Mariner Yamaha 15, a sad day...

[ruddles]

It is with great regret that I deep six the Mariner / Yamaha 15, sob sob... I knew it briefly, but alas, all good things come to an end.

Corrosion had got the better of this old girl, beyond the point of even an uneconomical repair. Ah well, one project less, the tohatsu 5 air cooled is fine, mint and no siezed bolts. We are going to have a wake tonight, or even this afternoon. All invited, bring beer and a gas axe to take home a small token of its once healthly life..

I am filling up, will have to find the fridge.

Some you can make live again, some need euthanasia, this fell into the latter category. At least it made me take all the main securing bolts out of the Tohatsu 18 and smear them with duralac or wheel bearing grease as applicable, then re torque.
I have to go n get the black shorts and tee shirt now. No flowers please, just cash.....

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by ruddles

It is with great regret that I deep six the Mariner / Yamaha 15, sob sob... I knew it briefly, but alas, all good things come to an end.

Corrosion had got the better of this old girl, beyond the point of even an uneconomical repair. Ah well, one project less, the tohatsu 5 air cooled is fine, mint and no siezed bolts. We are going to have a wake tonight, or even this afternoon. All invited, bring beer and a gas axe to take home a small token of its once healthly life..

I am filling up, will have to find the fridge.

Some you can make live again, some need euthanasia, this fell into the latter category. At least it made me take all the main securing bolts out of the Tohatsu 18 and smear them with duralac or wheel bearing grease as applicable, then re torque.
I have to go n get the black shorts and tee shirt now. No flowers please, just cash.....

Some pics of that would be good-just to show people how bad it can get and why they should flush

[chewy]

Sorry to here of your loss mate, I've got the same engine, longshaft Marathon and its a little bute.

[ruddles]

Hiya Nos, sorry, in a fit of depression I deep sixed it.. all I have left is the hood.. should have taken pix !!.. DOH !!

Main problem was all six lower leg bolts sheared, not too much of a worry.. then all six powerhead bolts, heat etc did nothing to help... even those I could have happily sorted with the drill press and taps..
Then, on removing the powerhead, the lower bearing carrier was disintegrated, totally captain cooked !. Shame, as the head unit was in reasonable nick.


No doubt it WAS a great unit. What it HAS tought me, I was previously aware but lazy on this point, is to remove the main fixing bolts, leg, powerhead etc at least once a year, today, well, this morning, I took the lower leg off the towy 18, it was mint, should be, only two years old !. undid each powerhead bolt in turn, cleaned and greased and retorqued. Whilst the leg was down, cleaned the water pump, greased all bolt threads etc. there was no corrosion, but had there been any, I would have cleaned the area and applied zinc chromate or similar. next job is to remove the whole leg and check internals.
As a full time liveaboard cruising sailor, these things are a life investment. I NEVER expect to replace it.. so a stitch in time still holds true.
Yes, pity I didnt take pics.

Rudds

[Locozodiac]

Rudds: My sincere condolences about your Yam loss. Will there be any burrial ceremony in Portugal ?

Can't you Helicoil all worn internal engine threads, is it too late ? That's why i'm convinced that no matter how well you treat your beloved water companion from time to time (2-3 years) you must take appart engine head to clean internal cylinders water passages, exhaust passages, thermostat, etc. Being the cylinder head down, you can take advantage to have it completely decarbonized. Put new gaskets which are cheap, grease all bolts, screws and retorque to manufacturer's specs.

Take lower leg appart, clean & grease bolts threads, check impeller housing, impeller, locking key, water rubber connectors, replace if excesively worn out, torque, grease engine drive shaft, propeller shaft. Change oil, look for oil leaks, etc. All these issues are just part of overall maintenance, no big related costs, cheap parts and time you want to spend on engine. Will help the engine perform same as when was brand new, remember. If you are a sufficient skilled, nobody will do the job better than you, so why pay excesive fees to someone else to do the job worst.

Happy Boating

[ruddles]

Hello Locozodiac
It was a small burial, with a few friends only.. sob sob... just a large spash or 3... lol
Helicoil or drill out and retap, no worries, do that many times. Problem here was the whole part of the lower bearing carrier below the powerhead had corroded so badly that even the 2 crankcase halfs were severely damaged. The rest of the powerhead was in great condition. This area, inside the upper leg, is subject to the full corrosive effects of the salt water. Tapping a screwdrvier with the hand punctured the crankcase in the surrounding area. a definite write off.

Absolutely agree with your comments re the inspection. This Yam has proved to me its the only way to keep the engine in great condition. I will add to my maintanance list remove powerhead, remove exhaust cover and speperator plate, also remove cylinder head and clean, new gaskets and grease / retorque bolts. If all the bolts are easy to remove it is a simple process on a lightweight twin, even on the deck of a yacht, or a marina berth without an ouboard stand.

[9D280]

Loco, Ruddle's description sounds a lot like what I think I'm going to find - I'd have pics for you of my head (see other post) but life got in the way again this weekend, so it's on my "to do" list for this week. Watch this space......

