1972 Evinrude Sportster Refurb (Edit: And BOAT!)

[Scarpozzi]

My dad bought a boat/motor from his friend back in maybe 1990. We used that boat for maybe 5 seasons, but eventually it started having issues with the lower end and it basically has sat outside since. The boat is another project, but I'm starting with the motor.

Right away, there was moss growing on the cover, the rubber pull was dry rotted, and I can see that the lower seals appear to have leaked some on the paint.

I cleaned up the cowling some and am going to spray it down this weekend. Much of the rubber/hoses/etc needs to be replaced.

I plan on rebuilding the carburetor and plugs, dropping the lower end from the power head, swapping the impeller pump and all seals and o-rings in the drive. I've ordered a new OEM prop because I think the old one has a spin hub, and I have factory paint and reproduced decals on order.

I'm going to check compression. Power head looks clean and the engine likely has moderately low hours considering it's almost 48 years old. I've got to clean out some space in my garage, but will post pictures.

 

[herm0016]

fun project. i rebuilt a 10 hp evenrude from the 60s. once all the rubber bits were replace on the lower, it ran awesome. it was on about a 12 foot fiberglass with windshield and steering wheel and throttle. fun little boat.

 

[squirrel dog]

good motor for a SneakEasy boat .

 

[Scarpozzi]

I got a new fuel line, tank, connectors, prop, carb rebuild kit, and a missing screw in the mail over the weekend. I'm waiting on a lower seal kit.

I'm going to drain the gear oil and disconnect the power head in the next week or so when the seals come in and I clean my garage up to make working space.

 

[squirrel dog]

sounds like a plan . Older outboards ran on regular unleaded gas , not 15/85 , so if you can find it use it . Otherwise any number of additives can also work .

 

[Scarpozzi]

sounds like a plan . Older outboards ran on regular unleaded gas , not 15/85 , so if you can find it use it . Otherwise any number of additives can also work .

That's a good point. I never had to worry about that before. 12 years ago I had an inboard/outboard that ran an OMC Cobra 3.0 4 Cylinder, I would run 89 octane instead of 87 because my primary station didn't have ethanol in their mid-premium grade fuels.

My pontoon has been drydocked for 5 years. It's got a 90HP 4 stroke Mercruiser on it, but I usually took it down the lake to the Marina for fill ups. One of my 2020 summer projects is to drain the fuel tank on that boat and do an impeller swap before ever firing it up. Currently, there's no water under the dock and there probably won't be until 2021 unless we have a major flood. =P

 

[herm0016]

Murphy stations usually have ethanol free, it's all i use in my small engines. I also use Marvel Mystery oil in older stuff, increases lubricity.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Here's the air intake. Under the power head, there's a little dirt and debris, but it's not really that bad in there...spider webs. I managed to get the throttle linkage disconnected, moved the starter, and got the carburator removed.

I disassembled the carb and the needle valve was totally gummed up. The float looked fine, but the needle valve wouldn't let it drop correctly, so it definitely wouldn't have started. All of those parts will be replaced.



I went ahead and drained the gear oil and inspected the old prop. There was green looking water in the gear oil. I could visually see where the old prop had come apart....which wasn't as apparent without having a new one to compare it with/to.



I removed the staples holding on the cowling gasket and started sanding the outside with 60 grit sand paper by hand to knock off the big stuff. I'm going in with a mask, power sander with 100/600 grit eventually before priming. This stage is just really to clean it up and decide what it's going to need. I put it in a box to catch the paint dust.


I have a lot of work ahead of me. I need to figure out how to remove the power head and get the lower end disconnected so I can install a new impeller pump and replace all the seals/O-rings since one is likely leaking. I also want to remove some rust from the hardware on the mount and lube all the threads....then repaint all the parts while they're apart...
Lots to learn/do.

 

[RLGL]

Ok , your first pic is critical for engine timing and smooth operation. I don't remember if the shift linkage splits in the mid section. I was in the marine field but worked on Mercury Marine products.
This PAGE, may help with your quest.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Cleaned up and replaced the float, Welch plugs, etc...


Carb is back together, so I switched to the lower end.

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I'm next going to flip everything and pull the impeller before cleaning the housing of all remaining gear oil and sludge. I want to prime and paint before reassembling, but after I replace all the seals. I just need another warm day.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I got the motor separated from the mount for cleaning and have evaporust going on some key bolts.

I cleaned up the gear box and removed all the oil and paint. I primed those parts and found that my Evinrude blue paints aren't a close enough match. I've ordered 2 more cans of another color.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Finally got all the parts primed and painted and started reassembly. Cold weather and windy days slowed me down.

I ordered a baffle gasket and made some gaskets I couldn't source. I should be ready to reattach the powerhead soon.

I cleaned up most of the bolt/screw threads and have some really dirty evaporust.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I've got to order some replacement rubber for the housing and do some more work on the upper end, but applied my decals last night. I also need to replace/rewind the starter rope and do a little more work...but it's coming along.

 

[squirrel dog]

well done.

