A marine outboard motor for a marine vessel is provided. The marine outboard motor includes an internal combustion engine, a drive shaft configured to transmit a drive force from the internal combustion engine, a propeller shaft, and a drive transmission configured to transmit the drive force from the drive shaft to the propeller shaft. The motor also includes a lubrication system configured to convey lubricant along a lubricant flow path to lubricate one or both of the drive transmission and the drive shaft, and a lubricant filter provided along the lubricant flow path and configured to remove solid contaminants from the lubricant as it flows along the lubricant flow path. The lubricant filter is configured to be driven by the drive shaft.

There are included: a motor contained in a top cover; a vertical shaft that is rotationally driven by the motor, the vertical shaft being contained in an extension casing; and a propeller that is rotationally driven by the vertical shaft, the propeller being provided at a gear casing. A heat exchanging member is provided that is positioned below an anticavitation plate and above a propeller shaft that rotationally drives the propeller, and inside the heat exchanging member, a cooling oil channel member is provided that cooling oil for cooling the motor flows through.

A boat propulsion machine includes a power source, a drive shaft, a propeller, a gear mechanism, a gear case, a tank configured to store a cooling liquid for cooling the power source, a heat sink configured to cool the cooling liquid, a cooling liquid passage connecting the power source and the heat sink, and a pump a pump configured to pump the cooling liquid to circulate through the cooling liquid passage. The power source, the tank, and the pump are provided at an upper portion of the boat propulsion machine. The gear case is provided at a lower portion of the boat propulsion machine. The drive shaft extends in an upper-lower direction between the power source and the gear mechanism. The heat sink is provided at a position lower than the power source and higher than the gear case in the boat propulsion machine.

A method is for making a marine drive for propelling a marine vessel in water. The method includes providing a gearcase; installing a propeller shaft assembly that extends forwardly from the gearcase; coupling front and rear propellers to the propeller shaft assembly, forwardly of the gearcase, such that rotation of the propeller shaft assembly causes rotation of the front and rear propellers, respectively, which thereby propels the marine vessel in the water; and reducing deleterious effects of cavitation on the gearcase by the combination of forming the gearcase with a wide trailing end portion, in particular to maintain pressure alongside the gearcase, and configuring the front and rear propellers so that the front propeller absorbs more torque/thrust load than the rear propeller during said rotation.

A gearcase for a marine propulsion system has an input shaft rotatable about a central axis of rotation and an output shaft coaxially arranged with the input shaft. A clutch assembly is operable between a first clutch position and a second clutch position, wherein, when the clutch assembly is in the first clutch position, the input shaft is coupled to the output shaft for rotating the output shaft in a first rotational direction. When the clutch assembly is in the second clutch position a gear assembly operably connects the input shaft to the output shaft for rotating the output shaft in an opposite second rotational direction. The gearcase can be part of a marine propulsion system, such as an outboard motor for a mud boat. A method of transferring power in a gearcase and a marine propulsion system are also disclosed.

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 method is for making a marine drive for propelling a marine vessel in water. The method includes providing a gearcase; installing a propeller shaft assembly that extends forwardly from the gearcase; coupling front and rear propellers to the propeller shaft assembly, forwardly of the gearcase, such that rotation of the propeller shaft assembly causes rotation of the front and rear propellers, respectively, which thereby propels the marine vessel in the water; and reducing deleterious effects of cavitation on the gearcase by the combination of forming the gearcase with a wide trailing end portion, in particular to maintain pressure alongside the gearcase, and configuring the front and rear propellers so that the front propeller absorbs more torque/thrust load than the rear propeller during said rotation.

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.

A marine propulsion device includes a first gear, a second gear, a third gear, a case, a partition wall, and a first flow path. The case includes an internal space in which the first gear, the second gear, and the third gear are located. The partition wall is located between the second gear and the third gear in the internal space. The partition wall partitions the internal space into a first space and a second space. The second gear is located in the first space. The third gear is located in the second space. The first flow path communicates the first space with the second space. The first flow path is located on a same side as the first gear with respect to a center line of the second gear and the third gear.

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.