Newbridge Navigator Outboard well

[bccjbn]

Help please. I recently bought a Navigator that came with a Honda 5HP 4-stroke. As it hadn't been started for over a year I took it to the local Honda dealer & had it reconditioned. Back on the boat on first attempt to start it the teeth on the nylon cog-wheel of the starter assembly jumped out of mesh with the teeth on the fly-wheel and jammed. The dealer came out and fitted a new starter assembly. First pull and it happened again. Dealer says there is nothing wrong with the outboard and that the problem is 'the ridiculously steep' angle at which the cord has to be pulled. Strange as the outboard has been on the boat for several years and this seems a popular choice of outboard for this type of boat.
Anyone else had the problem? If so, have you solved it? Suggestions very welcome.

 

[beachbum]

Same setup (except Tohatsu instead of Honda), and I know the situation - the o/b is too deep in the well and/or too near the front to get a straight pull on the cord. I had mine moved back a bit because the wooden mounting block was rotting anyway, but that doesn't solve it completely. I just find it a bit inconvenient, it's never caused an actual problem with the engine. I have heard of people fitting a small block to "turn" the cord, though.

 

[halcyon]

Help please. I recently bought a Navigator that came with a Honda 5HP 4-stroke.
Anyone else had the problem? If so, have you solved it? Suggestions very welcome.

Had a Navigator for a couple of years, never had a problem starting it, Yanmar from memory.

Now when you come to go astern then there is a problem, well we did, shout if you have a problem and I will give you the solution we came up with. Also run the engine with the cover open, used to be the old rule with them.

Hope you have fun with her.

Brian

 

[VicS]

You dont say exactly what model engine you have but all those 5hp Hondas i have checked on appear to have the same recoil starter mechanism

and it is difficult to see why the angle at which the cord is pulled outside the case will have any effect on the operation of the starter inside the case.

Some outboards are deliberately designed to allow for a vertical pull (Yamahas IIRC) and even my Evinrude has a guide for the cord on the outside of the case to facilitate a near vertical pull.

I think you should look at this very carefully to determine why it is jamming with a vertical pull. Make sure that the whole recoil mechanism is securely mounted in particular check that the fixing at the front (screw #17) is not allowing the assembly to tilt when subjected to a near vertical pull.

 

[lancelot]

Newbridge Navigator Outboard Well

Hi.
I had a Navigator with a Honda 5hp., Tranter was her name, a real beauty. I had no trouble starting her with the cord - nothing ever broke except my back when I had to take the engine in and out for a service. The engine was also mounted on the wooden blocks. I wonder if the blocks are mounted in the right place on yours? As I say I have never experienced this problem, the engine fired up without a hitch. Good luck.
Fair winds,
Lancelot

 

[beachbum]

No problem at all going astern. So long as you want to go in a circle...

 

[halcyon]

No problem at all going astern. So long as you want to go in a circle...

I learnt that one sunny summer day at Mylor, pulled into a finger to pick something up. Went astern out of the finger, anti-clockwise rotation, went ahead to leave, we went ahead on a clock-wise circle back into the finger. To add insult to injury, it was under the Yacht club balcony, all the verbal!!!!. Ended up getting the workboat to pull the bow round.

Solved it by fitting a bungey cord to hold the motor central, and not lock the motor in a straight line. To turn crew holds rudder straight ahead, and you turn engine against the bungey in the direction you want to go.

Sound odd, but it worked well, you could go to port, starboard, and even straight astern, or foreward just like a proper yacht.

Brian

 

[beachbum]

Hmm - nice idea, may be less useful single-handed - one hand on tiller, one hand on engine, nowt left for owt else. Can't really reach engine whilst straddling tiller. Worth thinking about, though.

 

[lancelot]

Newbridge Navigator Outboard Well

This brings to mind a situation which happened a few years ago - Tranter our first boat. I was trying to take our lovely lady for an annual lift out. We kept her on a pontoon. My other lovely lady and grandson untied the lines for me to back out, swing round in the breeze and go. No chance! I tried to straighten up using the boat tiller, again, no chance. Shoved her into forward, could not turn for some reason. Hard into astern again, still not turning. I saw more people on the pontoon that day than I ever did, some enjoying the antics and some pale faces looking very worried. Boy was I stressed - almost hitting neighbouring boats.
My grandson asked his gran why granddad was whizzing back and for instead of taking the boat around to the lift out area?
You have probably guessed by now that the engine tiller was not aligned fore and aft. I never forgot again.
Fair winds,
Lancelot

 

[halcyon]

Hmm - nice idea, may be less useful single-handed - one hand on tiller, one hand on engine, nowt left for owt else. Can't really reach engine whilst straddling tiller. Worth thinking about, though.

I had a cord that held the rudder central when on the mooring, looped on tiller end, tied off on the two winch cleets.

Come on this is the PBO, lash-ups and all that.

Best of luck.

Brian

 

[seumask]

I have seen an well mounted out board that had the starter cord pulled through a pulley mounted on the front of the well to give a horizontal pull to the engine and a near vertical pull for the person starting it.

 

[bccjbn]

My solution

Thanks for all the responses. Interesting that no one else has encountered the same problem. For what it's worth I'll tell you my simple solution. I drilled a 30 mm hole in the well wall level with the starter handle then removed the handle and tied on a length of cord that leads through the new hole and re-fitted the handle. I now start the motor first time with a horizontal pull and the knot in the cord acts as a stop to prevent excessive cord being drawn back into the motor.

 

[beachbum]

Like the sound of that, think I may try it on mine. Don't have the same problem with the engine, but it would save chafe on both the cord and my knuckles!