Starting Evinrude On Alumacraft

[DON1937]

I'm trying to restart the 35hp electric start Evinrude on my 92 Alumacraft......wont start. The starter is operated by a keyed switch and it works fine. Yesterday it started and ran ok for a few minutes and I shut it off. Today it won't start The kill switch is correctly in place on the starter switch. There is another switch under the starter switch that can be rotated so that the handle is vertical or horizontal and I need to know which way this switch this switch should be rotated if it has any effect on the ignition. I see I'm still a "minnow" or a noobie!

I bought this boat a while back but I've been just a bit ill since and haven't felt like spending time with the motor. The OMC book doesn't show this switch at all. Thanks for any help you can give. Don

[DON1937]

Well shoot! 58 views and no responses. I guess I know as much about this switch as a bunch of folk

Another question about starting this motor. Yesterday (before this post) I had it running with the water intake submerged in a tank and it peed a strong stream even while cranking and when running it peed an even stronger stream. This morning when I try to start it the alarm goes off. The boat only has one gauge indicating low oil, overheat, water but all the red lights come on which could be caused by a short.

I mixed a good quality outboard oil in the gas at 3oz. per gallon. I also mixed in some Stabil at the recommended rate. If the motor is not getting fuel then it's not getting oil and yesterday the water pump was working properly. I'm going to connect a long wire to one of the spark plug wires and hold it in my hand and one turnover will tell me whether or not it's firing.

I'm at a complete loss as to what my problem is and need help........otherwise I'll have to tow it to a dealer and pay $118 an hour for labor. I got the boat, motor and trailer for about what the boat or motor would cost so I can put a few more $$ in it but like most of you here I'd rather do it myself if I can find out the problem. TIA for any thoughts.

[Fishing Rhino]

I don't know about your Evinrude, but both of the Mercs I've owned would sound the horn when you turned the key to the run position. It beeped to let you know the engine was ready to start. If it was in gear, or the safety shut off switch was not in the run position it was silent. The starter would activate if the safety switch was off, but it would not start. The beep may mean that all systems are go for starting the engine.

[DON1937]

Thanks Fishing Rhino. Yesterday when I cranked it over the alarm didn't sound and it started. After it ran a few minutes I could turn it off and it started after about one turn over and I thought it's OK. This morning after sitting overnight.........no start and alarm sounds. I;m going out now to see if it has fire to the plugs.

[BKeith]

I would offer to help, but I can't understand exactly what you are talking about.

As for that second switch you refer to, I'm figuring that must be something with the boat, I know of no such switch associated with OMC/BRP motors.

When you refer to the fact that it won't start, does that mean it's cranking over and just won't start? Or is not cranking over.

Normally when an engine won't start, that means the starter is spinning the motor

If the starter is not spinning the motor, that means it's not cranking.

So, won't crank means starter is not spinning the motor and won't start means the starter is spinning the motor.

[DON1937]

I would offer to help, but I can't understand exactly what you are talking about.

As for that second switch you refer to, I'm figuring that must be something with the boat, I know of no such switch associated with OMC/BRP motors.

When you refer to the fact that it won't start, does that mean it's cranking over and just won't start? Or is not cranking over.

Normally when an engine won't start, that means the starter is spinning the motor

If the starter is not spinning the motor, that means it's not cranking.

So, won't crank means starter is not spinning the motor and won't start means the starter is spinning the motor.

The starter would crank the motor but it wouldn't start. I know the difference . The switch I referred to is right below the keyed starter switch on the OMC shift lever housing located to the left of the steering wheel.

Fishing Rhino:

It has spark ZOWIE! Finally got it running........wasn't getting any fuel. It runs rough at idle and a little above idle but smooths up at very high RPM. The boat had sat for over a year when I bought it but it started and ran ok when I first looked at it. The gas was red so it must have had Stabil in it. I'm hoping

it will improve after I run it for a while. .. I've rebuilt carbs on my mower, weed eater, blower, several of my cars including 4 barrels and 5 ton M Series trucks and I'd rather tackle any of them before I even think about the carbs on this Evinrude! Anyway thanks for all the information.

BKeith: It's been almost 70yrs. since I actually "cranked" an engine. PaPa's model A.

[Fishing Rhino]

The starter would crank the motor but it wouldn't start. I know the difference . The switch I referred to is right below the keyed starter switch on the OMC shift lever housing located to the left of the steering wheel.

