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Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] outboard and subs
> Agreed Carsten!
>
> Somebody asked me how I start my outboard after having being submerged and
> flooded in the water.
> Well i dont know if it works i never tried, and will not seems to me that
> the engine would be badly damaged after submersions.
> In the Navy we used to plug inlet and exhaust, then submerge the sub up to
> 20 Ft for a long ride with electric motors , when back to the surface,
> unplug the outboard and start it.
> Now what I do is somehow to pressure compensate my outboard so that the
> water never gets inside , regardless of the depth up to 130 Ft and stays dry
> for a sart up once back to surface.
> Herve
< warning - crazy ideas follow ;-) >
You could start by building an open-bottomed shell that
fits over the top of the outboard motor. This shell would
trap a bubble of air inside, keeping the motor dry. You
could install a float switch inside the shell, such that
when you submerged, and the water level rose inside of the
shell, air was released inside the shell to maintain the volume
of air inside the shell, and thus keeping the motor dry. On
ascent, the extra air just overflows out. You'd need to make
sure that the crankcase and other passages weren't 100% sealed.
Now for the crazy ideas.
Let's say on your little outboard engine, you extended the
prop shaft forward, through a seal, to the outside of the
lower unit housing. You then attach a 2-3 hp electric motor,
in a water-proof housing, to this shaft (or just build it
inside of the outboards' lower unit.
What is all of this worth? When you're going to submerge,
you put the gas outboard in neutral, submerge, and run
the electric motor to turn the outboard's prop. When
you're surfaced, you just run the outboard to turn the
same prop. Simple, one prop, electric and gas. Oh, and
as long as the gas outboard is spinning the electric motor
when you're surfaced, you might as well charge your batteries
off of it.
You were warned. ;-)
-John