Outboard Motor

The new technology being introduced by all the manufacturers is quite impressive. Mercury has reintroduced the Tower of Power; the only six cylinder in-line outboard. Starting in the late fifties and running strong for many years, the concept was dropped in 1988. Now the Verado continues the tradition, only as a four stroke. It is the only six cylinder in-line four stroke, giving it all the torque inherent in an in-line engine. It is small in displacement; 2.6L vs. 3.6L for the Suzuki 250 HP V-6 four stroke. To compensate, Mercury added a supercharger. The major engine components are aluminum, cast using a pressurized lost foam process. Gray iron cylinder liners are just 1.5mm in thickness. The head features dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. The cams have a hollow shaft to save weight, with sintered steel cam lobes welded onto the shaft. The cam to valve stem clearance is factory set and maintenance-free for the life of the engine. This is the first production outboard engine with a supercharger-a Lysholm-type, positive displacement with two teflon coated aluminum rotors. The housing is anodized aluminum, and the supercharger is belt driven from the flywheel-end of the engine by V-belts, which also drive a 70-amp alternator. Power steering comes standard, and it has digital controls, which mean no throttle and shift cables.

The second innovation is the Evinrude Vindicator by Bombardier, a two-cylinder, two-stroke direct injected outboard of 55 HP. This outboard can run on JP4,5 and 8; diesel 1 and 2; home heating oil #1; kerosene; gasoline; ethanol and bio-diesel. This technology has been demonstrated for the military on outboards of 30, 55, 80, 115, 150 and 200 HP and is in the final stages of development. The fuel selection changeover is made by the operation of a two-position switch on the starboard side of the engine: One position is for gasoline and the other position is for all other fuels. The microprocessor takes care of the rest. Production versions of this system will be limited to gasoline, diesel and kerosene. The Vindicator is made possible by the marriage of direct fuel injection and an innovative ignition system that is capable of firing the sparkplug multiple times during the power and induction stroke.

With the unpredictable weather we have gotten over the last few months, hurricanes and all, the most common question asked has been: What should I do if my motor has been submerged? I hope this never happens to your engine, but if it does, the correct response can make the difference between your motor running again with no damage done, and the motor becoming junk. Time is of the essence. Our goal is to get the motor running as soon as possible, hopefully with a day or two. As soon as the motor comes out of the water, remove the spark plugs and crank the engine over by hand until water no longer comes out of the spark plug holes. If it is a large HP engine with electric start, try cranking it over with the starter, if it works. If the starter does not work, you may have electrical problems best serviced by your local repair facility. In any event, try to get as much water out of it as possible, and squirt a liberal amount of oil in the cylinders. If your motor cranks over with smoothly, we will next need to drain the fuel system. If the gas tank has been submerged, it probably has water in it. Drain the gas tank and refill with fresh gas with some dry gas added. Next remove the gas line going into the carburetor, and let fresh gas flow through the system and drain into a container. When there is no longer any sign of water coming out, re-attach the fuel line to the carb. Then look for a fitting on the bottom of the carb to drain the bowl. It may be a drain, or it may be the access nut for the high speed jet, or it may be the high speed needle. Let all the water and gas drain out of the carb. Next inspect the ignition system. If you have a newer engine with electronic ignition, you will probably still have spark. If you have an older engine with points and condensers, you will have to pull the flywheel and blow out all traces of water with compressed air. Next, try to start the engine. It should start and run. I would suggest letting it run for at least 30 minutes to remove all traces of water from the engine, and you should be OK.