Re: Still Tryin' To Get There

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Frenn" <semsc@...>
To: <omc-boats@...>
Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2002 1:19 PM
Subject: Still Tryin' To Get There

> Purchased a '65 Evinrude Sweet 16 about 2.5 years ago.
>
> Couldn't get it to run (or even start).
>
> Tried to start, solenoid wasn't firing. By-passed solenoid and jumped
from
> the battery. Fired up!!!!
>
> Oh no, would NOT shut off! Water pump gone for sure, had to kill motor by
> disconnecting fuel line.
>
> Sigh, the reason it wouldn't start was that the throttle lever was not in
> idle. There's a safety switch to prevent what I forced to happen, i.e,
> start at above idle speed. The thing ran like hell, I hope I didn't
damage
> the lower end, or seriously overheat anything - it ran for 2-3 minutes,
I'm
> sure. I'm hoping it will turn off this time.
>
> If anyone has experience with these older motors, especially the magentos,
I
> have a couple of questions and could really use the help.
>
> I probably could have avoided the last fiasco, but not having an owner's
> manual makes it a totally blind approach. Plus the local marine shop
where
> I've dropped a few $$ for parts says they won't touch it - too old. They
> one thing only to have another break, they don't want to bother. can't
> really blame 'em, but it means I've got to do it all.
>
> If it starts and turns off, then I'm heading to the lake and I'll try to
> tune it there.

Trimmed your mail down a bit to save reading again. Hey, sure seems
possible, so I'll say have a great ride on the water.
The sad thing about it is how you sound an awful lot like me. heh-heh

I knew about that safety switch pretty soon after getting my boat since the
previous owner gave me a manual for a similar motor which he had photocopied
from a shop (yeah, most boat shops don't care for these old boats). Then I
bought a repair manual at Ken Cook's web site for the right motor. It didn't
occur to me right away that it wasn't a kill switch instead so that took
some getting used to.

If it's any consolation, once I was checking on firing the engine up and
didn't have water hooked up to the lower unit because I was only trying to
get a fired cylinder confirmation (no wonder they always say to never run
without water!). The ignition switch was tricky, key was stuck in it for
years too, and the throttle was set high so when it started it revved up and
ran for probably 1/2 minute before I got it cut off. That was with an
impeller it had when I got it and it still worked for a couple years before
the engine quit running for other reasons. With any luck it wasn't enough to
damage it but you won't know until you test for it seeing the water stream
flowing out after it warms up.

I don't know of magnetos, or about boats in general but I'm learning, so I
probably can't help out.

I might as well tell of my partial success too while I'm here. I had no
spark, which seems much like what you were having trouble with, Michael.

Turned out to most likely be a breaker point retaining screw being stripped
and unable to get good enough ground. I went through getting a new coil, an
automotive condensor as opposed to the whole "tuneup kit" and finally the
breaker points in that tuneup kit. I knew that screw wasn't holding well but
it was enough in place I figured it to be okay (was oily behind it too).
Aside from all that the engine turned over and sputtered to life, as they
say, for the first time in several years. It was a nice sound, ran for a
couple minutes (water hose attached!). I had forgotten how it deeply
resonates. Either that or being under a metal carport and engine cover
opened made it more prominent.
Anyway... I still haven't checked on it with the several new screws I bought
to try for one that fits better in the now useless hole for the original
screw. The new problem is fuel starvation, just like with yours I guess,
Michael. I had done all that carburetor stuff before, cleaned fuel
filter/bowl, etc. The outlet line has a leak in the rubber inside a copper
braiding so temporarily that's taped over. But the level in the glass bowl
(maybe not all boats have one) isn't reaching the top where it should flow
out. I suspect the pump isn't able to get suction because of the leaky line
or clogging of the intake line from the tank due to gummy deposits in there
from being dry so many years. Even though I had emptied it maybe there was
something else I could have done as well (I did pour plain gas through too).
So, I'll figure it out after I take the lines off and check for flow. Today
and tomorrow the temperature is sufficiently high to make me hold off my
enthusiasm but next weekend should prove out to be a back in the water
event.

Wishing both of us good luck.

Bob H.
Received on Sunday, 2 June 2002