A few questions and problems with Mac 25

[Piotr]

I decided to post this under "General Interest" because the questions may pertain to more than just Mac 25.
As some of you know, this is my first season on Mac 25 and thanks to this Forum I successfully installed the block and tackle hoist for my outboard, and just this weekend installed (clumsily) a boom vang (big difference - any MacGregor needs one, IMHO).

Now for the problems:

1. A week ago I lost an outboard (I think it's just an impeller) and needed a tow to the marina (a Chesapeake forecast worked as always, and instead 5-10 kts wiinds, we had 0 kts wind), and my boss (aka wife) insisted I spend another $1,800 and buy a brand new 6.6 hp Mercury outboard RIGHT THERE AND THEN. So I did and the ouboard works great, except when I try putting it in reverse. It kicks hard and instead of locking in, the whole ouboard (with the propeller) jumps out of the water. It takes several tries to get it right and actually start moving. It does it at low, medium, and high throttle. Am I doing something wrong, or is it the dreaded warranty time?
2. The same outboard seems to have an irregular throttle, i.e it speeds up and slows down when cold and at idle - is that normal? Also, when under way, when I shift it into neutral at a medium throttle, it seems to speed up and I have to throttle back a lot. Again, is that normal, or am I doing something wrong?
3. The final issue is locking the keel. When at the dock, I can find the locking hole in the keel with no problem. Unfortunately, not only is my berth shallow (5 ft nominal), also going out to Chesapeake in a channel that should be 9-12 ft deep, just today I hit bottom (indicated by the boat slowing down substantially - at first I thought there was something wrong with the outboard). So I have to lock in keel while under way on the Bay - except the locking hole is not there! I can only assume that when powering (or even under sail) the unlocked keel swings backwards, and the locking holes no longer align. Any suggestions to that problem?

Thanks for any suggestions, guys!

 

[caguy]

If you dock is that shallow I would not extend the keel all the way down until I got to deeper waters.
You also might want to make sure that you rudder is able to pop up incase of a grounding. There is a jam cleat that releases under pressure. If you rig this up with a hold down line to the rudder, if the rudder hits some thing the jam cleat will cam over and realease the rudder. The jam cleat is cl257 and can be ordered by WM for about $21.
Check you motor and manual to make sure that your motor is locking down., it shouldn't pop up.

 

[thomasgoodmaniii]

my mercury motor has a tilt lock that engages in reverse via the shift shaft. there is a locking adjustable collar on the shift shaft that hits a lever to lock the motor in the down position. i imagine that the collar is out of adjustment. but in anycase this should be addressed by the dealer if the motor is new.

 

[Piotr]

my mercury motor has a tilt lock that engages in reverse via the shift shaft. there is a locking adjustable collar on the shift shaft that hits a lever to lock the motor in the down position. i imagine that the collar is out of adjustment. but in anycase this should be addressed by the dealer if the motor is new.

Thanks, I do know about the locking mechanism, but I wasn't sure if it was the outboard or me doing something wrong. For instance, it is possible I'm engaging the reverse gear at too much throttle, which does not give the locking mechanism enough time to engage.

 

[Piotr]

If you dock is that shallow I would not extend the keel all the way down until I got to deeper waters.
You also might want to make sure that you rudder is able to pop up incase of a grounding. There is a jam cleat that releases under pressure. If you rig this up with a hold down line to the rudder, if the rudder hits some thing the jam cleat will cam over and realease the rudder. The jam cleat is cl257 and can be ordered by WM for about $21.
Check you motor and manual to make sure that your motor is locking down., it shouldn't pop up.

Thanks, caguy. I bought a sacrificial bolt from BWY and it works great, so I don't tie down the rudder too tightly. However, my main problem is that when under way, I cannot locate the keel locking hole. I do not have the same problem while tied down at the dock. So my question is if it's possible that the water pressure moves (swings) the keel aft just enough to move the hole and to make it impossible to lock the keel down?

as to the outboard, I spoke with an experienced mechanic who thought I was doing something wrong with the ouboard for the locking mechanism not engaging. I'll try to shift without running the motor and check if mechanism engages while at rest. It COULD be that the whole mechanism is out of alignment (see the post above) or that it's too tight (new motor). I just womndered if this is common in new outboards.

 

[caguy]

To locate the hole I would lower my keel all the way until the cable was loose. Then I would crank the cable in until I hear the pawl click. On mine, 8 more turns would line the holes up. You will need help the first time to figure out how many turns works for you.

 

[thomasgoodmaniii]

the shift rod engages the tilt lock mechanisim if you had a side shift unit i suppose you could be shifting into gear with such force that it may stop the lock from fully engaging. you should really look up a parts diagram or look at your engine to fully understand how the lock works. as the shift shaft is moved a locking collar on the shaft (externally mounted below the engine cowling between the motor mount braket and the middle section of your engine) that contacts a lever that locks your motor tilt in place. when not in reverse it alows your motor to kick up in the event of grounding or obstruction.

 

[timebandit]

You might try here
http://www.tohatsu.com/tech_info/own_man_pdfs/Toh_MFS8A_MFS98A.pdf

pages 22 and 27 seem relevent to most outboards I have worked on.

 

[Roger Long]

my boss (aka wife) insisted I spend another $1,800

Wow, you have got one of the rarest and most essential resources a married boater could have, a wife who insists that you spend more money on the boat.

 

[THECUSCUS]

On my V25, 35 cranks down from the full up position gets my lockdown holes aligned, but I only sight it in to get the keel in the correct downward spot. I do not use a lockdown bolt, when sailing/racing I am always cranking it up or down. I have a cork stuck in each side of the trunk to keep the water out.
With the outboard, one should bring the engine back to idle speed, then into neutral for a second or two before shifting into the opposite gear. You geartrain will last longer this way.