1957 Evinrude 10 hp -- Won't start

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Piomarine

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Location
Arlington, TX
I NEED HELP!!!

I have a 1957 Evinrude Sportwin (10hp) in great running condition (or was). I ran it about 2 weeks ago and it ran great. Tried to start it on Saturday in the water but got nothing, I either flooded it or had the exhaust port underwater (assuming that makes a difference).

I started the motor today and it ran fine. I shut it down to grab something from the garage, started it again but the throttle body had stuck open and it revved very high, the throttle was frozen and I had to shut it down by closing the carburetor...it hasn't started since.

I have tried everything I can think of to do! I drained the fuel, tried resetting the carb adjustment, I even changed the spark plugs. It will turn over and fire but won't stay lit. I don't think it's getting fuel. Can someone give me an idea I haven't tried yet?

I noticed a small split in the fuel line but there's no sign that it's leaking, and the pressure gasket on the tank is still good. Is it possible that it could just be flooded? It still wouldn't start after sitting for about an hour.
 
Well....if you don't think it is getting fuel then take a squirt bottle and add some 24:1 mix and spray some down the carb and see.
You ARE running 24:1 in that engine aren't you? If not you better start. That is a bushing engine for one and the pistons are butter soft compared to any late model piston material. Skirt wear on a lean oil ratio will rear its ugly head and cause idle and starting issues.....before it pops a powerhead.
Second, check the available spark energy. Remove the plugs and the plug wire should be able to jump a 1/4" gap with a good blue spark. Make those two checks and lets start from there. You may also want to fill in the gaps on the latest service history.
 
You got lucky. Pappy responded.



but from the remedial class of boat/motor guys: Have you run ethanol in your engine lately? Messes the fuel hose delivery system and can plug fuel pump.


Best wishes, you got this knocked.
 
I feel truly honored to get a response from Pappy! I mixed 16oz into 4 gal of fuel...I think I calculated that right. Just checked it again and it's a little lean...by about 5oz. 16oz is the mixture for 3 gal. I will check spark and add more oil tomorrow. Would those idle issues include light sputtering and skipping? If the skirts are worn how do I go about checking/replacing them?

The only ethanol that's been run through it is the mandatory 10% imposed by the fine folks at the EPA (that was sarcasm btw)

I understood when I bought this motor that it would be a steep learning curve. I have never been a gear head but I have a good mechanical mind and with help I can learn quickly. I apologize in advance for seemingly stupid questions...such as where do I spray the gas into the carb?
 
Good Lord...gonna' need boots for that!

Lets back up for a bit here. What has been done to the engine and when? New coils? Carb kit?
You mentioned draining the fuel. Where did you drain it from?
You mentioned the carb throttle blade freezing in place. How did you shut it?
You mentioned alcohol extended fuel. How old is the fuel and how cold is it where you are trying to run the engine?
Were you able to pump fuel from the tank back into the carburetor after draining? Did you see fuel filling the glass filter bowl?
Have you tried adjusting the low and high speed needles?
Sorry for all the questions but if you are not a gear head this is where we should start.
 
Unsure about the coils or the carb kit, I bought it 8 months ago and I've run it twice since that day...so at least that long
I drained the fuel from the filter bowl and the line below the fuel filter, and I guess whatever was above the filter bowl
It was not the carb throttle blade that froze, (forgive the lack of technical terms) it was the throttle link (the one that runs under the armature plate), it got wedged behind the throttle stop arm, I basically had to muscle it back into neutral after I stopped it and that opened everything back up.
The gas is new maybe 2 week tops mixed with 16oz of TCW3, and it was in the 70s today
Yes fuel pumped back into the filter bowl just fine. I'm having trouble knowing how much to pump it cause I'm afraid of flooding it.
I have adjusted the big knob (I think that's the slow speed)
 
Okay.
Starting with the low speed adjustment. Lightly close it and re-open it around 1 1/4 turns. You will likely re-adjust this back down to less than one turn. If it is easy to turn then snug up the brass 7/16" nut that surrounds the needle. Should have a bit of resistance so the needle does not wander while running.
Loosen the nut around the high speed needle (the bottom one) and remove the needle. That will completely drain the fuel bowl. Catch the fuel in something and see what's in it. Re-install needle, lightly close and re-open it to around 1 turn. Tighten that nut to give you a snug feel on the needle rotation. When running at WOT you will need to re-adjust to highest RPM then richen just a bit for safety.
You can pump the tank pretty hard. Should be able to feel additional resistance when the bowl is full and the needle and seat closes.
Check your spark. Temporarily you can insert an insulated Phillips head screwdriver into the plug tip end of the wire and hold it near (1/4") a clean bolt on the block. Pull the rope and watch the spark. Use a friend for this if necessary. Spark plugs out of the head.
Rotating the throttle handle, you should be able to see the cam on the mag plate just open the throttle blade at the start position in neutral. If not then look at the brass cam and find the line. Adjust the relationship between the cam and throttle linkage to accomplish this. The roller should begin to move when it touches that line on the cam. If there is a deep groove in the roller that can make a difference. The throttle stop should not be able to jump the mechanical stop on the block!
When in the water the exhaust relief should not be buried below static water level. Level should be above those lower mount clamshells on either side of the exhaust housing.
Pull the choke and start the engine. Adjust mixture to a good steady idle. If it coughs lean then richen (CClockwise) a bit. If rough then lean (Clockwise) to best idle.
When you can, pull the lower drain screw on the gearcase and check for water. Do this often.
Let me know how this goes and we will go from here.
 
