The outboard motor includes a lower unit that rotatably supports a propeller shaft installed with propellers, and a shift unit that switches a shift position. The lower unit is provided with an upwardly opened shift unit storage chamber and a lid member that covers the upper side of the shift unit storage chamber. The shift unit has a dog clutch that switches the shift position by reciprocating in parallel with the drive shaft, a shift fork member that reciprocates the dog clutch in parallel with the drive shaft, and an actuator that reciprocates the shift fork member in parallel with the drive shaft. The actuator is supported by the lid member.

An outboard motor and methods of use thereof in general, includes a powerhead removeably affixed to the transom of a boat, and a gear case rotationally connected to a propeller shaft, the outboard motor including a telescopic drive shaft, the telescopic drive shaft having a first drive shaft section rotationally connected to the motor and a second drive shaft section rotationally connected to the gear case, and a telescopic drive shaft housing, the telescopic drive shaft housing configured to support the telescopic drive shaft internally therethrough, whereby the telescopic drive shaft and the telescopic drive shaft housing are configured to provide depth adjustment for the gear case and the propeller shaft, and thus enable the propeller to be raised and lowered during propulsion to improve propulsion efficiency.

A marine engine assembly has a housing including an outer housing having a front wall, an inner housing disposed in the outer housing and being connected to the outer housing by at least one housing fastener disposed at at least one first position, a cover removably connected to the outer housing, and a gearcase connected to a lower portion of the outer housing. An internal combustion engine has a front face connected to and supported by the inner housing by at least one engine fastener disposed at at least one second position being different from the at least one first position, and a crankshaft defining a crankshaft axis intersecting the front wall of the outer housing. The inner housing is disposed at least in part between the front face of the internal combustion engine and the front wall of the outer housing.

A marine drive has a supporting frame for coupling the marine drive to a marine vessel; a gearcase supporting a propulsor for propelling the marine vessel in water; an extension leg disposed between the supporting frame and the gearcase; and an adapter plate between the supporting frame and the extension leg. A tube is in the extension leg. The tube has a lower end which is coupled to the gearcase and upper end which is coupled to the adapter plate by a compression nut threaded onto the tube, wherein threading the compression nut down on the tube compressively engages the compression nut with the adapter plate, which in turn clamps the extension leg between the supporting frame and the gearcase.

An outboard motor has a top cowl and a service lid on the top cowl is movable into and between a closed position enclosing the powerhead compartment and an open position providing manual access to the powerhead compartment from above the outboard motor. An engine is in the powerhead compartment, wherein a peripheral gap is defined between the top cowl and the engine. A serviceable engine oil device is in the peripheral gap and is manually accessible from above the outboard motor when the service lid is in the open position. A serviceable transmission fluid device is in the peripheral gap and is manually accessible from above the outboard motor when the service lid is in the open position. A serviceable gearcase fluid device is in the peripheral gap and is manually accessible from above the outboard motor when the service lid is in the open position.

A marine engine assembly has a housing; an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft; and a driveshaft assembly driven by the crankshaft. The driveshaft assembly has: a first driveshaft having a first end operatively connected to the crankshaft; a second driveshaft having a first end connected to a second end of the first driveshaft, the first end of the second driveshaft being rotationally fixed relative to the second end of the first driveshaft, the first and second driveshafts being concentric, one of the first and second driveshafts being disposed at least in part inside another one of the first and second driveshafts, the second driveshaft extending from its first end toward the first end of the first driveshaft; and a third driveshaft having a first operatively connected to the second driveshaft. The marine engine assembly also has a propulsion device operatively connected to a second end of the third driveshaft.

An outboard motor has a cowling, a gearcase, a midsection located axially between the cowling and the gearcase, a steering arm extending forwardly from the midsection, and an anti-ventilation plate between the midsection and the gearcase. A wing extends laterally from the steering arm. The wing, a lateral side of the cowling, and a lateral side of the gearcase together define a side tripod which supports the outboard motor in a side laydown position. The anti-ventilation plate has a rear edge with laterally outer rear support members, which together with the rear of the cowling form a rear tripod which supports the outboard motor in a rear laydown position.

An outboard motor 10 includes a drive shaft 33, a propeller shaft 35, a worm wheel 66, and a worm 67. The drive shaft is connected to a drive motor 37 via a reduction unit 38. The propeller shaft is connected via a bevel gear unit to intersect the drive shaft. The worm wheel is disposed coaxially with the drive shaft and rotates to turn the propeller shaft around the drive shaft. The worm engages with the worm wheel and is connected to a steering motor. The worm has a torque receiving portion.

An outboard marine engine comprises an internal combustion engine; a lower gearcase, a set of gears disposed in the lower gearcase, the set of gears being configured to transfer power from the internal combustion engine to drive a propulsor to generate a thrust on the outboard marine engine, and a dipstick that extends into the lower gearcase. The dipstick is removable from the lower gearcase and configured to indicate a level of lubrication in the lower gearcase.

A marine propulsion apparatus including a first strut and a second strut, each extending from a proximal end to a distal end, wherein the proximal ends of the first and second struts are coupled to an anti-ventilation plate, a lower unit coupled to the distal ends of the first strut and the second strut, the lower unit the lower unit housing a sprocket, a shaft rotatably coupled to the sprocket, a propeller coupled to the shaft proximate the tail portion of the lower unit, the propeller configured to rotate with the shaft, a belt rotatably coupling the drive shaft to the sprocket, wherein the belt is disposed within the interior belt voids of the first and second struts; and at least one thermal circuit channel extending through a portion of the anti-ventilation plate, the at least one thermal circuit configured to channel a coolant to flow therethrough.