Abstract: An outboard motor comprising a water propulsion device and a cowling housing an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The engine has a body defining at least one combustion chamber and an output shaft arranged to drive the water propulsion device. The cowling has a front end and a rear end. The motor includes a handle which generally encircles at least a portion of the cowling, the handle having at least one gripping portion at the front or rear end of the cowling.

Abstract: An outboard motor according to the present invention has a generator. The outboard motor has a first passage for supplying air from above the generator and a second passage for supplying air from below the generator, so as to cool the generator. The first and second passages communicate with an air inlet opening provided in a front surface of an engine cover in a position below the generator.

Abstract: A grommet assembly for an outboard motor includes a grommet having a step, a flexible sleeve having a step and a connector configured to engage the step on the grommet and the step on the flexible sleeve. Preferably, the connector is in the form of an annular connector formed of two semicircular members connected to one another. Additionally, the step formed on the sleeve preferably is defined by a helical groove formed on the flexible sleeve. The connector preferably includes a helical wall defining a step that corresponds to the helical step formed on the flexible sleeve. The grommet assembly may also be in the form of a kit including a grommet having a step and a connector configured to engage the step on the grommet and a step formed on an existing flexible sleeve.

Abstract: An improved cowling arrangement for an outboard motor powered by an internal combustion engine. The improved arrangement includes a flywheel cover and cowling that incorporate upwardly and downwardly extending ribs which are positioned along an air path between the air vent of the outboard motor and the throttle body of the motor. These ribs act as labyrinth-type seals which prevent water entering the air vent from contacting the throttle body. Also disclosed is an improved cowling arrangement that prevents water pooled on the flywheel cover from draining onto the throttle body when the motor is tilted, such as when the watercraft banks into a turn.

Abstract: The vibro-acoustic energy produced by an engine is reduced by shrouding the powerhead with a blanket of material that both damps vibrations and absorbs acoustic wave energy. This vibro-acoustic treatment is applied on the inner surface or surfaces of a motor housing of a propulsion system. The housing is treated by adhering a sheet of acoustic barrier material to the housing inner surface. The acoustic barrier material is designed to block transmission therethrough of a substantial portion of impinging acoustic wave energy in a range from at least 1,000 to 3,000 hertz. The layer of adhesive material has a thickness such that impinging acoustic wave energy in a range of 1,000 to 3,000 hertz is efficiently converted into heat energy. An open-cell foam core laminated to the sheet of acoustic barrier material absorbs the trapped, blocked, acoustic wave energy. The open-cell foam core has an average pore size that is optimized to absorb acoustic wave energy in a range of 1,000 to 3,000 hertz.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes a cowling substantially enclosing a four-cycle engine therein. The engine has an air induction device for introducing air to a combustion chamber, and an exhaust system for communicating exhaust products away from the combustion chamber. A pair of camshafts actuate intake and exhaust valves. A variable valve timing (VVT) mechanism is arranged at an upper end of at least one of the camshafts to set the camshaft to an angular position between advanced and delayed angular positions. The cowling includes an air intake, and an engine cover is positioned between the engine and the air intake. The engine cover covers the top and sides of the VVT mechanism so as to protect the VVT mechanism from contact with water that may enter the cowling through the air intake.

Abstract: Air intake guide is provided within an engine cover and surrounded by a wall that is provided independently of an inner surface of the engine cover. The air intake guide has one end communicating with an air intake opening of the engine cover and the other end opening into an engine room.

Abstract: An outboard engine assembly is provided for dividing an engine room into two room sections with a sealing property to protect an air intake system from being adversely affected with heat generated by an exhaust system. The outboard engine assembly has a wall means serving as a partition wall to divide the engine room into two room sections. The wall means has a profile formed in a thick string which is placed between an outer side wall of a cylinder head cover and an inner side wall of an engine cover. In one of the two room sections, the air intake system is located for supplying intake air to a combustion chamber of an engine from outside. In the other one of the two room sections, the exhaust system is located for expelling exhaust emissions outside from the engine.

Abstract: An outboard motor according to the present invention has a generator. The outboard motor has a first passage for supplying air from above the generator and a second passage for supplying air from below the generator, so as to cool the generator. The first and second passages communicate with an air inlet opening provided in a front surface of an engine cover in a position below the generator.

