In addition, there is a pronounced sound of gear teeth engaging when the driveshaft is turned by hand. The motor seems to run fine, with no odd noises when shifting or when running.
To give you peace of mind, the 18 gearcases do have an inherent whining noise in them, but it only seems noticeable when they are in gear and above idle speeds. If you can hear or feel the gear teeth engaging, it might be time to get inside the gearcase to check things out. Are there any small metal filings in the gear oil?
These motors have roller bearings on the rods and if the crank journals or throws have chatter marks on them from the rollers, the motor will make a whirring noise. Pinpointing the noises source can be tricky sometimes as the noise can travel up the drive shaft making it seem like the powerhead is the culprit.
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