can you add rope start to an electric start motor?

My motor is a '94 Evinrude 25 HP longshaft. It only has the electric start. I was thinking tonight that if I drained the main battery down to much, that I would be SOL in trying to start this thing. Can you add a rope starter to this motor?

I also have a 30lb thrust trolling motor that runs of the starting battery. How long can you run one of those before that battery is unable to start the outboard?

Thanks!

I'm sure you can find the parts to make it both electric and pull start. Just have to look around.

I'd definitely have a separate battery for my tm. How long will it last? Who knows, depends on conditions and usage.

Most electric start outboards can be rope started by using a cord and handle setup at the flywheel to pull start it. Did it with my 150hp johnson so it is no big deal. That rope is often under the engine cowling from the factory.
Tim

My1997 25hp 'Rude had a rope and pull start in the flywheel just like earl described.

my '93 had an "emergency" rope start

you had to open the cowling, & there was a rope in there & a notch on the flywheel where it attached, you wrap the rope around 2x, & pull. if it didn't start, wrap again & pull. pain in the butt if you needed it i'm sure, but **** sure better than paddling!

they also make an electric & rope start version of that motor. to change it, you have to buy a new motor cover cowling that has the rope start hole in it, and you have the buy the rope start assembly.

in short, yes, it can definitely be done. a 2nd battery is a hell of a lot cheaper & easier though unless you happen to find some cheap used parts laying around

I took a look under the hood, and I saw the notch in the flywheel where a rope would go.

As for the rope itself, it looks like that has been lost to the sands of time. Is that something one can get at the local boat dealer?

Thanks!

Peter

The rope is just a cord with a knot at one end and a wooden dowel at the other end, probably about 4 feet long. You will only need it in an "emergency".
Tim

Adding a recoil pull-start to an electric start motor gets very involved.
You may want to start off with a similar year parts-motor with pull start. Even the cover has to be changed. This could mean paint and decals.
The recoil mounts will likely have to be changed to solid mounts which can be ordered from the factory. This is necessary to clear the flywheel.
I have done all this before and it gets very involved.
The neutral start interlock and the neutral safety switch all have to be found and installed. If not, the whole engine becomes a disaster waiting to happen. Some of these can be found in the Electric Start Kit parts breakdown. I didn't see if you mentioned whether you are running tiller or remote control. This will change things too.
This all gets very involved...

The emergency pull rope may look like the best option here, unless you are very determined.

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=355307#p355307 said:

astrorails » 10 Jun 2014, 10:47[/url]"]I took a look under the hood, and I saw the notch in the flywheel where a rope would go.

As for the rope itself, it looks like that has been lost to the sands of time. Is that something one can get at the local boat dealer?

Thanks!

Peter

Click to expand...

earl60446 said:

The rope is just a cord with a knot at one end and a wooden dowel at the other end, probably about 4 feet long. You will only need it in an "emergency".
Tim

Click to expand...

Instead up going to a dealer,who's probably gonna have to order it, I'd go to Lowes or HD ,get a section of rope and a short dowel and make my own and keep it in the tackle box...........if it were me.

astrorail,

IF it was me, I would buy a PAIR of "deep cycle" 6-volt GOLF-CART batteries & wire them in series to make ONE really heavy-duty 12-volt battery. - You might also "look at" the batteries that are designed for electric-powered wheelchairs.
(In my "metal-flake, bass-boat, phase" or "DAZE", I ran a fairly powerful trolling motor for sometimes 12-14 hours a day, as well as starting the 110HP OB & never even came close to running my 2 golf-cart batteries down. - To assure of having "plenty of juice" for the next day, I would plug-in a 10AH, 12volt power supply to the batteries overnight.)

Also, I would buy myself a piece of 4-foot rope & a piece of hardwood for a handle, so that I had an "emergency starting rope" to wrap around the flywheel in the event of battery failure.

just my OPINION, satx

Don't make the rope to long either...or atleast don't wrap it around the fly wheel to many times.
That dowel makes a pretty good weapon, if the motor starts up with it still attached to the fly wheel.

Make sure you don't have any passengers in the "whip zone" when you pull that rope. It can raise a pretty good welt.
It's also easy to picture what happens if you emergency-start the motor in gear. You dont want to be in the water with your boat chasing you around in circles.