Nice! Older cruisers definitely have more style.
I agree, running the boat is the only way to tell if it's really running well. Also, making sure it starts/restarts under different conditions. Probably a good idea to take a buddy with you the first trip or two. You can also run the boat for a while and turn it off by the dock...that way if it doesn't restart, you don't have far to go.
You can get a membership to Tow US or SeaTow. It's not very expensive for freshwater membership.
dculberson (Forum Supporter) said:Is this engine cooled from the lake water? I'm afraid I know basically nothing about outboard motors. I assumed it pulled water in from the lake then spit it back out to cool itself.
Eventually I'd like to move the start and stop switch and choke to the console, just because I'm a weenie. I found the key switches easily enough, and can figure out wiring and a cable pull for the choke, but is there anything specific I should look out for or an easy reference or supply for parts to do it?
Yup. Pump impellers should be swapped out yearly, maybe stretch it to every two years. I'd probably do it just for insurance, fairly easy to do on most motors.
There is probably a conversion kit for an automatic choke solenoid. My 1955 era motor has one stock.
In reply to Mr_Asa :
Or, if you're like me, I have a 1960 Evinrude that has never had an impeller change. Still pumps water and doesn't overheat. Win.
What engine do you have, specifically? (I just ask because the original listing is gone).
Most outboards (certainly the little Johnsons/Evinrudes that I messed around with) usually have a "tell tale" stream of cooling water that lets you know it is circulating and functioning properly. That's a handy feature.
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Mr_Asa :
Or, if you're like me, I have a 1960 Evinrude that has never had an impeller change. Still pumps water and doesn't overheat. Win.
You must be living right or something
I have never had to change out an impeller.
'82 Merc that I ran from 2000 to 2019, the '95 Yamaha that replaced the '82 Merc, the '77 Merc that is still in the family since new, '17 Yamaha, and a '94 Mercury that had alllll sorts of problems, but not the impeller.
All of them have a stream coming out from below the powerhead that will tell you it is working right.
ClemSparks said:What engine do you have, specifically? (I just ask because the original listing is gone).
Most outboards (certainly the little Johnsons/Evinrudes that I messed around with) usually have a "tell tale" stream of cooling water that lets you know it is circulating and functioning properly. That's a handy feature.
Don't count on the stream. I live where Zebra mussels have infiltrated the lake and plug up small passageways first. It's not uncommon to pick them up just cruising around.
Stick a wire in the little opening and crush those and for a while again the stream will come out. Never leave the motor in the water. Always tilt it out.
My first job as a Tech Writer was working for MerCruiser.
That cured any desire I had to own a boat. Make friends with someone who has one and offer to pay for gas/food/beer. Even in Oklahoma, we can only really use a boat about 5-6 months out of the year. No fun going out if you can't jump in and take a swim.
In reply to ClemSparks :
Looked like a late 70s or early 80s Evinrude 15 if I recall correctly
The motor is an Evinrude 9.9, supposedly with a 15hp carb kit on it. It looks like this, though this is not my motor:
And here is a screenshot of the ad for future reference:
For the $2100 price he had pulled the bimini cover. I added $100 more to get it.
I had a couple of little 6 horsepower engines that I think were basically that same family. Delightfully simple to use, maintain, repair. I sold all my outboard stuff a few years back but haven't sworn off them forever.
I'd encourage you to start with ethanol-free fuel and add your 2 stroke oil. All the small engine guys I know say ethanol in fuel begets water in fuel and that's the true source of fuel problems. Anything I have around here that doesn't get used regularly (and anything 2 stroke fits this category) uses ethanol-free fuel now. Since our air here is half water, it seems like a good idea.
In your shoes, I'd totally just go use this thing for the rest of the season. If it is pumping water (cooling water) and proves itself reliable near the ramp...just go wring it out. Have fun. Over the winter you can Change the impeller and do any other routine preventive maintenance.
Oh...one other thing came to mind while typing. You might check that the lower unit has oil and that it's not milky (indicative of water leaking into lower unit). That's a common problem point that is easy to fix but you want to catch it before it does damage.
dculberson (Forum Supporter) said:The motor is an Evinrude 9.9, supposedly with a 15hp carb kit on it. It looks like this, though this is not my motor:
The cowl on that suggests 1977-1980, but that assumes it's the original cowl. Pretty much from 1974 until about 1994, they were interchangeable. Serial number will tell you for sure.
Went diggin around for motors. Here ya go, a fat "fifty"
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/644116666557551/
Pair of Evinrude Larks, probably 40HP or so
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/333033358392413/
Pair of 70s Evinrude 60HPs, if both run you could sell the second fairly easily.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/364264025247683/
Sidenote: This guy is probably worth picking up. By the transom mount it is probably a big twin and for another $50 you'd probably be able to get it running nicely. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/941766803046561/
In reply to Mr_Asa :
Hey those are great! I need to figure out marketplace access.. everything on Craigslist is so overpriced it's nuts.
@Curtis: Looks like I grabbed a slightly incorrect photo. Here's my motor:
And my ID plate:
Which I believe means it's a 1979?
I got the boat parked better and covered up for the rain tomorrow. All tucked in tight:
A friend is going to dig up a 55-gal drum for me to run it with and I'm hoping to get the title and registration worked out tomorrow. Follow this thread's suggestions for checking a few things Thursday/Friday. Barring any unforseen incidents I'm hopeful I can get it in the water for a little bit this weekend to see if it's safe for a few weekends of fun the rest of this year then it'll go inside for some sprucing up over the winter. I hope. Lotsa hopes and dreams in that paragraph.
