TOPIC: 1972 Evinrude 80273c 50 hp

The outboard came with a boat that I bought. The previous owner stared it was working several years ago. I took cover out and tried to turn the fly wheel and will not move. Same with propeller. It might be seized. So my am question is shall I take spark plugs out and spray wd40 in them over a week and see what will happen? Any advice will be great.

The lower unit should be in forward.

---

That is the way it is when motor is not running.

---

You should be able to move the prop a bit the way it is.

---

If not then take the lower unit off and see where the problem is.

Do I need to put a battery on to put it in forward?

Yes and no

---

The motor must be running in order to be able to shift out of forward gear.!!----It has an oil pump that must be turning in order to provide oil pressure to do the shifting.---When one of these motors is not running the lower unit is spring loaded to go into forward.

Sometimes if you keep the motor tipped up like in your photo and put transmission fluid in the cylinders for a few days she will loosen up the pistons. If your crank is welded you're pretty much screwed into a complete teardown.
Cal

How about spraying the cylinders with wd-40?

Lower unit might be seized.

So I took the cover out today to inspect the motor. It is freezing here in NJ. Toolkit the plugs out I have a small light that fit inside the spark plugs location, looked into cylinders All clean no rust just carbon deposit. Looked around and if states in. 2 places to put it in neutral before starting engine. I am assuming that for the lower unit to go in Neutral if needs to be connected to the battery. I found another article that states that when outboard is off it engage into Forward.



So the magic question is do I need a battery?

What they are saying is that you have to select nuetral on the control !

---

Even with the battery hooked up the motor will still be in forward !!

---

It is not until the motor makes about one revolution that it kicks into nuetral. ---Simply put that is the way it works on these " Hydro-Electric " lower units.

---

It DOES NOT SHIFT UNTIL IT IS TURNING whether that is with a rope or with the starter motor.

---

So just once more --Proper oil must be in the lower unit and full.--The battery must be hooked up.

---

Nuetral selected

---

Key turned on

---

Then when motor turns it kicks into nuetral after one turn with a rope or starter motor.

Ok got you so the next step is getting a manual to figure out how to change the fluid and repair whatever needs to be repaired. Any recommendations?
2nd u will get a bsttery to
Hook up to
The outboard.

I must add to what the professor said by "proper oil" These selectric lower units function with magnets. You shift into neutral and it powers an electro magnet that pulls/pushes the gear away from the forward set of teeth, same with reverse, shift into reverse and a coil magnet pulls/pushes the gear into position. That being said you cannot use regular lower unit (gear) oil. It must be the proper lube for the electric lower unit. All OMC dealers should carry the stuff and I know that some of our local "farm" stores also have it.
Cal

Sorry, there are 2 solenoids in the lower unit.-These solenoids operate valves.----When motor is turning the oil pump provides pressure to move the shift piston according to what is selected ( nuetral and reverse ).----The shift piston pushes on the clutch dog to do the shifting.

---

These units are elegantly simple and very reliable too.

OK. I concede, I was thinking of the old model 800 I/O I used to have many years ago.

In the above electric shift the magnet pulls / drags the spring.----The spring then wraps itself tight around the drum to do the driving.---The gears / springs are meshed and spinning all the time when the engine is running.

---

The drum is splined to the prop shaft

---

Also elegantly simple and reliable too.

Always smooth shifting also, no grinding and gnashing of teeth.