If Ruddles got a screwdriver through the metal using his bare hands it sounds about the same state as the head casting on my 55 twin- (stripped the newly cut thread inserting a helicoil!) I've found a replacement head, and hopefully I'll get a call back telling me he's found the block as well (I' now forming the disaster plan, because i'm pretty convinced I'm going to find the same problem one gasket down. The assumption is if the yard has managed split them sucessfully, they may be in better material condition than mine. (and that gasket is more likely to have had oil forced into the trheads than water- says he almost delusionally!!) If it comes to a block swap, I'll hanging the wee Suz on the transom so I can at least keep running, and can spend the winter at relative leisure rebuilding the yam.

Mind you, if I'm changing the block there's part of me thinking plan C may be the better option: Plan C is to break & sell it for spares & replace it!

[ruddles]

Hello 9D280, hope you dont mind me replying as your post was aimed at locozodiac.
Hope you have better luck !. I really do. Which other post do you refer to ?.

On my 15, the corrosion problem was mainly the underside of the powerhead inside the upper leg area. Totally swiss cheese, seriously buggered. I had the engine given, so no great loss, as I am on my boat in Portugal, it was not even worth stripping it for spares to seel as I cant afford the space to keep the bits, so glug glug it went, a happy home for a few hermit crabs. I wouldnt despair TOO much yet.

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/northwales...MEFSX:SELLERID

Try this guy for real cheap parts on ebay. At least your 55 twin has the crank you can strip and rebuild, so maybe the worst case is a block and head. Darn sight cheaper than another engine of dubious condition. I would NEVER now buy a second hand older outboard without a full inspection and at least lower leg and powerhead removal, may sound harsh, but its the way to go. I would offer the seller the price of the gaskets to SEE the item in its main broken down state. Or, not bother, what looks shiney outside often suffers from the mudguard principle, shine on top, full of crappo underneath.
IU dont think yam are better or worse than others, although maybe a few observations on differences between yam and tohatsu are called for. for instance, in the powerhead fixing, the yam has closed threads into the crankcase, the tohatsu has ope threads, meaning you can get to the TOP of the thread area inside the top cover to add penetrating oil, the yam you cant, corrosion that starts here can be terminal, or at least a nightmare to repair. The yam lower leg are, inc gearbox, has ss bolts threaded into closed aluminium threads, the tohatsu has studs in the leg, different ballgame altogether. If I had a 55 HP yam, I would be reasonably confident of a fairly cheap rebuild whatever the problem, compared to replacing it. a 15 on the other hand is not fetching much dosh, the crank is one piece (well, pressed together with rods non removable etc. If your work means at the worst case a new block and head, or indeed, good second hand ones, then fine.
I really wish you luck.
I now intend to remove the powerhead every two years, regardless of uses, strip and reassemble. Same with the lower leg gearbox area. as Loco says, the gaskets are cheap - look at some of the yank suppliers.. you can get a full rebuild kit for your 55 for around 30 quid.

DOnt give up.. have a beer or 10 and get the bugger sorted .. it will be ok I am sure.

Rudds

[ruddles]

Hi sir, heres a brief spec sheet for your yam. the 48 is the same engine basically. What year is it, I may be able to help with a source of spares ?
Rudds

[ruddles]

http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Ya...DER/parts.html

[Locozodiac]

Originally Posted by ruddles

I would NEVER now buy a second hand older outboard without a full inspection and at least lower leg and powerhead removal, may sound harsh, but its the way to go. What looks shiney outside often suffers from the mudguard principle, shine on top, full of crappo underneath.

Rudds

The issue about buying used engines from simply users, guys that only add gasoline/oil and take engine to service when have been left adrift in middle of sea, is that you are probably buying a nice pandora box along with engine. One issue that forgot to mention: when ever a engine is stripped for internal maintenence (powerhear/lower leg removal) is that always brush paint with bearing grease powerhead bottom/middle leg attached to powerhead/water pump housing, this will help prevent premature corrosion, salt formations & crusts on them, will still be able to find grease on your next removal. Use a good grease that is anticorrosion and that repels salt water well.

Periodic 2/3 years use maintenance is a must, compared to ribbers, we sibbers use smaller HP engines, much easier & friendly to strip, economic to repair in order to maintain in top mint conditions. Example of a heavyly 12 years old 15 HP engine periodically stripped for total maintenance/overhaull. (The engine head inside parts are still factory original)


Happy Boating

[9D280]

Ruddles,

The other thread is this one:
http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=26764
My post was aimed at Loco simply 'coz he's already asked the corrosion question last week.

Basically went to change the thermostat, sheared 3/4 bolts on the housing (with virtually no effort whatsoever), found they had welded in to the point that a week steeping them & heat & all the other usual thread extraction tricks didn't work, so went for the helicoil fix, and basically stripped one thread in the head with nothing more than a helicoil (still on the insertion tool!)

Thanks for the info, I am aware it shares bits with a lot of similar sized yams (I believe sizeable chunks of the leg / clamp are even interchangeable with the 3 cyl autolube machines). I have sourced a shop who specialise in older engines, who tells me he has a couple of them that are only in his "dead shed" due to meeting the bottom at speed. (i.e they died from a terminal gearbox impact). I guess fortunately for me, it was probably cheaper to replace than repair. Work's been getting in the way the last few eves, but will hopefully have the head off by the end of the week & find out just how terminal the corrosion is. I'll make the decision after that.

It's a '78/79 vintage