Fishing Rhino:

It has spark ZOWIE! Finally got it running........wasn't getting any fuel. It runs rough at idle and a little above idle but smooths up at very high RPM. The boat had sat for over a year when I bought it but it started and ran ok when I first looked at it. The gas was red so it must have had Stabil in it. I'm hoping

it will improve after I run it for a while. .. I've rebuilt carbs on my mower, weed eater, blower, several of my cars including 4 barrels and 5 ton M Series trucks and I'd rather tackle any of them before I even think about the carbs on this Evinrude! Anyway thanks for all the information.

BKeith: It's been almost 70yrs. since I actually "cranked" an engine. PaPa's model A.

Dang, you've got to be older than me. I don't think I could have cranked a model A at less than a year old. I'm using my deductive powers and guessing the the 1937 must have been the year of your birth. I checked your profile and your age isn't listed, but you have given it away if my guess is correct.

[DON1937]

You got me! 75 last month. I cranked PaPa's model A when I was about 6yrs. old. I'm fooling around with this Alumacraft for the exercise mostly but it also gives me a reason to get up in the morning. I had an iron infusion about a month back and I'm just now beginning to get a little energy back. I have my 17.5 Tracker in my driveway that's ready to go but it's hotter than nine kinds of h*^# here and a day on the lake in 107 degree weather and I'd fall in and never be seen again.

[greyleg33]

I think the Mercs beep to let you know the alarm systems are working.

[jhoffman]

Does it have a hotstart in the throttle control? My evinrude, same year does and it WILL NOT start without it in neutral and fully forward on a cold motor.

Also... 3oz to the gallon is rich. I believe its 2.56oz/gallon for a 50:1 ratio

[DON1937]

Does it have a hotstart in the throttle control? My evinrude, same year does and it WILL NOT start without it in neutral and fully forward on a cold motor.

Also... 3oz to the gallon is rich. I believe its 2.56oz/gallon for a 50:1 ratio

jhoffman thanks for your reply. I have a fresh tank of fuel with the correct amt. of oil, Stabil, Star Pro and Seafoam. There is a lever just to the right of the shift lever and I've tried starting with this lever in several positions including all the way forward. This may be a spark advance control but I'm not sure. Two coils are new and the spark is hot enough to give me a good jolt when I hold the wire in my hand so I'm sure the spark is hot enough to run the motor. I tried spraying a small amt. of fuel into the carbs but still no start. Even if the carbs need cleaning I think the motor would at least have enough fuel to start. I'm about ready to shelve this project for a while and if It won't start today I will

[DON1937]

Well.....new battery, pumped up fuel line and held fuel enrichment control in for several seconds and still no start. Went in the cool of my den and had a shot of Wild Turkey and when I went back out it started with just one turnover but was running rough. Checked #1 spark plug wire...no spark, checked #2 wire and engine died, restarted and checked #3 wire.....no spark. When I increased the speed just a little the other 2 cylinders kicked in????? Now it starts easily but is a little rough. I think there may be a problem under the pulley.

I'm going to try another shot of WT and watch some fights on TV while I think about what I should do next. Talking to myself here kinda slow today!

[BKeith]

I know you have already blown me off so I'm not getting involved but now I'm kinda dumb founded and have a question, if that's a 35 hp, how did you manage to pull three plug wires off?

[DON1937]

I know you have already blown me off so I'm not getting involved but now I'm kinda dumb founded and have a question, if that's a 35 hp, how did you manage to pull three plug wires off?

I'm sorry if you think I've blown you off. I haven't and I appreciate your input. The motor has three cylinders. The ID tag on the motor says it's a 35hp and the motor cover says it's a 35hp. Like I told you once I'm a dunce when it comes to outboard motors but I have to go by what's on the motor.

Please do get involved and give any advice you have to offer. I appreciate any information I can get.

[DON1937]

FYI not all bolts used to attach a puller to the flywheel are 1/4 X 20. The ones in mine are 5/16 X 24

[BKeith]

Sorry, but a three cylinder 35 is something I've never heard of. All OMC's (Johnson's & Evinrudes) from 9.9 - 55 that I know of are two cylinders.