I just use a trash can for a barrel, especially if its already mounted to a boat. Lot cheaper than a 55 gallon drum.
MarineEngine.com is great for parts diagrams, but not as great for prices. Pull the part number, put it in your favorite search engine. This is your model number's parts page
http://www.marineengine.com/parts/johnson-evinrude-parts.php?year=1979&hp=9.9&model=10955B
If it were me, I'd seriously think about getting those Larks, and I'd definitely get that last one I posted.
I assume you got that cover with the boat and probably don't know a manufacturer or item number. But on the off chance you do...I'm in the market for a cover for mine to keep all the barn dust from accumulating on it, lol (and I'd be happy to know the info).
If "ear muffs" work on that engine, they're a lot easier to store than a drum. But it's also just fun to run them in a drum. Just offering an option (maybe it's an option). If that term isn't familiar...it's a garden hose attachment specifically for feeding water into your lower unit cooling water intakes.
Earmuffs do work on that motor, I have an almost identical one in the shed on Cape Cod for 10 years since I sold my sailboat which used it as a kicker.
Yup... 79.
You also have a converted longshaft. Notice this segment here. It began life as a 15" shaft, but they sell these conversions that come with the segment (shown below) and a long shaft. I had a Johnson 20hp that I ran for years with a longshaft extension.
ClemSparks said:I had a couple of little 6 horsepower engines that I think were basically that same family. Delightfully simple to use, maintain, repair. I sold all my outboard stuff a few years back but haven't sworn off them forever.
I'd encourage you to start with ethanol-free fuel and add your 2 stroke oil. All the small engine guys I know say ethanol in fuel begets water in fuel and that's the true source of fuel problems. Anything I have around here that doesn't get used regularly (and anything 2 stroke fits this category) uses ethanol-free fuel now. Since our air here is half water, it seems like a good idea.
In your shoes, I'd totally just go use this thing for the rest of the season. If it is pumping water (cooling water) and proves itself reliable near the ramp...just go wring it out. Have fun. Over the winter you can Change the impeller and do any other routine preventive maintenance.
Oh...one other thing came to mind while typing. You might check that the lower unit has oil and that it's not milky (indicative of water leaking into lower unit). That's a common problem point that is easy to fix but you want to catch it before it does damage.
The real issue was many older boats have fiberglass fuel tanks. The ethanol dissolves the resin in the fuel tank, then gums up the engine.
I know this because I wrote many updates to manuals regarding it in the late 2000's.
His boat doesn't have an onboard tank, fortunately. It uses portable tanks that would be either poly or steel.
ClemSparks said:I assume you got that cover with the boat and probably don't know a manufacturer or item number. But on the off chance you do...I'm in the market for a cover for mine to keep all the barn dust from accumulating on it, lol (and I'd be happy to know the info).
The cover has "Leader Accessories" on it, but I couldn't find a model number anywhere. It looks an awful lot like this one:
https://www.leaderaccessories.com/collections/boat-covers/products/600d-waterproof-trailerable-runabout-boat-cover?variant=33145852788816
It has a couple spots that sag in the rain so I'll need something under the cover to give it better drainage, but overall seems fine. Your boat looks like a different colored clone of mine!
@Curtis73: Neat, I like the look of the conversion segment thing, hope it doesn't add any maintenance concerns. You're like an encyclopedia with this stuff. And yes, it has a portable tank, in this case metal.
Re: Boat covers
Boat covers all suck to use. Some suck more than others. But they all suck. If you have water pooling up, the conventional answers are either PVC, or else an extending cam-lock pole. Both end up falling down when you're trying to set it up; it is easy with small but capable children to climb underneath a small flap and get it up, but when you're by yourself, a nightmare. But I saw a new (to me) method this week on Reddit, and depending on your specific boat, it may be a good idea. I'd like to try it on 2 of the boats I deal with: BALLS. I kinda doubt it will work for this Starcraft, but maybe?
Then you have to deal with how it is actually getting attached to the boat - are you tying it underneath or to the trailer, or are there snaps? If it is tying ropes, it takes a while - although on the boat I have that on, I only do it twice a year; otherwise I'd figure out a better method. If it is snaps, the cover will shrink over time/in cold (Like a frightened turtle!), and it becomes really difficult getting all the snaps done. If you have that system, buy some of these and keep them in the boat. My favorite system, my dad just got it on his new aluminum, is the one where there are bungee loops all around the cover, and little posts drilled into the boat. It is by far the easiest to get set up that I've used.
Note: We generally get covers custom made for the boat. Around where we boat, it is not much more expensive than the off the shelf versions, and the off the shelf versions are always too big and end up with pooling water, or too small and you're fighting them.
EDIT: While they all suck to use, all the ones I have used have been moderately to extremely successful at their job of keeping water out, and very good at keeping mice poop out.
In reply to mtn :
I built a PVC frame for my boat. Uses tension in the PVC to hold it up. Easy as pie to put up and take down, and it stays in place.
Mr_Asa said:In reply to mtn :
I built a PVC frame for my boat. Uses tension in the PVC to hold it up. Easy as pie to put up and take down, and it stays in place.
I need to try this with my FILs boat.
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