Abstract: An outboard motor comprises an internal combustion engine and a protective cowling that surrounds the engine. The cowling comprises at least an upper portion and a lower portion. The engine comprises a cylinder block that defines a cylinder bore. A cylinder head member is fixed at one end of the cylinder block and encloses one end of the cylinder bore. A crankcase member is fixed at the other end of the cylinder block and encloses the other end of the cylinder bore. The crankcase member forms a crankcase chamber. A piston is positioned within the cylinder bore. A crankshaft is rotably journaled in the crankcase chamber and is connected to the piston. The piston, the cylinder bore and the cylinder head together define a combustion chamber. The cylinder block, the cylinder head member and the crankcase member together defining an engine body. A first air intake conduit communicates with the engine and extends generally along a side of the engine body.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes various protective covers for engine components. The outboard motor can include a protective cover for electrical wires which extend around an outer periphery of the engine, so as to protect the wires from being inadvertently dislodged when installing or removing an upper cowling. The outboard motor may also include a protective sleeve extending vertically, and through which wires are arranged to prevent the wires from contacting water which may collect in a lower portion of a powerhead of the outboard motor. Additionally, the outboard motor can also include a protective casing for electrical components including relays, fuses, and associated connectors. The protective casing includes a main storage portion and a substorage portion. The main storage portion includes a lid and is configured to have a watertight seal around only a portion of its outer periphery.

Abstract: A cowling assembly for an outboard motor includes an improved construction that can supply relatively cool air containing little if no water to the induction device and that can also supply air to cool engine components without reducing the charging efficiency. The outboard motor has an engine that includes an air induction device and is enclosed by the cowling. The induction device has an air inlet opening. The cowling assembly defines a closed cavity in which the engine is contained and has an air intake duct that introduces air into the cavity. The intake duct adjoins the inlet opening and has an opening opened to the cavity and positioned lower than a lower end of the inlet opening. In one form, the cowling assembly has at least one front air intake opening formed on a side surface of its front portion. A rear air intake opening is also formed on a rear surface of its rear end portion.

Abstract: A protective cowling arrangement for the power head of an outboard motor and an air inlet arrangement therefor. The cowling arrangement is comprised of a cowling portion that defines an internal area in which the engine of the outboard motor is contained and a pair of expansion chambers formed on opposite sides of the cowling assembly and each of which is provided with a respective air delivery port at a forward end thereof for increasing the air flow area available to the interior of the cowling assembly and for placing the point of air admission away from components of the associated engine that should be protected. An improved water gutter and drain arrangement is also employed to prevent water from entering into the engine area.

Abstract: An exhaust system for an outboard motor includes an improved construction that can reduce cost for providing an expansion chamber of an idle exhaust discharge. The outboard motor includes an engine and a protective cowling that surrounds the engine. The protective cowling includes a top and bottom cowling members. The expansion chamber of the idle exhaust route is defined by at least a bottom surface of the bottom cowling member and a separable member.

Abstract: A cover structure (50) is incorporated into an outboard engine (1) having an engine (2) placed in an engine room (6) defined by a cowling (5) and an under cover (4) and having an engine block (8), a vertical crankshaft (7) having an upper end portion projecting upward from the engine block (8), a vertical camshaft (15) having an upper end portion projecting upward from the engine block (8), a camshaft driving pulley (11) mounted on the upper end portion of the crankshaft (7), a camshaft pulley (16) mounted on the upper end portion of the camshaft (15), and a timing belt (17) extended between the pulleys (11, 16), and a flywheel (12a) disposed above the camshaft driving pulley (11) on the upper end portion of the crankshaft (7).

Abstract: An outboard engine comprises: a power unit including a body structure, an engine (10) disposed in an upper portion of the body structure, a propeller shaft (25) supported for rotation on a lower portion of the body structure so as to be driven by the engine (10), and a cowling (5) detachably attached to the body structure so as to cover the engine (10) from above and to defining a part of an engine room (6). A tilt bracket (35) connected to the body structure of the power unit is connected pivotally to a stern bracket (36) clamped to a boat by a tilt shaft (37). The cowling (5) is provided integrally with a tilt handle (80) to be gripped by hand when tilting the power unit, and an air inlet structure (70) through which air is introduced into the engine room (6).