Most OMC/BRP motors use fine thread bolts to pull the flywheel, the bigger motors use 5/16's

[BKeith]

Not real sure why you are pulling the flywheel just yet. Before going there, you need to use a Peak reading volt meter or DVA with a good DVM to check the input to the coils. They should be approx 275 Volts peak with the motor spinning at least 250 rpm or more, a good fully charged battery.

[DON1937]

Not real sure why you are pulling the flywheel just yet. Before going there, you need to use a Peak reading volt meter or DVA with a good DVM to check the input to the coils. They should be approx 275 Volts peak with the motor spinning at least 250 rpm or more, a good fully charged battery.

This morning when I tried to start the motor it turned over as it should but wouldn't start. I pulled the #1 plug wire to see if it was firing and it wasn't but the motor started. The same thing happened yesterday.

A mechanic at a local dealer said it could be a bad "power pack" that's working intermittently.

What supplies the 275 volts to the coils? The battery is new seems to be very powerful from the way it cranks the motor.

[BKeith]

First off, I don't have a clue what you have and the three cylinder ignition is totally different from the two cylinder ignition.

If that's a three cylinder motor, I'm going under the assumption it's at least a 60 and somebody has done some fancey stuff with numbers. I don't work on outboards for a living and don't work on other peoples but I've been building and racing them a long time and three cylinder 35hp Evinrude is something I haven't a clue about. I even went to the BRP online parts and they don't show anything smaller than the 60 hp motor in a three cylinder.

On both motors, the power pack is what supplies the 275 Peak Volts to the coil but that's the only thing the same. On the two cylinder 35, the power pack is the ignition system, except for the charge coil and igntion coils. On the three cylinder motors, the Timer Base generates the initial exciter voltage and sends it to the power pack, the power pack steps that voltage up to the 275 Peak Volts to the coil, so, on the three cylinder motor, you can have a bad timer base, a bad power pack, or bad coil. All these parts are expensive and just throwing something at the motor can get very expsensive.

I agree that it might be the power pack, I've had more than one that would be intermittent like that. Motor can be extremely hard to get started, and once it does, runs extremely rough, but keep the rpm up for about 15 seconds or more and all of a sudden, it starts hitting on all cylinders. You could run it the rest of the day and even the next day and never miss a beat. Let it sit for a couple of days and it's right back to not wanting to start and skipping badly when it does until it warms up some.

However, I've also had two different timer bases do that same thing, and some coils that did that.

Understand too, that's 275 Peak volts. You can not measure peak volts with a standard DVM unless you use a DVA. For instant, an AC wall outlet will have 120 VAC but with a Peak Volt Meter, you will read about 170 volts

[Fishing Rhino]

I'm going to make a suggestion. CRC 6-66.

1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Multi-purpose marine lubricant and corrosion inhibitor.

CRC 6-66 is based on a paraffinic oil and a multiple organic inhibitor system that prevents

rust and corrosion by displacing and sealing out moisture and by forming a continuous

protection barrier against water and oxygen. The oily, almost invisible film of CRC 6-66

lubricates and penetrates into the finest pores and cracks of the surface.

CRC 6-66’s effectiveness for surface protection is derived from three of its principal

properties:

•

affinity for metal

•

low surface tension

•

high capillary action.

By its affinity for metal and low surface tension CRC 6-66 displaces moisture and separates

it from contact with the metal surface. The high capillary action contributes to the great

spreading power.

2. FEATURES

•

Displaces and seals out moisture, especially after washing or hosing off engines or

equipment.

•

Penetrates through corrosion to loosen rusted parts.

•

Lubricates without leaving a sticky residue.

•

Protects against corrosion, even during storage.

•

Stops squeaks.

•

Starts wet engines.

•

Prevents electrical failures.

•

Cleans light soils and contaminants.

•

Prevents 'fingerprinting' by its protective film.

•

Protection of all metals and alloys.

•

Compatible with most painted surfaces, coatings, plastics and rubbers.

•

Equipped with the 360° (upside-down) spray valve for added convenience.

•

Pressurised with non-flammable CO2 propellant.

•

Active product content of 97%.

