it into the shop" kind of guy. The oil smelled of gas. I researched it. Looks like I have 2 options: 1 don't use the main to troll with or 2 change out the fuel pump. Any thoughts from the knuckle busters(mechanics) on here?

[G-Man]

Last September my 90hp honda 4 stroke began making oil while I trolled with the main motor. That's engine oil not gear oil. I'm not a "bring it into the shop" kind of guy. The oil smelled of gas. I researched it. Looks like I have 2 options: 1 don't use the main to troll with or 2 change out the fuel pump. Any thoughts from the knuckle busters(mechanics) on here?

If your 4 stroke is leaking engine oil then you have bigger problems than a fuel pump. A 4 stroke outboard works the same as a automobile engine, if you're leaking engine oil you have bad rings, seals, gaskets, valve guides, etc. Are you sure it's oil and not just unburnt gas? Could be a fuel leak or it may just be a fuel mixture issue that can be solved by a simple tune-up.

[FishingFool]

Last September my 90hp honda 4 stroke began making oil while I trolled with the main motor. That's engine oil not gear oil. I'm not a "bring it into the shop" kind of guy. The oil smelled of gas. I researched it. Looks like I have 2 options: 1 don't use the main to troll with or 2 change out the fuel pump. Any thoughts from the knuckle busters(mechanics) on here?

If your 4 stroke is leaking engine oil then you have bigger problems than a fuel pump. A 4 stroke outboard works the same as a automobile engine, if you're leaking engine oil you have bad rings, seals, gaskets, valve guides, etc. Are you sure it's oil and not just unburnt gas? Could be a fuel leak or it may just be a fuel mixture issue that can be solved by a simple tune-up.

I think you misread that. He's not leaking oil.

His oil, in the motor, is actually increasing. As in "making oil". Apparently it's a 4-stroke phenomenom.

[MarkFromSea]

you got it fish fool, if I only haul ass from one spot to the next with the main motor then switch to the kicker to troll, it doesn't make oil(creep up the dipstick), ... if I troll on the main motor, it MAKES oil.... LOL smells like gas in the oil, looks kinda milky like water in the oil but,,,,,,, when I googled making oil outboard, looked like a lot of info.. 4 stroke phenom, it never did this when new,,,, now, 15 yrs later,,, LOL lots of info on the subject, the only resolution that really made sense was changing fuel pump as if some seal in the pump is worn..... thought I'd check with local anglers before I pulled the trigger on the replacement of the pump or pumps. the motor isn't spitting gas or oil out into the water thru the exhaust...... Thanks if you you are familiar with this problem and have found a resolution.

[FishingFool]

you got it fish fool, if I only haul ass from one spot to the next with the main motor then switch to the kicker to troll, it doesn't make oil(creep up the dipstick), ... if I troll on the main motor, it MAKES oil.... LOL smells like gas in the oil, looks kinda milky like water in the oil but,,,,,,, when I googled making oil outboard, looked like a lot of info.. 4 stroke phenom, it never did this when new,,,, now, 15 yrs later,,, LOL lots of info on the subject, the only resolution that really made sense was changing fuel pump as if some seal in the pump is worn..... thought I'd check with local anglers before I pulled the trigger on the replacement of the pump or pumps. the motor isn't spitting gas or oil out into the water thru the exhaust...... Thanks if you you are familiar with this problem and have found a resolution.

lol, my new to me motor did the same thing. I posted some questions about it too somewhere in this thread. When I drained the oil for the 1st winterizing this past fall, I smelled a hint of gas in the oil. I never checked the dipstick though. I was at first worried, but after posting about it and googling. It appears to be "normal" if you will, if you dont do a lot of full throttle runs. I remember my last 2 outtings, I had to go slow on the throttle for quite some time.

[MarkFromSea]

LOL Thanks for trying to put my mind at ease but that oil level creeped up quite a ways after a full day of trolling. There should be a solution.