Abstract: An outboard motor includes a propulsion unit having a power head which includes an internal combustion engine, a lower unit including a drive shaft housing fixed to the engine and a propeller shaft joined by the lower unit driven by the engine and having thereon a propeller. A cowling extends over the engine downwardly to the drive shaft housing defining an enclosed space containing the engine. An opening is provided to the enclosed space proximate the juncture between the cowling and the drive shaft housing. A plurality of electrical cables enter the enclosed space through the opening. A sealed housing is mounted to a side of the engine and contains a plurality of electrical devises for operating the engine. The cables connect to preselected devices by means of water-tight connections on the housing.

Abstract: An outboard motor is provided with an intake device, in which a throttle body is connected to an upstream side of an intake manifold connected to an intake port formed to a cylinder head of an outboard motor engine and a silencer is connected to an upstream side of the throttle body. A noise reduction device is further disposed between a connecting portion of the throttle body and the silencer.

Abstract: In an outboard motor including a centrifugal clutch system between the engine crankshaft and the drive shaft and including an exhaust pipe that has an outlet which is submerged under water in an operable state of the outboard motor, the exhaust pipe is provided with an exhaust vent which is positioned above water in an operable state of the outboard motor. Thus, when a reverse rotation takes place in the event of unsuccessful engine start, the exhaust vent allows atmospheric air to flow into the exhaust pipe so as to prevent the internal combustion engine from working as a suction pump and introducing water into the engine cylinder through the exhaust pipe.

Abstract: A seal system for a motor cover of an outboard motor includes a resilient hollow tubular seal member for providing a substantially water impervious seal at a joint between the motor cover and an adjoining housing member of the motor and wherein the seal member is pressurized with air to expand in the joint.

Abstract: In an outboard marine drive, the engine is received in an under case, and is closed by both a fan cover and an engine cover so that the engine may be entirely covered by the engine cover jointly with the under case for a favorable aesthetic effect. However, the fan cover covers the engine closely in cooperation with the under case so that a narrow air passage is defined around the engine, and cooling air of high velocity can be continuously passed around the engine. Thus, according to the present invention, no part of the engine is exposed, but the fan cover surrounding the engine defines an appropriate gap around the engine for effectively guiding cooling air around the engine.

Abstract: An outboard motor is provided with an engine covered by an engine cover composed of a plurality of cover elements and formed with a port member having an cable insertion port through which operation cables are guided inside an outboard motor and an operation cable mounting structure is formed to the outboard motor, which comprises: a port member being arranged so as to straddle a plurality of the cover elements of the engine cover and composed of a first port member half provided to one of the cover elements and a second port member half provided to another one of the cover elements, the port member halves having openings opposed to each other so that when the port member halves are mated and joined together, the port member having a cable insertion port as a unit member having an opening; a grommet closing the opening of the cable insertion port; a partition wall section disposed in one of the first and second port member halves so as to divide the opening of the cable insertion port; and a boss member provi

Abstract: In an outboard motor, an engine is covered by an engine cover unit, and the engine cover unit comprises a lower cover section covering a surrounding of a lower portion of an engine in a usable state of an outboard motor arranged vertically, an upper cover section covering a surrounding of an upper portion of the engine, the upper cover section being mounted to be detachable to the lower cover section so as to provide an engine cover when mounted, and a height adjusting device provided for an inside surface of the lower cover section and adapted to adjust a height of the engine cover.

Abstract: A protective cowling arrangement provides atmospheric air to the engine of an outboard motor for engine cooling and combustion while inhibiting water intake. The protective cowling incorporates one or more air inlets, an air chamber, and ducts of different sizes for permitting atmospheric air to enter the engine compartment. One of these ducts, which is disposed in part above electrical components of the engine, is substantially shorter in length than the other duct. This duct thus has a smaller flow area without unduly restricting air flow through the duct. An air chamber cover is affixed to the engine and shields the ducts to afford further water preclusion.

Abstract: An engine arrangement for a personal watercraft having electrically operated fuel injectors. The cam cover of the cylinder head has a portion that extends in overlying relationship to the fuel injectors so as to protect the terminal ends thereof from water intrusion without inhibiting the accessibility of the fuel injectors for its servicing.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes an engine unit in which a crank shaft in a manner that the upper end, in a state of the outboard motor to a hull, projects outside the engine unit and a rotational member such as flywheel magneto device is covered by an engine cover, and the engine unit is covered by an outboard motor cover to which an atmospheric air intake port is formed. The engine cover is composed of inner and outer wall sections between which a closed inner space is defined, the engine cover is connected to a silencer so that the closed inner space of the engine cover is communicated with an inner space of the silencer so as to define an air passage, and an intake port is formed to the air passage to be communicated with the air passage. The atmospheric air introduced through the intake port flows the air passage of the structure mentioned above towards a throttle body with reduced intake noise.

