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1959 Evinrude Fisherman 5.5

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Ducman491

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I just bought my first boat and it has a very cool 1959 Evinrude 5.5hp motor. I know nothing about this motor and have never owned a 2 stroke anything before so I have a few questions...

First, what is the mix ratio for the fuel and what type of oil is recommended?

Second, I understand a 59 is an anniversary edition but the maedalion is missing from my cover. Can these be purchased today? I want to paint and restore the motor properly.

Last, are there any shops in Northern Ohio that cater to the vintage outboard crowd?

Thanks for any info you can provide.
Jason
 
The 5.5 HP did not get needle bearings on the big end of the crankshaft untill 1961 , so you need to run at 24:1 with the 59 model. ------Make sure ignition system is in top condition.-------Make sure thermostat is installed.---Sparkplugs won't foul on a motor in tip top shape.--------Make sure you install a new impeller for the water pump ( powerhead needs to come off ) for that job.---All worth doing on one of these motors.-When one of these motors is running / idling correctly you won't want to shut it off !
 
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kimcrwbr1 said:
Always have it in a barrel of water when you start it or you will destroy the water pump impeller. mount it in a barrel of water and put fresh fuel mix in it and pull the choke and see if it fires up.
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Oops, I started it for about 30-40 seconds when I bought it to make sure it started and did not have a barrel handy. Did I cook the impeller?
 
Parts for the old style 2 line fuel tanks are still available. I've rebuilt 2 of them, with parts from my local dealership. I'm still running my 58 5 1/2, 18, and 35 Evinrudes on the 2 line tanks. I've redone all of these engines with parts from OMC/BRP, including gaskets, coils, impellers, tank parts, etc.
 
The fuel line itself is getting scarce. I ran two seperate lines on one tank, tied them together with tie wraps. Yeah, I can see the tanks themselves getting hard to find, almost 60 years is a long time for steel to not rust through.
 
Just did a quick check..the impeller housings, plates, impellers, gaskets are all available. The housing is a little pricey, at about $65.00
 
kimcrwbr1 said:
Well it gives you a good excuse to drop the gearbox and do a proper service on it. Be careful when taking the screws out for the impeller housing they do break rather easy soak it good with power steering fluid and use a propane torch to heat it up good. Once you get it apart inspeck the impeller housing good for grooves and pitting be warned parts for that motor are getting more expensive day by day take your time and dont break/force anything use heat and chemicals if needed. have you drained the oil out of the gearbox yet?
Click to expand...

I haven't done anything yet. I am a bit gun shy now and I need to order the manual. My gas tank is n very good shape. The fuel lines look good so I'm hoping I can keep it as original as possible.
 
Ebay search twin line tanks omc lots of stuff out there.

You probably did your impellor some harm but do not sweat straight away........get it running and look at the water coming out of the top exhaust hole in the leg........if it is lots, you may be OK. It will be very obvious that the pump is working. If just a dribble, get into it. These old things are pretty tough.

Note that if you need a replacement bearing / water pump / gearbox housing plate they are not available. Get the part number and do Ebay you will find one but many $$$$$$$$.

Run the motor on a transom first before getting too in depth.
 
I put it in a barrel and I get a bit of smoke and some water spitting out of the exhaust hole. I'm assuming I should have a steady stream coming out so my impeller is cooked. What parts will I need for the job and what kind of money are we looking at? Thanks for the help everyone.
 
The two hose fuel line is readily available in the Sierra catalog...The link is at the top of the page...you can buy it in !00 foot rolls or by the foot...I would assume it is alcohol tolerant but can't say for sure.
 
Found out there is a supplier about a mile from my house so I may tear into it this weekend. We'll see there is a gent from another forum who may give me a bit of a lesson on how to do it. Thanks for the input guys.
 
If the water out is not like this.................get into the water pump and cooling system. This is slightly younger motor but yours should look like this.......


 
Bobby-thanks for the link that will come in handy.

Collector-unfortunately mine does not come out like that. I will be ordering parts this weekend.

Anyone within 1 hour of Cleveland OH that wants to help a brother out? I will come to you and bring beer!
 
I got the manual and the impeller kit w/plate. Reading the manual it looks as though mine has the shift linkage disconnect below the power head so it needs to be removed. It talks about rotating the fly wheel so it lines up with the notches on the exhaust housing. I can't see anything to line up at all. Also, it looks as though there are 6 screws holding the power head and they go in from below. I'm having a hard time undoing the throttle side front screw. Any tips for any of this?

Jason
 
If you mean the screw is accessible but won't loosen....you need to use a propane torch and patience....heat it for several minutes and the screw should turn without excessive force...heat the surrounding aluminum rather than the screw itself....the tip of the flames cone is the hottest part of the flame...use it to your advantage
 
Heat got the screw out and the head is free from the base. Still can't get it off. Do I need to pull the fly wheel or am I making this harder than it needs to be?
 
I'm guessing you missed one of the screws....or...the driveshaft is stuck in the crankshaft...if all the screws are out and you exert a little extra force, the only damage you can do would be to ruin the water pump housing which probably should be replaced anyway. If the driveshaft is stuck in the crankshaft, once you separate the powerhead, you can use some PB blaster to try to loosen some of the rust which is holding the two pieces together
 
I did miss a screw. I looks like someone along the way lost one of the slotted screws and replaced it with a 10mm hex head bolt. The problem is the thread was wrong and now the hole is thrashed. I may have to use a helicoil on it. The next issue is I got the wrong impeller. The plate that came with the kit is correct but the impeller is too big. I should probably get a new gasket for the between the head and the exhaust housing now too.

Kicker is the impeller looks fine to me. Not sure what a fried on looks but this seems to be okay. I'll replace it now anyway. Thanks for the help everyone. I may be asking for tips on reassembly in a week or so.
 
The vanes on a new impeller will be straight and to most folks it will " look to be too big ".----What is the part # of the new impeller ?
 
I pulled the old impeller out and the vanes on the new one is still 1/2 longer than the old vane extended. It's almost as big as the outside of the housing itself.
 
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