Abstract: An intake device for outboard motors, which makes it possible to improve intake performance and reduce the size of the device at the same time. Cylinder banks have a plurality of cylinder bores arranged in a vertical direction, and extend rearward to form a V shape. Intake ports of the respective cylinder bores are formed in the cylinder banks to open in the inner sides of the V shape. An intake manifold is connected to the intake ports. A surge tank is connected to the intake manifold. A throttle body is connected to the surge tank. The surge tank comprises a plurality of intake passage members connected to the respective cylinder bores via the intake manifold, wall members provided between respective adjacent ones of the intake passage members, and a lid member configured to hermetically close a space defined by the intake passage members and the wall members.

Abstract: A shift system for outboard motors, which is reduced in size, and is capable securing compatibility with an outboard motor of a type for which the shift operation is manually performed using a shift cable. A motor-driven shift actuator is disposed at a location forward of and to the right of an engine within an engine cover covering the engine. A clutch motor is provided for the actuator and disposed at a location rearward thereof, with a motor output shaft disposed in a manner extending forward, and is operated in response to the detected vessel operator's shift. An actuator output shaft is disposed at a location forward of the clutch motor and extends downward from a front part of the actuator. The actuator output shaft rotates in accordance with rotation of the motor output shaft. A clutch shaft is disposed below the actuator and rearward of the actuator output shaft.

Abstract: A hydraulic fluid change indicating device for an automatic transmission includes a first deterioration rate calculating unit; a deterioration acceleration coefficient calculating unit; and a thermal hydraulic fluid deterioration calculating unit for calculating a thermal hydraulic fluid deterioration according to the first deterioration rate and the deterioration acceleration coefficient. The device further includes a second deterioration rate calculating unit according to an engine speed, input shaft speed, and output shaft speed; a mechanical hydraulic fluid deterioration calculating unit for calculating a mechanical fluid deterioration according to the second deterioration rate; and a determining unit for determining whether or not the thermal hydraulic fluid deterioration or the mechanical hydraulic fluid deterioration is greater than a predetermined hydraulic fluid change threshold.

Abstract: A shift system for outboard motors, which is reduced in size, and is capable securing compatibility with an outboard motor of a type for which the shift operation is manually performed using a shift cable. A motor-driven shift actuator is disposed at a location forward of and to the right of an engine within an engine cover covering the engine. A clutch motor is provided for the actuator and disposed at a location rearward thereof, with a motor output shaft disposed in a manner extending forward, and is operated in response to the detected vessel operator's shift. An actuator output shaft is disposed at a location forward of the clutch motor and extends downward from a front part of the actuator. The actuator output shaft rotates in accordance with rotation of the motor output shaft. A clutch shaft is disposed below the actuator and rearward of the actuator output shaft.

Abstract: An intake device for outboard motors, which makes it possible to improve intake performance and reduce the size of the device at the same time. Cylinder banks have a plurality of cylinder bores arranged in a vertical direction, and extend rearward to form a V shape. Intake ports of the respective cylinder bores are formed in the cylinder banks to open in the inner sides of the V shape. An intake manifold is connected to the intake ports. A surge tank is connected to the intake manifold. A throttle body is connected to the surge tank. The surge tank comprises a plurality of intake passage members connected to the respective cylinder bores via the intake manifold, wall members provided between respective adjacent ones of the intake passage members, and a lid member configured to hermetically close a space defined by the intake passage members and the wall members.

Abstract: There is provided a lubricating structure for an outboard motor, which can secure a sufficiently large cross-sectional area for a main oil gallery while preventing an increase in the width of an engine thereof. A water-cooled four-cycle six-cylinder V-type engine having a generally vertically disposed crankshaft is mounted on an engine holder. A cylinder block is disposed at the rear of a crankcase disposed in the foremost end (i.e. on the bow side) of the engine, and a main oil gallery extends vertically in the starboard-side side part of the cylinder block. Namely, the main oil gallery is disposed not in a central part of the cylinder block in the transverse direction thereof, but at a location outward of cylinder bores of the cylinder block.

Abstract: A hydraulic fluid change indicating device for an automatic transmission includes a first deterioration rate calculating unit; a deterioration acceleration coefficient calculating unit; and a thermal hydraulic fluid deterioration calculating unit for calculating a thermal hydraulic fluid deterioration according to the first deterioration rate and the deterioration acceleration coefficient. The device further includes a second deterioration rate calculating unit according to an engine speed, input shaft speed, and output shaft speed; a mechanical hydraulic fluid deterioration calculating unit for calculating a mechanical fluid deterioration according to the second deterioration rate; and a determining unit for determining whether or not the thermal hydraulic fluid deterioration or the mechanical hydraulic fluid deterioration is greater than a predetermined hydraulic fluid change threshold.