 

[NutBucket]

Looks great. Can't wait to see it in action

In other words you'd better deliver with a YouTube video or similar....

 

[Scarpozzi]

Looks great. Can't wait to see it in action

In other words you'd better deliver with a YouTube video or similar....

That's going to be a while. I have to start on the boat...which means a lot more cleanup and sourcing materials after that's possible. It needs a new transome and to be cleaned out at the very least. I'm probably going to clean and paint the exterior and put carpet in the interior since it's aluminum and gets hot in the summer.

I'm still working on the throttle assembly...I tinkered some with it, but don't think it's "right". I might be able to video a test start when I get there.

 

[NutBucket]

You don't need the boat to start it! Just start in on the stand.

 

[Scarpozzi]

You don't need the boat to start it! Just start in on the stand.

I know, I have muffs and plan on testing it, but I really want to run it and make that video. The problem it had in 97 was a spun prop. I can't wait to get it out and test the new prop. When the light boat I have planes over with this motor, it really goes.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I've been struggling working from home the past 2 months. I've not put much time into this since I last posted, but did finish cutting/sizing gas lines and got a new fuel pump cap as the other one broke when I moved it. (where the input hose attaches at the barb). I have a few old 6 gallon gas cans, but they were in bad shape 25 years ago...so I bought a new one with a new primer bulb.

Last night, I attached some new Evinrude connectors to the tank, primer bulb/hose and sent some fuel to the engine. Immediately, the fuel pump gasket below the new cap/input barb started spewing fuel. I couldn't locate the correct sized gasket and don't want to bother trying to manufacture one, so I just ordered a spare fuel pump for parts. I'm going to try to use the original pump and swap parts as needed from the Chinese shit knockoffs they sell these days... Hopefully I'll be one step closer to getting that YouTube video.

I'm heading out to my lake property this weekend to pickup the accompanying boat. My goal is get the tires rolling and refurb both the boat and trailer. Maybe I'll have this thing ready to go by mid-late June. (I'm in no rush, btw)

 

[Scarpozzi]

I've still not started the engine yet. I replaced the seal on my fuel pump and noticed fuel leaking out of the back of it. I'm going to punt and give the Chinese pump a try.

I picked up the boat Saturday and got maybe 4 solid trash bags of leaves and debris out of the boat. There was a deck and fishing chair in the bow of the boat, but the marine carpet was gone and the wood was in bad shape. I was able to remove it, all of the wiring and about 80% of the rotted transom. I've got 10 rivets I need to gently cut out and a number of steel screws to snap or grind off that are in bad shape. I found some mild pitting and about 4 bolt holes that were underneath a layer of caulk at the stern. I'm going to get some aluminum brazing rods and really fix those because they're below the water line. While I'm at it, I'll likely work on the drain plug as well and a few other mild stress cracks.

 

[NutBucket]

Wow, that boat is definitely rough.

Dumb question but is it cheaper to rebuild or replace it?

 

[Scarpozzi]

Wow, that boat is definitely rough.

Dumb question but is it cheaper to rebuild or replace it?

It's mostly just dirty. I've already cleaned it out. It just needs a good sanding inside and out to continue removal of dirt and old paint....then it needs to be painted and shined up to look good again.

I found the occupancy sticker on the back of the stern bench. "Manufacturer: Polar Kraft Mfg"

Polar Kraft is Aluminum Hull Boat manufacturer since 1951...which is pretty amazing considering most boat manufacturers go out of business when the owner retires. Since the motor is a 72, the boat could be a 72 as well? I only know 33 years of its history.

The boat is aluminum with riveted supports inside. The bench seats actually give it more structure. The only part of the boat that needs to be addressed is the transom. I've ordered a $100 sheet of marine plywood and along with about $10 sandpaper, $30 aluminum brazing rods, and $50 paint, and some bolts/rivets...I can have the boat back up and running and ready to leak test.

 

[RLGL]

Leak test first!

 

[Scarpozzi]

Leak test first!

Hah....it'll be fine.

 

[Scarpozzi]

You don't need the boat to start it! Just start in on the stand.

I have muffs, but haven't gotten there yet. I pulled the cord twice after leak testing the fuel pump and realized how hard it is because it needs a handle and new rope. It made me eyeball the starter real hard. The boat had the battery cable in it, but it's all dry rotted. I'm going to see about cutting the molded plug open and rebuilding it with new solder joints, shrink tube, and wire...then I'm going to remold the plug after gutting it under a microscope. You can't find those cables anymore and when you do, they're $350. I think I can fix it for $20 with some time and beer.

Btw...I didn't make a video I'm going to share yet =D, but I decided to prime the pump again today and look for more leaks....then realized I'd left the vent closed on my new gas tank. I opened it up and gave the cord a tug and it fired, died abruptly. I pulled it again after a choke adjustment and it turned over again. I think with muffs or the lake and some tuning, I can get this thing running pretty easily now....23 years of sitting....rebuilt carb/rebuilt fuel pump/new plugs and all new seals. Maybe 3 more projects on the motor and I'll be done with it.