Can a 2-stroke outboard run in reverse?

[Normy]

-This question came up in another forum dealing with boats. It seems that someone came into possession of a Yamaha outboard boat motor...that is reverse rotation. He wants to find a prop for this engine, but cannot find one. It seems the motor in question was built for sale in the Caribbean basin, where there are many reverse-rotation engines.

[Odd, since it isn't uncommon to see a pair of outboards mounted on the back of a boat, one that rotates the normal direction and the other that is reverse rotation in order to cancel out the torque and P-factor effects. Reverse rotation propellers are sold all over the place~]

What came to mind is something that springs from my days with radio control model airplanes. It was possible to run those little two-stoke engines in reverse. So why couldn't this individual simply swap the wires on the electric starter, adjust the ignition timing...and fit a regular propeller?

N?

[Zeke]

2-cycles will run in either direction, but the ignition has to be set up for the direction you want to turn. On karts we changed the magnets under the coil from CW to CCW.

[bell]

In theory it should work, but you'd want to check if a water pump or other systems are driven off of the driveline first......
Milt beat me with the ignition

[dad911]

Wild guess, but I would think the engine turns in the same direction, but the 90 degree gears on the outboard are reversed.....

Starter and other stuff would be different.

I may be wrong, as it has been 30+ years, but I think a model engine running in reverse was down in power.

[legion]

I met a guy who had some two-stroke German car that claimed he would get it rolling in reverse, kill the ignition, put it in first gear (while still rolling), let the clutch out, and roll-start the engine backwards...

[Daytona]

I have a 1967 Harley Davidson golf cart with single cylinder 2 stroke and reverse is by starting the motor in reverse. The generator controls starting for both forward and reverse. Air cooled of course. Parts are still available to rebuild this antigue from a guy in Ohio.
Larry

[sammyg2]

BTDT. Used to ride dirt bikes. One time i was climbing a hill and nearly stalled it, pulled in the clutch right before it died. It sounded a little sick, but I revved it up and dumped the clutch to try and climb the rest of the hill.
It took off, in reverse. Crashed and burned.
So they will run backwards but not very well, the timing will be retarded instead of advanced vs. crank angle.