Merc 90 ELPTO Quit Pulling ?

**KiK** · 04-30-2016, 06:45 PM

Put in last night on Cumberland (KY) and headed up the lake to do a little casting the rock walls. About 3/4 mile from ramp at WOT, it quit pulling and revved. Didn't hit anything...there was a little trash every now & then but nothing one would even feel on the hull. I quickly set it back to Neutral. No slipping or trouble prior to this. The boat is "new-to-me" so I have some time in the seat since purchase and everything worked great. Ran great and pushed the Xpress X17 with 2 people fine. First thought was a spun hub but never having encountered a spun hub before, I was just guessing and convinced myself this was my problem. Probably my wallet thinking there as the spun hub would be an easy fix. After sleeping, I went to shop today and engaged the gears both Forward & Reverse and I can still turn the prop easily. Seems I can feel or hear the shaft turning in the case. I figured I should not be able to turn the prop shaft while in gear. Removed the prop and put the prop nut back on the threads and a wrench and can still turn the shaft with both gears engaged.

2001 Mercury 90 ELPTO 2 stroke. Model 07270936. Low hours on engine and clean as a pin with maintenance records from the original owner. He lived on a lake and told me jokingly that the trolling motor probably had more hours on it than the big motor. He & his wife never run far and mostly used the electric motor. The Lazer II stainless prop don't have a nick on it and he said it's the original equipment when he bought it new. Nice guy & I take him at his word.

I know I'm not the only one to experience this and with the wealth of knowledge and experience here on C.com, I figure someone might enlighten me before I lose too much sleep. I read about many spun hubs on this and other Mercs but being able to freely spin the shaft while gear engaged worries me.

I might add...after it quit pulling and I dropped back into Neutral...the linkage felt a little tighter than it had. It moves into gear fine now on the trailer in the shop but thought I'd mention that if it's part of the issue. Hood off...I can't see anything wonky with the linkage, etc.

Thanks in advance.

**downtime** · 05-01-2016, 04:07 PM

If you can't see anything move with the linkage more than likely the shift cable is broken.Try having move it into gear while you look at linkage under the cowling and see if it moves even a little.

**KiK** · 05-01-2016, 05:35 PM

Thanks for the reply, downtime. I am seeing movement in both directions forward and reverse.

**"G"** · 05-01-2016, 07:30 PM

Sounds like a problem in the gear box...probably pinion gear stripped or something....If thats the case then metal particles have ruined the bearings too. Be cheaper if thats what it is to find a good used lower unit.

**KiK** · 05-01-2016, 09:44 PM

I guess I'll be wrenching on it tomorrow until I get to the cause & trouble.

**jigflinger** · 05-01-2016, 09:46 PM

Double check the hub. Hold the nut wut a socket and try to turn the prop. If it turns it's the hub. If it won't turn it's wrench time. Good luck.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

**KiK** · 05-01-2016, 10:48 PM

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping for a spun hub and now I'm hoping for a cable related issue. It's like it just kicked out of gear. No noises, no popping or crunching....water strong out of the pee hole...I find it hard to believe it is a serious internal case issue with the low hours on it but. Puzzled me how the prop will turn in either direction in either forward or reverse and I can hear/feel the shaft turning up in the case when I rotate the prop shaft. I figured someone else had something similar happen and could shed some light before I break out the wrenches. I read somewhere that a Johnson would "lock" when placed in gear and you couldn't turn the prop like this but a Merc wasn't that way. But that doesn't make sense to me how it could turn freely while in gear.

**kycreek** · 05-02-2016, 05:28 AM

Curious what you find out. I've got the same model/year motor on my Nitro. My experiences with spun hubs were on john boats with small motors but you could usually still propel the boat at a idle. It would slip a lot worse at a higher rpm. Would the boat move at all at idle?

**KiK** · 05-02-2016, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by kycreek

Curious what you find out. I've got the same model/year motor on my Nitro. My experiences with spun hubs were on john boats with small motors but you could usually still propel the boat at a idle. It would slip a lot worse at a higher rpm. Would the boat move at all at idle?

No, creek, it wouldn't move at idle.

**downtime** · 05-02-2016, 07:30 AM

I think your best bet is to drop the lower unit (unhook the speedometer tube) and go from their. Good luck as I've spun hubs before and I could always idle around but couldn't get on plane.

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