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Evinrude 3hp 1966 rebuild

So you have a clear finish to protect? I use an epoxy clear but I have a professional spray gun Devilbiss JGA 502. Its 60 years old and sprays better than the robots. My neighbor just bought a new black Toyota truck for $55,000 USD. If I would have painted it, and it looks like it does, I would sand it down and start over......looks like the peeling of an orange texture.
 
Yes, after paint layers, i have applied light layer bright lac. I was also thinking about to use epoxy products, but since i am not professional and i will just use my motor for normal driving, it dosent need to be good as show-room product. Also i have some small minor damage in the fuel tank, i decided to paint everything just traditional way. The most important thing is, that this Evinrude is saved :)
 
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Okay, so today i have got all my painting-works ready with the motor. Finishing level is not same as professional, but this is good for me. Next week i will put some decals, but anyway now we can have a look some before and after photos :)

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I will test later, next week i have no change to try it, but after next week i will try it. Now i let all the paints and lac to dry well, before putting the motor to water. I really hope it will run, anyway everything seems technically ok, so..maybe it will start. It feels good during my test pulls from the rope. Anyway it will surely not start very easy because all fuel-lines and carburettor are empty.
 
You have to make sure the spark will jump a strong 6 to 7 mm. Did you check it yet for maximum arc length and good white/blue color?
 
It works, My Lightwin 3hp works :eek: Today was sunny and special day. I started my Lightwin in the barrel. Starting took about 5 pulls from the rope, because fuel system was completely dry. After it started, it works very well, and cooling systems seems working too, since i have water coming out from small holes, and also cylinder block temperatures was normal, according my temperature gauge. Yes i used my infra-red gauge and all around the block, temperatures was normal. Engine runs smooth way during slow-medium and fast speed test. So i am feeling really happy now. It was nice to notice that also carburettor works well, since i have new gaskets, float valve, and float there. Also carburettor is completely cleaned. So today my Lightwin started new life, and i am sure that this engine will run at next decade. Me and Evinrude want to say thank you for everyone who have spent some time with my text and photos :) I will keep hang around this forum of course.

Here is photo, taken just after my test drive

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So sorry that I missed an immediate response. I have great faith in your skills and ability........I KNEW you would have success with this "historical" little Lightwin. I am sure some other techs here recognize you as well. Over the years, many outboard people have come and gone, but in my eyes, if I had a shop, you would be the best man to hire. You accomplished a tough job, with abnormal resources in the foreign country. Ole Evinrude was from Norway, so close to your land. His insight and engineering skills forever revolutionized small boating. Beautiful job once again, thanks for your report. Take care, Tim
 
Thank you very much. Yeh i have one small book about Ole Evinrude. The Spirit of Ole truly lives with these old and specially small engines. One purpose of my job was show honor to Ole and his work with outboards. These Lighwins runs so smooth, that after my test drive i needed to check spark plugs, to make sure that both cylinders was working, and yes they was. Plugs where really clean, just little bit light tan color, and both plugs look identical clean, so both cylinders are working identical way. My mixture is 1:25.
 
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Yes we have 2 different fuel types for sale in stations, E10 and E5. I have never even try E10, and i am not going to buy that. I have used E5 since they start only to sell ethanol fuel here. I use E5 also my cars, Daily driven and classic. E10 octane is 95, and E5 octane is 98. Hopefully my new carburettor parts can stand ethanol fuel. For long time i have not seen anymore pre-mix 2stroke fuel for sale in stations, for outboard motors i have never used that. I want to make sure that i use good quality 2stroke oil, which will burn clean way inside the engine. What kind of fuels you have for sale in stations there?
 
Evinrudemen said:
What kind of fuels you have for sale in stations there?
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Most of the gas sold here for cars is E5 and E10. I've read where some states have started selling E15 for cars manufactured after 2001 but I've never seen any of it.

Some gas stations also sell Ethanol free gas.

There's a list shown below that list gas stations across the US and Canada that sells Ethanol free gas.
https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=GA

I use Ethanol free gas in all my small engines including, my generator, motorcycle, lawn mowers, chain saw, rototiller, weed whacker, leaf blower and outboard motors.
 
If someone is interested to know what was the price for my project, it was about 840USD. That include parts, tools, and paint. It was little bit more that i needed to spent couple years ago when rebuild my Mercury. Of course there is lot of hours, but no price for own work. I know that 840USD is lot of money to put 3hp motor, and it is surely more than the value of this motor, but i really like this motor, it really takes me back to the 60s, also i like the sound of this motor, also it is part of history. My dealer suggest me to buy new small motor for the price which was less than 840USD, but i like much much more my old Evinrude.
 
Expensive.....could have done it here at my shop for about 300 USD. I know you struggled to accomplish what you did but it was well worth it if you have the money to do it. Great job. I certainly share your feeling for restoring the old equipment so brilliantly engineered. I have no less than 50 vintage outboards in my shop most of them Johnson or Evinrude.
 
