Tried some shrimping down around Edisto last weekend with a buddy and ended up having to get towed back to the dock. We were traveling along just fine and all of a sudden lost power to the prop. Motor was revving just know power. Thought it was a shifter issue or blown prop hub but after investigating this week it is neither. Prop shaft is getting no power but the motor runs fine. no grinding or other noises. Must be something around the drive shaft. Don’t have a job right now so I will have to wait to take it into the shop since i don’t feel comfortable enough to pull into the drive shaft. I guess I will switch back to surf fishing or try my hand at some hunting again.
That is a bummer but at least it is Winter and not Spring or Summer. Hope you can get it fixed without too much trouble.
Glad to help with the tow. Just remember what goes around comes around. It will be your turn to help some day.
You didn’t break the shift cable, did you? I say that because if something broke in the gearcase it would probably be making a hell of a racket.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
I had the shift cable bracket break on my Yamaha 115 3 times. Check that. Never did fine out the cause of the bracket breaking but Yamaha graciously replaced the lower unit out of warranty and never had a problem after that.
2010 Sea Fox 225BF
2009 Suzuki 225
Thank for the help out there RLS (Didn’t know if you were on here or not). Its not the shift cable because it seems to be shifting fine. In F you can turn prop one way by hand, N both and R neither. I had someone suggest maybe a clutch in the lower unit but im not sure. I can do the work on the motor up top no problem but I have never pulled into the lower unit before and dont want to mess anything up. Thanks again for the help.
Over the break I dropped the lower unit to take a look. Drive shaft looks fine but when turned the prop shaft does not move and there is some resistance on the drive shaft. Any suggestions at this point? I may just have to take the lower unit in to a marine mechanic and have them diagnose the issue.
On the chance the the lower unit is totally blown has anyone had experience with some of the aftermarket lower units like SEI outboards.http://www.sterndrive.cc/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=SE205
I think I would need the SE205.
The motor is a 1997 90 hp Mercury 3 cyl. 2 stroke oil injected so any suggestions on which mechanic to take the lower unit to around Charleston.