Abstract: A cowling arrangement for an outboard motor for use in powering a watercraft is disclosed. The motor has an engine and a water propulsion device, the engine having an output shaft arranged to drive the water propulsion device. The cowling defines an engine compartment in which the engine is positioned and an air chamber having an inlet. The cowling comprises a cover and an air chamber base. The air chamber base is connected to the cover in a sealed manner and divides the engine compartment from the air chamber and includes a duct which extends upwardly into the air chamber. The air chamber base which defines an air passage leading from the chamber to the engine compartment. The air chamber base defines a surface sloping in a direction of a drain through the air chamber, whereby water drawn through the inlet is drained therefrom.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes an improved engine layout to provide a compact power head while simplifying the arrangement of components on the engine. In one mode, an induction system of the engine includes a carburetor that is arranged over a cylinder head. An intake pipe connects the carburetor to an intake port of the cylinder head. The pipe has generally a U-shape and loops around the upper side edge of the cylinder head. An air intake device is arranged upstream of the carburetor to supply air thereto. The air intake device includes a downward facing air intake opening that is located along a side of the engine below the upper end. This arrangement of the induction system that extends over the upper side of the engine produces a compact assembly without overly complicating the arrangement of other components on the engine, such as, for example, a manual starter device.

Abstract: A cowling latch for an outboard motor having an upper cowling having a lower surface and a lower cowling having an upper surface is disclosed. The cowling latch comprises a first latching member connected to the upper cowling and a second latching member connected to the lower cowling. The second latching member is moveable between a first position in which it engages the first latching member for connecting the upper and lower cowlings and a second position in which it does not engage the first latching member. The second latching member comprises a first latching member engaging part movably mounted with respect to a support, the support positioned below the upper surface of the lower cowling.

Abstract: An outboard motor outer cover arrangement The outboard motor is comprised primarily of a powerhead and a drive shaft housing and lower unit which depends from the powerhead. The powerhead is comprised of an internal combustion engine and a surrounding protective cowling. The protective cowling comprises a lower tray portion and a detachable main cowling portion that is detachably connected to the tray portion. An exhaust guide is provided at the upper end of the drive shaft housing and lower unit and the engine is supported on this guide plate as is the tray. A cover is detachably connected to the underside of the exhaust guide and is positioned in partially surrounding relationship to the upper portion of the drive shaft housing and lower unit so as to provide a neat appearance.

Abstract: In an outboard motor, a simple drain structure is provided which can drain the water that has entered the engine compartment while effectively preventing water from entering the engine compartment through the drain structure itself. A drain passage is formed in a peripheral portion of an engine mount member which, together with a part of an engine cover, constitutes a bottom of the engine compartment. A reed valve unit made of a resilient material and having a base portion and a valve portion is fittingly received by the side wall defining the drain passage of the mount member so that the valve portion normally closes the opening of the drain passage due to its own resiliency and bend to drain water when water accumulates in the drain passage.

Abstract: Two embodiments of outboard motor constructions that employ an improved mounting arrangement for certain electrical components such as ECUs and rectifier regulator units. The mounting arrangement places these components in proximity to the intake system for the engine so that the flow of intake air to the engine will assist in cooling the electrical components. A shrouding arrangement is also provided so as to protect the components from water vapor while not inhibiting the cooling air flow.

Abstract: A flange portion formed on an inner periphery of a flywheel is facet-fitted to an end of a crankshaft. A spline piece is facet-fitted to an inner peripheral surface of the flywheel. The flange portion of the flywheel and a flange portion of the spline piece are commonly fastened to the end of the crankshaft by bolts. An upper end of a driving shaft is spline-fitted at a point into a driving shaft coupled portion of the spline piece which is accommodated in an internal hole in the crankshaft. Thus, in coaxially coupling the flywheel and the driving shaft to the end of the crankshaft, it is possible to make such a coupled area compact and to reduce vibration by an accurate centering thereof.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes an engine which is covered by an engine cover which is formed with a cylindrical air suction port having an opening opened to an upper surface of the engine cover in a state of the outboard motor mounted to a hull, and a portion of an opening area of the opening is covered by a lid member which is formed to a rear edge portion of the opening.

