Folding Outboard

Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
I found a rare 4hp Evinrude that folds in half.
Here it is sitting next to my regular version in the 3 hp flavor.

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Two release levers, a hinge and a split drive shaft with coupling let it fold.

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I just finished the refirb of the 3hp in December with the plan to keep it forever but now I can't wait to get started cleaning this one up!

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Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
RAD! Perfect four the adventures you like to get into

Right! How is that Lowe aluminum boat treating you? Lowe has a great history. Search Loweline. I had a canoe by them and the build quality was the best I'd ever seen in a canoe. Too bad it was a short one but at least it was the best material used for any boat. Aluminum. You can buy Osagian Aluminum kayaks. Now that's a yak I could live with!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oQMHRzyAERg

Or here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgv0pe9VYMM
 

Cummins_expo

Adventurer
Right! How is that Lowe aluminum boat treating you? Lowe has a great history. Search Loweline. I had a canoe by them and the build quality was the best I'd ever seen in a canoe. Too bad it was a short one but at least it was the best material used for any boat. Aluminum. You can buy Osagian Aluminum kayaks. Now that's a yak I could live with!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oQMHRzyAERg

Or here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgv0pe9VYMM

Oh man that aluminum kayak is rad- been checking it out
 

Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
I got it cleaned up today. The first thing to look at on an outboard or any water cooled painted motor is the cylinder head. If you see any discoloration in the paint then it has overheated. Look around the plugs. This is what you want to see.

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The lower unit or gear case is full of gear lube. Marine gear lube has extra additives for corrosion but it's basically just gear lube. What you don't want to see here is milky fluid or water. This is what you want to see when you drain it.

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Don't ever be fooled into thinking newer is better on outboards. The old stuff is stupid simple, drys out fast if you dunk it, and it lasts forever. I've never bought a set of points for a boat in my life. It has one set of points per cylinder compaired to a car that had one set to fire all 8 cylinders. Bulletproof until you get into the newer stuff with power packs. I peaked under the flywheel and saw what I expected. Perfect points in like new condition.

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Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
All outboards are basically the same and a water pump is routine maintnence. The star looking piece is the rubber water impeller. The vanes should be straight and soft. With age they take set and break. It spins in an aluminum or plastic housing and against a metal wear plate that is under my thumb. The housing and wear plate need to be inspected for groves but most just need an impeller.

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The impeller and housing will burn in seconds if you run an outboard out of water.

The drive shaft should allways stay in the lower unit and then you pull the pump up off the shaft. On the folder the coupler is pressed on the end of the shaft so the drive shaft was pulled from the lower unit. Now my pinion gear is floating around in the gear housing. Part 18. Flashlight, screwdriver and patience got it together but the book has you disassembling the entire gear housing to get it together. I got lucky but once my impeller comes in I get to do it again.

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They use a funky T shaped key or a round roll pin between the impeller and drive shaft. They are a pain because you have to flex the impeller vanes into the housing while keeping the pin in place. Grease on the pin, housing and impeller gets it together and then you must spin the driveshaft clockwise to make sure all the vanes are flopped in the right direction. Sometimes the vanes orient the right way when you spin it and sometimes you need to relocate them. If not it won't pump enough water. All outboards are like this and why they charge a couple hundred to do it.
 

Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
I can't recall having ever seen one of those folders before, pretty cool.

They were popular in the older 3 hp versions and came in a nifty case. Marketed to Bush pilots.

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One of the best kept secrets in outboards is how good the old 3 hp 4 hp were.
Don't let the old fashion cover fool you on this one. These motors still out run and outlast anything newer. With a clean carb and fresh water pump I'd trust one in the worlds most remote locations over anything new and so would any old outboard guy. This version had the gas tank built in. Tank condition (rust) would need to be inspected with a flashlight. A new carb kit does away with the varnish painted cork float. That's the trick to using with ethanol gas. I'll post the simple carb rebuild when the parts come in.

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Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
I put a fresh pull cord on today.

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I love broken pull starters on used equipment because that means I'm buying it cheap. Common problem if it's not a broken cord it's the wrap spring. The ends break off.

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The loop or tab on the ends break. If you try to bend a new loop then the spring steel breaks. Clamp near the end of spring with vise grips and heat the end of the spring. Bend your loop when it's hot and wind the spring back into the housing. You will look twice the next time you find a nice piece of power equipment at a yard sale or pawn shop with a broken starter if you get good at tinkering with them.

If an Evinrude starter breaks on the water then they built in a back up. All you do is wind the cord around the grove in the flywheel and pull. You can pull start big 140 hp outboards this way if the battery dies. Smart feature.

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Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFVkJ1KrFaH88gPgz9facYL11iow-X-Ts

heres one of my channels video lists . I got a 1962 boat for free as long as I purchased the trailer. well I was gonna just trash the boat But silly me . then I got a 1962 40 hp motor .. welllllll you guys know how that goes

I've seen your build before. Maybe here or on one of the boat forums. I love nice remote bodies of water the best and is why I bring an extra small outboard. Just in case or if I want to power way up in shallow water. That's where the animals are usually concentrated. This is your vid that I liked. Where is it?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLFVkJ1KrFaH88gPgz9facYL11iow-X-Ts&v=7KU3JxyGKtA
 

Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
Found a new toy to hang it on. Avon Redseal inflatable raft.

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Motor got a carb kit and is running like new. Boat is a hypalon 10 footer. Made by Avon. Zodiac is French and Avon is British. They did battle for years with Avon allways being just a smidge better. There are plenty of 30-40 year old Avons still in use. You can't kill them unless they spend decades in direct sunlight. Eventually Zodiac started to build popular cool sport models and were able to buy Avon. Zodiac still uses the Avon name on some of their boats. Today most of the consumer Zodiacs are PVC material. Not that that's bad it's just that the floors fall out and the transom separate from the tubes in 3-10 years. Trick to making them last is to use max inflation pressure. That sounds simple but they get filled on the hot ground or deck then thrown in cold water. The cold water cools the air and reduces the pressure.
 

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