'63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

jbjennings

Captain
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
3,903
Guys,
I'm working on an old 18 evinrude. I checked the coils and they looked good, water pumped well. I cleaned the carb and finally got it running but it is incredibly hard to start after sitting for just a few minutes. Also, if you BARELY touch the primer bulb it will die. I believe it floods out. Could this be caused by a slightly out of adjustment float? It is a cork one but I am fixing this for an old man that I know just wants it to run and will probably never actually take it out on the lake. I want it to run well for him anyway but I know he doesn't want me to spend any money on it and I am willing to reseal the float. what do you think? Float or what? I feel very convident the problem is in the carb.
Thanks,
JBJ
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: '63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

extremely possible, needle valve not sealing, thus flooding. if this has the fuel pump mounted to the bypass cover the diaphram may have a pin hole and leaking into the bypass. pumping the primer would force fuel into bypass also.
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: '63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

JBJ,

Every time I've run into that issue, (it's flooding) the cork float was the culprit.

They float fine in a can of gas. Put them in the carb and they sink. :-(
 

jbjennings

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Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
3,903
Re: '63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

Thanks guys,
I'll check into both of those issues. I'm thinking of drying/resealing the float AND trying it out bypassing the fuel pump and just pumping the fuel by hand if the resealed float doesn't fix it to see if I have a pinhole in my fuel pump.
Will post results.
Later,
JBJ
 

Joe Reeves

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Feb 24, 2002
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13,262
Re: '63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

If the carburetor float is off level or the float needle valve is faulty, pumping the fuel primer bulb will cause the fuel mixture to flow from the carburetor.

(Carburetor Float Setting)
(J. Reeves)

With the carburetor body held upside down, the float being viewed from the side, adjust the float so that the free end of the float (the end opposite the hinge pin) is ever so slightly higher (just ever so slightly off level) than the other end. And when viewed from the end, make sure it is not cocked.

Depending on which carburetor you might have (adjustable needle valves)......

(Carburetor Adjustment - Single S/S Adjustable Needle Valve)
(J. Reeves)

Initial setting is: Slow speed = seat gently, then open 1-1/2 turns.

Start engine and set the rpms to where it just stays running. In segments of 1/8 turns, start to turn the S/S needle valve in. Wait a few seconds for the engine to respond. As you turn the valve in, the rpms will increase. Lower the rpms again to where the engine will just stay running.

Eventually you'll hit the point where the engine wants to die out or it will spit back (sounds like a mild backfire). At that point, back out the valve 1/4 turn. Within that 1/4 turn, you'll find the smoothest slow speed setting.

Note: As a final double check setting of the slow speed valve(s), if the engine has more than one carburetor, do not attempt to gradually adjust all of the valves/carburetors at the same time. Do one at a time until you hit the above response (die out or spit back), then go on to the next valve/carburetor. It may be necessary to back out "all" of the slow speed adjustable needle valves 1/8 turn before doing this final adjustment due to the fact that one of the valves might be initially set ever so slightly lean.

When you have finished the above adjustment, you will have no reason to move them again unless the carburetor fouls/gums up from sitting, in which case you would be required to remove, clean, and rebuild the carburetor anyway.

--------------------------------------------------
(Carburetor Adjustments - Two Adjustable N/Vs)
(J. Reeves)

Initial settings are: Bottom high speed = seat gently, then open 1 turn out. Top slow speed = seat gently, then open 1-1/2 turns.

Setting the high and low needle valves properly:

NOTE: For engines that DO NOT have a shift selection, obviously there is no NEUTRAL position. Simply lower the rpms to the lowest setting to obtain the low speed needle valve adjustment.

(High Speed) Start engine (it will run pretty rough), shift into forward gear, take up to full throttle. In segments of 1/8 turn, waiting for the engine to respond between turns, start turning in the bottom high speed needle valve. You'll reach a point whereas the engine will either start to die out or spit back (sounds like a mild backfire). At that point, back out the needle valve 1/4 turn. Within that 1/4 turn, you'll find the smoothest setting.

(Low Speed) Slow the engine down to where it just stays running. Shift into neutral. Again in segments of 1/8 turns, start to turn the top needle valve in. Wait a few seconds for the engine to respond. As you turn the valve in, the rpms will increase. Lower the rpms again to where the engine will just stay running. Eventually you'll hit the point where the engine wants to die out or it will spit back. Again, at that point, back out the valve 1/4 turn. Within that 1/4 turn, you'll find the smoothest slow speed setting.

When you have finished the above adjustments, you will have no reason to move them again unless the carburetor fouls/gums up from sitting, in which case you would be required to remove, clean, and rebuild the carburetor anyway.