I think i can give now some short report, about how things are going now with my rebuild motor. Well, after many, mostly about 1,5-2 hour trips i can say that everything is going well and motor is been working very well. After drive, the block temperature feels only little bit warm to my hand. There are no leaks (gas or grease) and it is easy to start, only 1 or 2 pulls need. During cold start it needs half choke to be used about 10 second. During cold start there is some visible smoke, but only short time. I use 24:1 mix. Sound of the engine is very quiet and smooth. Answer to the throttle feels normal, but since i have honed cylinders, i have only used throttle with care. During normal drive, i never use full throttle. Also there are no any abnormal sounds. Fuel consumption during my use, is been about 0.3 gallon, in one hour. I am feeling very happy with these results and my mind really feels relaxing when spending time with this motor.

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This photo is taken couple days ago, after the nice trip
 
Great work. The opportunity to restore old motors is quite affordable and even profitable here in the US. Many people here have older motors that they will "give away" because shops won't accept them for work. Smaller lightweight 2 strokes are pretty much obsolete now, but once repaired, detailed, and presented in the open market through eBay or Craig's List, etc.....They are once again sought after.
My own personal motors are vintage 2 strokes which I trust and love. They bring me back to my youth. Seems like nothing today runs so sweetly and reliably as these old tiny Johnson/Evinrude twins.
 
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Thank you. Now after many nice trips, i have noticed that fuel consumption is little bit lower, than what it was at the begin of season. Also the throttle is somehow more sensible and engine takes revs more easy, if i compare begin of season. So i think that my engine break-in period is perhaps done or almost done. The more i use this motor, the more i fall in love it. I have already lost my heart to the smooth sound of this engine.
 
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It is been a while since i last wrote something here. Well i decided to continue my old thread and tell you shortly about how was my boating season 2019 with Evinrude. There was no any troubles at all during season. After engine break-in period, it worked very well and smooth way. I did so many nice trips, of course because it is a small engine, i did my trips when it was sunny day with calm winds. Engine started always 1 or 2 pulls. After the season, i used my engine in clean-water tank, to wash all salt away from the cooling system. Also i changed the gear-oil, old oil was pretty good, no metal pieces with that. Plugs where both similar, little bit oily and black, perhaps because i dont use high rews. But what i found after season, was, that the short rubber hose between tank and carburettor was pretty cracked ! I know it was very good at the begin of the season, so now i know why alcohol-fuel is no good. Otherwise everything was good condition. Specially i wanted to share the information about my fuel line, since i want encourage others to check the fuel lines regularly too. Season 2020, i will use my Mercury engine, but it will be new story.
 
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Evinrudemen said:
Specially i wanted to share the information about my fuel line, since i want encourage others to check the fuel lines regularly too.
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Glad to hear that you had a good season with your old Evinrude.

And on the subject of gas many of us here have been through the problem with cracked fuel lines and old cork carb floats that have been destroyed by ethanol gas. I only use non ethanol gas in all my motors now including motor cycles and lawn equipment etc.
 
Here, Minnesota is an ethanol state, one of 7 states with mandates, likely because we grow lots of corn. Hawaii and Florida have reversed ethanol mandates and most other states are "on the fence". Maine has basically "outlawed" ethanol. The stuff is the "kiss of death" for this old equipment.
 
I am happy that otherwise the engine works very well and i hope that my new float in the carburettor is still good condition too. I dont know what material is used on these new floats, but it is not cork. Here i can only buy ethanol-gas, i like use high octane and it have about 5% ethanol, commercial name of that gas here is 98E5. I also use the same gas on my classic car and daily driven car.
 
5 percent isn't too bad. Minnesota is 10 and also E85 which is of course 85 percent ethanol. Mandates dictate that overall 10 percent of auto/truck petrol HAS to be ethanol. This comes in a host of blends including some at 15 percent ethanol.
 
What fuel/oil ratio do you intend to use? I believe OMC recommended 50 to 1 for all 1964 and later motors. There has been considerable discussion on this forum as to whether that recommendation is best. Does anyone know what specific changes were made on these particular motors (between 1963 and 1964) that allowed them to run at the reduced oil ratio? Was it just the TCW oil or were there specific changes in the motor itself.
 
For this Lightwin 3hp, i use 1:25 and seems working very fine. The oil i use is Mercury-Marine 2stroke oil. During cold start i can see some visible smoke but just short moment. During normal drive with warm engine, no visible smoke, just some smell near the engine. I dont know about changes, but i believe that 1966 motor is so much similar than early engines, also there are no any roll bearings in the powerhead, so i think 1:25 is good. After season my spark-plugs where little bit oily, but that is no problem, it is always possible to clean them and put them back to use. Piston heads where quite clear. And i always use normal driving rpms, which means about 75-80%.
 
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So apparently the 66 is still a bushing motor. Oils improved and so the recommended adjustments to the mixing ratio. There was an improvement with bearings in larger motors from 1964 to 1965 as you should already know.
 
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