How Do i Check The Timing on my '73 Evinrude 65hp

[TrevorM]

I recently bought a boat that had a '&3 evinrude 65 3cyl on the back of it... brought it home on friday, the guy who had it was told it ran but in the 2 years he owned it he never had it started.... spark was fine and i put new gas in it.. Fired right up.. ran on 2cylinders for awhile then the 3rd one picked up... had it in a pail of water.. seemed to be cooling fine...Tried to start it again later that day and all it would do was backfire (which blows loads of water out of the pail and soaks you) tried it again today and thats all it will do still... doesnt sputter... good spark, new plugs... all carbs are getting gas... i think with the first backfire i may have spun the flywheel and sheared the key (is this possible)
how do i check the static timing??

 

[angus63]

Re: How Do i Check The Timing on my '73 Evinrude 65hp

Welcome
I know nothing about your model motor, but if you stick a pencil in the spark plug hole for cyl #1, rotate the flywheel by hand (all plug wires off!!) and stop when the pencil sticks out the most, your flywheel should be near or at zero degrees.
Good luck

 

[Tinlizzy]

Re: How Do i Check The Timing on my '73 Evinrude 65hp

Welcome to the forums. It is possible that you snapped the flywheel key and the timing is now off.

With the timing light connected to the N0. 1 cylinder, start the engine and set the engine speed to 4300 to 4600 rpm (in gear). The 22 degree mark on the flywheel just align with the timing pointer.

If necessary, stop the motor and move the advance stop adjustment screw to obtain the proper setting. The screw is just under the flywheel facing the front of the motor. There is a locknut on one end and you should have about 1/4 inch showing to the face of the nut. One turn clockwise retards the timing about 1 degree. One turn counterclockwise advances the timing about 1 degree.

Post what you find.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: How Do i Check The Timing on my '73 Evinrude 65hp

The timing pertaining to firing each cylinder at some point after TDC depends on the flywheel being properly positioned via the flywheel key. The exact degree of timing is another matter.

Your concern is with the flywheel key. Remove the flywheel, if the key is sheared, a special neew key, part number 304780, is required and must be installed with the outer straight edge being perfectly vertical, not aligned with the crankshaft taper.

Clean the flywheel and crankshaft tapers if they have been even ever so slightly affected.

The flywheel nut must be torqued to 105 foot pounds. Anything less (torque) will result in a repeat of the sheared key scenario.

 

[Tinlizzy]

Re: How Do i Check The Timing on my '73 Evinrude 65hp

...Just make sure the outer edge of the key is parallel to the center line of the crankshaft. After the flywheel is reinstalled follow my previous post.

 

[TrevorM]

Re: How Do i Check The Timing on my '73 Evinrude 65hp

Thanks guys.. ill check out where the flywheel ends up after work tomorrow... im guessing cyl one would be my top cyl.... Thanks for the advice.. keep ya posted.. also is this a decent motor? any history of it being reliable ro unreliable.. common problems?

 

[TrevorM]

Re: How Do i Check The Timing on my '73 Evinrude 65hp

Alright i checked it.... the top cylinder at TDC is nowhere near any of the timing marks... looks like a sheared that key... But it looks like this project is gonna grind to a halt for a little while... i was driving down a back highway while at work today and stumbled upon a mysterious looking tunnel hull with an evinrude 235 on the back of it... turned out to be a skater 18s and the engine has been recently overhauled im told... it was the old mans son's and he said hed take $2500 for it... 20mins later i was back with the cash and now i have a new bigger faster project