When time permits, visit my store (copy/paste) at: stores.ebay.com/Evinrude-Johnson-Outboard-Parts-etc?refid=store
 

samo_ott

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Jun 18, 2006
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5,125
Re: '63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

If it's hard starting try spraying some 50:1 premix in the carb, if it fires right up then you know it's the carb for sure... The rebuild kits are only $15 or so...

Dang, I wish it wasn't so cold up here that I could be working on outboards right now... All I get to work on is my snowblower! :(
 

jbjennings

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Jul 18, 2007
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3,903
Re: '63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

well, I finally gave up on repairing the float so I used another float, needle valve and valve seat from one of my other motors. It ran well, cranked warm VERY easily. Will see tomorrow how the old boy cranks cold. Next, the dreaded lower unit seals. I worked on his 1959 or '60 10hp evinrude today. The shift rod was missing a nut under the flywheel (WHY I don't know???). The bolts holding the powerhead on that 10hp were INCREDIBLY hard to get to. I don't even know what tool is used to get one of them off. I'm glad I have '50's OMC's, those 60's motors seem harder to work on.:( That 10hp seems to have the wimpy 5.5hp lower unit on it as well.
Thanks for the help on the 18hp carb.,
JBJ
 

samo_ott

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5,125
Re: '63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

Yeah, the 10's from '58 on were the wimpy LU. My '58 keeps going thru them for whatever reason... It's hard for the '58 10 to be my favorite engine when it goes thru LU's!

And changing LU seals is not my favorite either. If it's not a bad leak I just change the oil more often! :)

Just be happy you're working on outboards... Here's a recent pic of my favorite boat (my small pontoon) and moving my '56 30hp to the back shed.
 

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jbjennings

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Re: '63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

Sam-ott,
Why don't you sell that darned '58 10hp? I'm glad this '59 or '60, whatever, isn't mine..... A lower unit is almost as expensive as a motor, isn't it? Anyway, I'm thinking of getting a barge, too. My in-laws like to lounge around and loved riding in my bow-rider I had not long ago (the boat was 20yrs. old when I bought it---sold it 'cause it was a pain in the rear--stern drive volvo-penta) so I mentioned barge and my mother-in-law won't stop pestering me about it. I really like my mother-in-law BTW. I have a line on an 18ft. barge with trailer that has a bad merc(which I can probably fix) on it for cheap--hopefully only about 1500-2500 and I believe it's in pretty nice shape. I'm also supposed to get another barge with it for free that was dragged up on the bank and left so long that the only thing good on it is the pontoons, which I want. It also has an older OMC 40 or 50 hp on the junk barge that was running when it was sat up---interesting. My father-in-law likes grilling so I thought I'd stick a grill on the barge, get to fish a little while they all gossiped and he cooks steaks, and cruise around and look at the high-roller's "camps" on Caddo Lake. I'll post some pics of 'em one of these days. Do you use your 30hp on the barge? Seems like that would be a good one for it. BTW, I know you probably hate that snow but I'd love to get some a few times a year, at least. I see, now why y'all change that lower unit oil every fall:D.
I'll post a pic if I get that barge,
JBJ
 

samo_ott

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Re: '63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

The party barge's are a blast! Mine's only 16' (good for ~6 adults), I want to sell it and get a 20'er or so. When I got it, it had a '61 5.5hp on it... (and it actually moved ok) then I put the '58 10 on it... then a 20... now it has a '66 18hp... but I just got a Viking 25 late in the season that I want to try on it next summer... (does everyone know that 2008 has been proclaimed the year of the Viking up here due to it's anniversasy?)

And I like the 10. Dont wanna sell it... and I have 3 of the '58's anyways (it was my first 50's engine - and several other 10's of various years also)... You start to realize more and more that the LU's are worth more than the powerheads as the powerheads are easier to come by!

Up here, just the pontoons are worth over $2k to buy and then you have to build a boat on top of them... But I see down in Florida they're real cheap! And I'm heading there in March so I might look around and see if I can tow one home! Check out this add in Fort Myers - > http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/boa/522633043.html

And snow sucks!

p.s. Shouldn't you be at the Independence Bowl in Shreveport tonight? :)
 

wbeaton

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Jul 30, 2006
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2,332
Re: '63 evinrude 18 hp Q's

The lower unit seals aren't that bad. Might take you 15 mins or all day, though. Some of those seals can be a serious pain.

I have a couple 1958 QD's as well. They are my least favourite motors of the era. However, these days I'm looking for an old Johnson or Evinrude snowmobile. With a foot of snow on the ground its hard to think about outboards.
 
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