•

Specification: NSN 6850 - 13 - 115 – 1885.

http://www.crcind.co...s/TCM3 6-66.PDF

I bought a new, 3 cylinder loop charged 60 hp Evinrude in 1971. Brand new, it had an ignition problem. On foggy mornings or after damp nights, it would miss on one or two cylinders. I could hear the beep, beep, beep, of an electical charge arcing. I pulled off the cowl and started the engine. Sure enough, the spark plug wire towers came out horizontally just below the flywheel and when the ignition fired that wire, it jumped the 1/16th - 1/8th" gap to the underside of the flywheel. Once the engine warmed up, it ran fine.

I sprayed the innards around the spark plug wires beneath the flywheel and the fly wheel itself as well as any and all electrical components. Never had another problem. I believe they eventually brought the towers out then down at about a 45 degree angle to increase the gap between the plug wires and the flywheel. I notified the dealer about it and he had no problem spraying the 6-66 on any of the components under the cowl.

It was a standard procedure used by commercial fishermen who depended on their engines every day to make a living. Not only did it seal the electrical components from moisture problems, it also lubricated all the linkages such as those to the carburetors and the timing plate of the ignition.

When I learned that trick, I also was able to help folks whose cars were hard starting on damp days or that would stall if they drove through a puddle. A good spray on the spark plug wires, on the outside and inside of the distributor cap and no more problems.

My commercial lobsterboat had a six cylinder 292 Chevy engine. It developed a perplexing problem. Started fine at the dock. Head out of the river, and after running for fifteen or twenty minutes, it started dropping cylinders 'til it was only running on three or four cylinders. A half hour after is started dropping cylinders, it would pick them up again, one by one until it was running fine. Apparently moisture would get forced into the distributor cap from a faulty seal on the distributor shaft. As the engine heated up, it eventually dried out.

I broke out the 6-66 and sprayed the sparkplug wires and the inside and outside of the distributor cap as well as the points and condenser. No more problem.

No guarantee that this will solve or improve your problem, but it's an easy, economical thing to try. Some say WD 40 is the same thing, the WD standing for water displacement, but I'm not sure they are correct. I know the CRC 6-66 worked for me on more than a few occasions.

If it does help, then chances are you have a power leak (s) somewhere in your electrical system. It may be a long shot, but it's better than blindly swapping out components.

[DON1937]

BKeith don't know what to tell you except that Evinrude did build a 3 cyl. 35hp. I think it was only produced for a few years starting in 1997. Were Evinrude motors stamped with the SN? Mine has a sticker but the SN is almost impossible to read. Thanks for the info on the ignition. I have the DVM that will check these voltages.

FishingRhino: I lived right on the Gulf coast in the small town of port O"Connor and I'm very familiar about hard starting in the morning. My landlord came over one morning when I was trying to start my car . He had a can of WD-40 and sprayed all the wires and distributor cap and the car started on the first turnover. All of the old timers down there carry a can in their car incase they or someone else floods their car out running thru water. I carried WD-40 the rest of the four years I lived there and used it regularly on friends cars that wouldn't start. Great stuff! Don't know if it's the same CR 6-66 or not but I think it works the same. I'll try some in the morning. The PO replaced the plugs, plug wires and 2 coils and I can run my hands all over the wires and there are no apparent leaks.

[BKeith]

I thought you said it was a 92. I looked at the 97 and I see you are correct, they did throw some three cylinder models out there, I've never seen one but like I said, I don't work on them for others and I don't do much with those small motors.

As I said, you can not use a DVM to check the coils input voltage. You MUST use DVA when trying to read it without a Peak Reading volt meter. A DVM is not going to show anywhere near the 275 volts you are looking for.

[DON1937]

I thought you said it was a 92. I looked at the 97 and I see you are correct, they did throw some three cylinder models out there, I've never seen one but like I said, I don't work on them for others and I don't do much with those small motors.

As I said, you can not use a DVM to check the coils input voltage. You MUST use DVA when trying to read it without a Peak Reading volt meter. A DVM is not going to show anywhere near the 275 volts you are looking for.

The boat is a 92 but the motor is a 97/98 according to the sticker. Do Evinrudes have the SN stamped anywhere on the motor?

[BKeith]

There should be a sticker on the left side of the transome mount. Top line is the model number and the year model is coded in two of the last letters in the model number. Spell out INTRODUCES, the I is number 1 and it counts up one number for each letter, E is 9 and S is 0. So, if it's a 98 the two letters would be EC, if a 97 they would be EU. The serial number should be the next line under the model on that sticker. There is also what looks like a freeze plug in the block with the SN on it.