I took the boat out today, and out of the blue the clutch made a loud metal grinding noise, and the clutch disengaged. I got it to reengage, and I went another 30 feet and the same thing. I decided I would just try to idle back to the ramp a couple of miles. While I was idling back to the ramp, I could hear something pinging around inside the block! Not good I know. Then I hear another crunch, and the clutch was gone. This time it would not reengage. I was towed in by Sea Tow, and when I got to the ramp I found what I think the culprit was, a screw from the Mikuni laying inside the gear housing for the reverse...underneath the clutch. Pro Drive Hydraulic FPR

(While working on my carb the other day, I dropped a screw and I couldn't find it anywhere. I thought it could have bounced off of the muffler and into the shaft, but I thought no way...Well there it was, but it was underneath the clutch...)

I got the screw removed, and I cranked it up and the clutch engaged. I ran at the ramp engaged no problem. I put it back in the water, and I ran a few tests run (close to the ramp) and I would be running and the clutch would just disengage. I would stop the motor, and reengage the clutch and did this one more time. The last time I just idled in, but then I could hear something pinging around inside the block again!

When I got home I pulled the valve covers, and all was good. I then drained the oil hoping whatever was pinging around inside the engine would drain out. I tried to rig a filter to see if anything came out, but it didn't hold in the funnel...so i am not sure. I filled it back up with oil and I cranked it up to see of I could hear whatever it was pinging around. I could not. I engaged the clutch and ran it for awhile and then the clutch would just disengage out of the blue. I am assuming the clutch is fried, but I am not sure. I read some posts and they mentioned the wiring. I will check this, because I did disconnect and then reconnect some wires to the battery yesterday. Maybe the screw was just a coincidence? What would you make of the metal noise bouncing around inside the block?

You have some bad luck!

No doubt! I am about ready to strip my motor for parts and start over! it is getting stupid at this point. I found a Briggs repair shop tjamt said they could fix it while I waited on Tuesday... We will see. Is it just standard clutch? The service center seemed to think it was, and that they had one in stock.

I dunno man. I've been told that you can get them other places, and I've also been told it's a special clutch designed for PD. The mechanism itself should be pretty much the same across the board, but I believe the housing that accepts the spline adapter is a PD specific part. Maybe they can sell you one of their clutches and use the parts needed off your old one? I don't have my spare in front of me right this second. I know it is easy to disassemble, but can't remember if the part we need comes off or not...

Yeah, I just went out and checked the connections, they all seem to be good. The clutch will stay engaged until you run it for a few seconds over about 3800 RPM's...this is out of the water, and then it just disengages. There is no sound when it disengages you can just see the prop stop turning....

If any PD guys on here know if it is a standard clutch or one specifically for PD it would be helpful. I am assuming it was one for PD, because I couldn't even find a clutch on the Parts List.... Thank you!

Does the PTO switch disengage?

No- the PTO stays engaged---no sound from the solenoid...nothing....

Damn. Where are you located

Florida...

This is totally a guess but some of these types of electronic clutches have thermal protection to disengage the clutch if they build up too much heat. I'd call PD on Tuesday and see what they say.

Regarding the pinging, if your running 87 octane you may be hearing preignition of the fuel. One other thought is there any chance you could have dropped a different screw or nut into the intake while the carb was off? If so you may have that bouncing around in the combustion chamber. That means pulling the heads or you can pull the spark plugs and crank the engine hoping it will spit out of the spark plug hole.

I didn't drop anything else. I dropped that one screw, and it must have bounced perfectly to end up where it did! I only run 93 Octane and the fuel was fresh, it was definitely something getting g thrown around in there. HD, was working on the carb, and the boat was outside uncovered, so technically something could hav gotten into the intake while they put in the new needle...

That is a good idea go crank the engine with a plug removed...I am going to try that. Thx for the advice. Does this situation sound like a fried clutch? It will engage, but then disengages after a few seconds above 3800 RPM.... I am not looking to go through the hassle of rePlacing the clutch if this sounds like another problem. I am going to call PD on Tuesday....

Actually, it's a dumbazz idea to run it with a chance a something still in there. You really think its actually come out the plug hole before it does any damage? Kinda like trying to get the wife's ring out the garbage disposal by turning it on and hoping it will come flying out the hole. Pull the heads, it's not hard.

You would def know if you had something in the cylinder. Probably would have power lose and would run like crap

Well if.....ah nevermind. Hope you can get it figured out. Troubleshooting can be much worse than fixing.

When a clutch goes bad it can do just like you describe and disengage. Can sound like chiat to. Mine did the same thing and I had 3 or 4 broke bands on the clutch. It would grab at times and make a little distance going in and out. I finally got it to stay engaged and idled on in to the launch.

I actually did this today. Never heard or saw anything spit out, and I was thinking the same thing, whatever damage was done has already been done. I haven't heard anything either.

Interesting though the engine would start with the left plug out, and would not start with the right plug out. Is this normal? I had never tried to start the engine with a spark plug removed on one side!

Whatever dude. I was just going off your statement. About, him possibly dropping another screw or something in there then, telling him to run it to fling it out. Maybe no damage has been done yet, but that doesn't mean it can not do any damage.

I went over to a buddies house today who has a lift, and we got the clutch replaced today. Man that thing was a biatch to get off!! The inside of the clutch was not only melted, put some of the internal parts failed completely. They were cracked, and several parts were actually sheered off, with one of the key's completely broken off. I am assuming these are the parts I heard in my engine....I am just assuming they were dinging around inside the clutch itself though which is good news.. Thx for all of the advice and input...

Good deal - now that you got a new clutch - you ready to kill some birds ! ! !


Good Luck this season....

Boy thats the truth - dang drought is the worst we have ever seen....

Fellow once told me about hunting over clear plastic - cause it looks like water
to a duck flying by - might have to give that little tale a test drive - LOL

Yeah, you could see he was really confused when he hit! He was so confused he sat there for a couple of minutes until he figured out he was not in water...