Abstract: A cowling arrangement for an outboard motor for use in powering a watercraft is disclosed. The motor has an engine and a water propulsion device, the engine having an output shaft arranged to drive the water propulsion device. The engine has a body with a top end and a bottom end, the output shaft extending above the top end. A flywheel is connected to the output shaft at the top end of the engine, and a flywheel cover is positioned over the flywheel and supported by the engine body. The cowling defines an engine compartment in which the engine is positioned and has an opening therein. A starter panel is connected to the flywheel and supported solely thereby, the starter panel cooperating with the cowling to close the opening therein, the starter panel supporting at least one component of a starter for the engine.

Abstract: A choke control for an outboard motor having a cowling, a water propulsion device and an internal combustion engine positioned in the cowling and arranged to propel the water propulsion device is disclosed. The engine has at least one combustion chamber and an intake system including an intake pipe extending along a side of the engine for providing air to the combustion chamber. A choke control is provided for actuating a choke valve associated with the intake pipe. The choke control includes a choke actuator which is positioned exterior to the cowling and supported by a mount associated with the cowling, the choke actuator connected to the choke valve via a choke linkage which is positioned within the cowling generally above the intake pipe.

Abstract: A pull starter for an engine powering an outboard motor having a cowling and a water propulsion device is disclosed. The engine is positioned in the cowling and has a generally vertically extending crankshaft. A lower end of the crankshaft is arranged to drive the water propulsion device. The starter includes a drum connected to the crankshaft at a top end of the engine, a starter cord having a first end connected to the drum and a second end connected to a handle, and a cord guide for guiding the cord through the cowling, the cord guide including an arcuate cord-engaging surface. The cord extends through said cowling in a first direction and is then guided by the arcuate surface of the cord guide into a second direction to the drum.

Abstract: A tilt and trim control system includes a simply-structured control unit that better protects its electrical components from contact with water and other contaminates. The control unit includes a pair of relays mounted onto to a printed circuit board. The board and the relays are potted within a housing. A plurality of wire leads are also attached to the printed circuit board with the connections between the leads and the board also being potted. The control unit is attached to the lower section of a cowling that surrounds an engine of the marine drive. The tilt and trim control system additionally includes a terminal block that is positioned within the cowling. The terminal block connects the control unit to a motor of a tilt and trim mechanism, and is positioned above the control unit on the engine. This position of the terminal block generally isolates the terminal block from water that may lie within the lower section of the cowling.

Abstract: An arrangement for an engine positioned in a cowling of an outboard motor and having an output shaft arranged to drive a water propulsion device of the motor is disclosed. The engine has a first end and a second end and a centerline passing through the ends, at least one combustion chamber, an intake system positioned along a first side of the engine for delivering air to the combustion chamber, a lubricating system including an oil filter for delivering lubricant to the engine and an ignition system including an ignition coil for charging an ignition element corresponding to the combustion chamber. The ignition coil and oil filter are positioned along a second side of the engine opposite the intake system and arranged to reduce the transfer of heat from the filter to the coil, with the oil filter having an outermost portion which is positioned outwardly of the engine between the centerline and a second line which extends parallel to the centerline and passes through an outermost portion of the ignition coil.

Abstract: An outboard engine includes an engine, a mount case for supporting the engine thereon, an undercase mounted to an upper part of the mount case, and an engine cover detachably secured to an upper part of the undercase and enclosing the engine together with the undercase. The undercase has a wall portion formed in opposed relation to a head cover of the engine. The wall portion is provided with a cutout opened in an upward direction in correspondence to the head cover and in a front-and-rear direction. The cutout is covered by a detachable lid. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to easily detach the large-sized head cover from the small-sized undercase, thereby allowing easy access to the engine for maintenance and inspection operations.

Abstract: A protective cowling arrangement defining an air inlet opening for an outboard motor that facilitates the ingestion of large amounts of air at low velocity. This aids in the assurance that water is not ingested into the engine. The configuration of the inlet opening is such that the water that is separated by the inlet system can easily flow away from the inlet opening and also the water that collects on the housing surfaces can be easily separated and will drain away from the actual inlet openings into the interior of the cowling.

Abstract: A ventilating system for an outboard motor having a water propulsion device and an internal combustion engine positioned in a cowling, the engine having an output shaft arranged to drive the water propulsion device, is disclosed. The ventilating system includes an air inlet in the cowling which permits air to flow into an engine compartment in which the engine is positioned, and an exhaust port positioned in the cowling. The system also includes a mechanism for drawing air through the inlet into the compartment and expelling air out of the compartment through the exhaust port after the engine has stopped.