Alright Pappy...I don't know what kind of magic you are made of, but it started, albeit begrudgingly. I did everything exactly as you stated. When I drained the fuel, it looked like it may have had some sediment in it, but I don't know if it was in the fuel or if I knocked it off when I put the cup up to catch the fuel. Everything was fine in the throttle link, the roller, the carb blade, etc.

Here was my process
I closed and reopened the slow speed control 1 1/4 turn and tightened the brass nut as instructed
Pulled the needle on the high speed control, drained the all fuel, replaced the needle reopened it 1 turn tightened the nut to snug
Checked the spark, bright blue, very strong audible spark, replaced the plugs
plugged in the fuel line, but the tank was still under pressure
pumped the tank and noticed a hissing coming from the carb when I would push the primer, but couldn't find any leaks
pulled the choke
cranked it 3-4 times got turning and sputtering but no start

disconnected everything and repeated everything except checking the spark
pumped the tank, closed the high speed knob 1/2 turn, opened the choke
cranked it-no start, cranked it-no start
closed the choke, cranked it-sputter, sputter and start

It ran pretty rough at first but smoothed out somewhat. I tried adjusting the slow speed control both ways but it still didn't change how it ran. It wasn't skipping or sputtering but it would occasionally shutter.

One question, where is the drain plug on the gear case?
 
Progress.
The low speed needle should have enough control over the mixture to fully shut off the engine if you lean it enough. You should be able to find a good running adjustment range. If you absolutely cannot control the mixture at low speeds then the carb will need to be disassembled, cleaned and rebuilt. Use an OEM kit only as it is way more complete than Sierra or other "will fit" kits.
The drain screw on the gearcase is way down where the skeg meets the bullet shaped part of the gearcase. The vent hole is above the ventilation plate (horizontal plate above the prop). If it has water, drain it. Fill from the bottom until it runs out the vent hole. That can be fixed once you have the engine running well again.
 
Also I forgot to mention this, but after the motor started again it was spitting out a lot of blue (or white) exhaust...it was kinda dark so I'm not 100% what color it was but there was a lot of it. And it didn't go away after running it for a few minutes. The previous owner told me that before he put it up last winter he ran a bunch of sea-foam through it and that's why it was billowing so badly...not so sure I believe him.
 
A bunch of small white or blue/white globules in the water? Sounds like the engine was running rich at idle. This goes along with your description of the running quality.
The low speed circuit in the carburetor gets its fuel from the high speed circuit through a stand pipe in the carburetor. You should be able to restrict enough fuel in the low speed by turning it in to get it running right. If not you can restrict low speed fuel further by closing the high speed needle more. This would just be a test as when up on plane the high speed needle will have to be readjusted to get best performance.
 
I started the motor up again today to see if I could lean it out any. I turned the slow speed adjustment until it closed and the motor continued to run with no change in quality. I tried adjusting the high speed to lean it (clockwise) and it changed the idle speed, but again no change in quality, just bogging until it tried to die. I went the opposite way and it and it idled higher but started coughing. I found the happy medium but the run quality is still kinda rough and very dirty. The globules in the water you were talking about are not white but grey/brown, and the exhaust is definitely blue and copious (not billowing but thick).

Here is a picture of the water after I shut it down.
 

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Purchase an OEM kit. The engine should not run with the idle needle closed. Am thinking the high speed nozzle gasket is missing or the float level is too high, float is soaked....whatever.
Do a thorough cleaning of the carburetor. Not a hard job. Clean every passageway. Pull the core plug at the top by drilling a 1/8" hole in it. Be ready when the bit goes through so the bit does not bottom out on the calibration pocket passages. Read that twice!
Install the core plug by firmly tapping a flat punch or a 1/4" extension in the center of the plug....not hard. You will get a feel for it by looking at the old plug before you pull it out. Grab some of your sweetie's nail polish and seal the top of it.
Make sure the float is level being careful how you bend the tang. The tang goes down toward the main body after installing the new needle seat and washer. The hanger clips on to the needle and then slides over the float arm and is dropped in place when the float is installed. Needle and float tang both face the same direction.
The most tedious part will be the removal of the old packing washers. Pick them out with a small pick. You should have several packing washers with the kit and some nylons as well. Use the nylons as bearings at each end of the stack you will build. Use two or three of the cork between the nylons.
You will have to tighten the packing nut at least one more time as the cork gaskets compress with a few hours of run time.
Compressed air or a can of carb cleaner should be used to verify all passages once you have cleaned the carb body and bowl prior to re-assembly.
Starting needle adjustments will be the same as mentioned earlier.
 
Piomarine
The water in the test barrel should be deeper, it should cover the
water pump by a couple inches.
When barrel running a motor it will seem like a lot of oily goo
on the water but think how much water you would be covering
for the amount of time you run the motor. You wouldn't notice
it in the lake.
Good luck with your motor.

Steve A W

 

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