Abstract: A secondary balancer is used for an outboard motor vertical in-line engine which includes a crankcase, a cylinder block and a cylinder head, which are arranged in this order from a front side of the engine (i.e., hull side of an outboard motor), a crankshaft placed in the engine in a substantially vertical direction, an intake pipe placed on one side of the engine, a throttle body and an intake silencer which are disposed on a front side of the crankcase, and a balancing device including a primary balancer and a second balancer. The secondary balancer includes a pair of balancer shafts disposed in a space formed between the crankcase and the intake silencer.

Abstract: A secondary balancer is used for an outboard motor vertical in-line engine which includes a crankcase, a cylinder block and a cylinder head, which are arranged in this order from a front side of the engine (i.e., hull side of an outboard motor), a crankshaft placed in the engine in a substantially vertical direction, an intake pipe placed on one side of the engine, a throttle body and an intake silencer which are disposed on a front side of the crankcase, and a balancing device including a primary balancer and a second balancer. The secondary balancer includes a pair of balancer shafts disposed in a space formed between the crankcase and the intake silencer.

Abstract: There is provided a lubricating structure for an outboard motor, which can secure a sufficiently large cross-sectional area for a main oil gallery while preventing an increase in the width of an engine thereof. A water-cooled four-cycle six-cylinder V-type engine having a generally vertically disposed crankshaft is mounted on an engine holder. A cylinder block is disposed at the rear of a crankcase disposed in the foremost end (i.e. on the bow side) of the engine, and a main oil gallery extends vertically in the starboard-side side part of the cylinder block. Namely, the main oil gallery is disposed not in a central part of the cylinder block in the transverse direction thereof, but at a location outward of cylinder bores of the cylinder block.

Abstract: A shift control system comprises a diameter-change calculation which calculates the difference between the diameters of the contact circles at present and after a shift to a target speed change ratio and a slip prevention thrust calculation which calculates a slip prevention thrust necessary for transmitting the power through a V belt without slip between the V belt and the drive and driven pulleys. A speed ratio maintaining thrust calculation which calculates a speed ratio maintaining thrust that is an addition to the slip prevention thrust for maintaining the current speed change ratio in constant condition and for transmitting the power without any slip of the belt and a additional thrust calculation which calculates a shifting additional thrust that is added for a contact-circle enlarging pulley to achieve a shift to the target speed change ratio.

Abstract: A shift control system comprises belt-speed calculation means, contact-circle enlarging pulley determination means, diameter-change calculation means, slip prevention thrust calculation means, speed ratio maintaining thrust calculation means and additional thrust calculation means. The diameter-change calculation means calculates the difference between the diameters of the contact circles at present and after a shift to a target speed change ratio, and the slip prevention thrust calculation means calculates a slip prevention thrust necessary for transmitting the power through a V belt without slip between the V belt and the drive and driven pulleys.

Abstract: An engine with a supercharger has a first intake pipe with one end connected to an air cleaner at one end of the engine. The intake pipe extends toward the other end of the engine and joins with an intermediate portion which is bent to extend across the engine and is then bent downward and connected to a supercharger arranged on the exhaust side of the engine. A second intake pipe has one end connected to the supercharger and the other end extended upward and connected to an intercooler disposed above the engine. A third intake pipe has one end connected to the intercooler and the other end extended in such a manner as to pass above the first intake pipe for connection to a throttle body on the intake side of the engine.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a control system for an automatic transmission, which operates so that when slipping of drive wheels is generated at the starting of a vehicle on ice or the like, upshifting from a second gear shift stage to a third gear shift stag is prohibited. However, when the pseudo slipping state of the drive wheels is detected with the locking or unlocking of the drive wheels, the undesirable prohibition of the upshifting of the automatic transmission is avoided. A slip rate of a torque converter is determined on the basis of an engine revolution-speed (a torque converter input rotation-speed) and an automatic transmission input rotation-speed (a torque converter output rotation-speed).

Abstract: When slipping is generated during the upshifting from a first gear shift stage to a second gear shift stage on ice or the like, a control for prohibiting the upshifting from the second gear shift stage to a third gear shift stage can be carried out precisely. A control system is designed so that when a slipping state is detected on ice having a lower road surface friction coefficient by a slipping state determining device, the upshifting of an automatic transmission from a second gear shift stage to a third gear shift stage is prohibited. In this control system, the time required for the upshifting from a first gear shift stage to the second gear shift stage is measured. If such time is shorter than a first predetermined time, it is determined that a slipping has been generated during the upshifting, and the upshifting from the second gear shift stage to the third gear shift stage is prohibited for a second predetermined time.

Abstract: In a control apparatus in which a weak creep control for lowering the engaging force of a clutch (5) is performed when a throttle opening (.theta.th) is fully closed, when a brake pedal (BP) is depressed, and when the period of a vehicle speed judging pulse (V pulse) has exceeded a predetermined value TM2s whereby the vehicle is discriminated to be in a stopped condition. Once the weak creep control has started, the weak creep control is stopped by the input of the first V pulse and is transferred to a strong creep control in which the clutch engaging force is increased.