Abstract: In an outboard marine engine, an air intake passage is mostly defined by a partition wall which extends substantially horizontally inside the engine cover so as to define an air introduction chamber above an engine room accommodating an engine. The air intake passage is defined in such a manner that the intake air is initially guided along a horizontal path between upper and lower plates, and is forced upward through an opening in the upper plate by a first vertical baffle plate extending between front edges of the upper and lower plates before it goes over a second vertical baffle plate extending from the upper plate and finally enters the engine room. Therefore, any heavier contents such as water droplets are effectively removed from the intake air by the actions of inertia and the gravitational force. Because the intake air passage is mostly defined by the partition wall, any design change in the air intake arrangement can be readily and economically accommodated by changing the partition wall.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes an engine bottom cover member which is disposed in a space between a front portion of an under cover and an upper portion of an outboard motor attachment mechanism and conceals a bottom end portion of an engine from view at least in a lateral direction of the outboard motor. The outboard motor having such concealed engine bottom portion is sightly in appearance. The engine bottom cover member is formed integrally with an under cover and, hence, it can be assembled automatically when the under cover is attached to the under case.

Abstract: An induction system for an outboard motor of the type having a water propulsion device powered by an internal combustion engine positioned within an engine compartment defined by a cowling, is disclosed. The induction system includes a cover extending over a top end of the engine. The cover defines an air duct leading from an intake chamber defined by the cowling to an intake pipe of the air intake system of the engine. The cover also defines an air duct in communication with the engine compartment and leading to an exhaust chamber defined by the cowling. A pair of intake ports lead through a cover of the cowling from the intake chamber, and an exhaust port leads through the cover from the exhaust chamber. The intake ports are positioned forward of the exhaust port when considering the forward movement of a watercraft which is powered by the motor.

Abstract: A cowling for an outboard motor of the type having a water propulsion device powered by an internal combustion engine positioned within an engine compartment defined by the cowling, is disclosed. The cowling has at least one intake vent positioned therein and includes an engine cover which defines an isolated intake air path from the vent across a top end of the engine to an engine air intake. The cover also defines a chamber in which a flywheel rotated by the crankshaft at the top end of the engine is positioned. The chamber has an inlet in communication with the engine compartment, and an outlet leading to an exhaust passage. The exhaust passage leads to an exhaust vent in the cowling.

Abstract: A sealing structure is provided for an outboard motor in which an engine is disposed on an upper portion of an engine holder in a state of an outboard motor mounted to a hull, an oil pan is mounted to a lower portion of the engine holder, and the engine, the engine holder and the oil pan are covered with an engine cover unit.

Abstract: A drive arrangement for an engine positioned within a cowling of an outboard motor and powering a water propulsion device of the motor is disclosed. Preferably, the engine is of the "V"-type, having first and second banks and an intake and exhaust camshaft corresponding to each bank. A drive arrangement is provided for driving the camshafts off of a crankshaft of the engine. Preferably, a flexible transmitter is positioned at a bottom end of the engine and directly drives one camshaft of each bank from the crankshaft, with the other camshaft of each bank driven by the driven camshaft.

Abstract: A latching assembly for engaging and disengaging an upper cover portion and lower tray portion of a cowling of an outboard engine. The lower tray portion includes a recess in which part of the latching assembly is located. The latching assembly includes a shaft mounted to the lower tray portion. A latch is rotatably secured to the shaft and movable between an engaged and a disengaged position. The latch is disposed within the recess when engaged so that is is flush with the exterior of the cowling. A catch is mounted to the upper cover portion and is engageable by the latch hook. A mechanism for biasing the latch to the engaged or disengaged position is provided for preventing the latch from moving from the engaged or disengaged position.

Abstract: A camshaft drive for the engine of an outboard motor includes a drive sprocket mounted to the crankshaft of the engine, a sprocket mounted to each of first and second camshafts, and a drive belt engaging the sprockets, whereby the crankshaft drives the camshafts. A cover extends over the camshaft drive, the cover having an air inlet and air outlet and defining a first cooling air flow path from said air inlet across a first portion of the drive belt pathway for cooling a first portion of the belt, and a second flow path across a second portion of the drive belt pathway to the air outlet for cooling a second portion of the belt.