1957 Lark - stop switch

[lindy46]

I have a 57 Lark 35hp. The older engines were designed to be stopped by hitting the choke button. I want to "modernize" it and use a key switch and was wondering if there is any reason why I can't connect two wires from the key switch to the cut-out switch on the side of the engine? I believe the cut-out switch just grounds the bottom cylinder out to stop the engine if the vacuum gets too high. Any reason why this shouldn't work? This would provide added security, as the original set-up allows anyone to pull-start the engine even if the battery is disconnected.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: 1957 Lark - stop switch

The cut-out switch, like you said, only cuts out one cylinder. The motor will probably still run on one cylinder. My slightly newer 40 HP has 2 wires, one from each set of points, coming from under the plate. Those two wires, when shorted together, completely kill the engine. Do you have the second magneto wire on your 35?

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1957 Lark - stop switch

I'm pretty sure the older manual start motors were were stopped by simply
retarding the throttle till they stopped.The older electric start motors did have a start button and choke button which of course could be used to stop the motor.Yes you could set up a switch to ground the cut out wire.
Along those lines my 88 Evinrude 50 electric tiller has no key switch just a choke button and start button I added a hidden toggle switch into the solinoid circuit.

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1957 Lark - stop switch

The cut-out switch, like you said, only cuts out one cylinder. The motor will probably still run on one cylinder. My slightly newer 40 HP has 2 wires, one from each set of points, coming from under the plate. Those two wires, when shorted together, completely kill the engine. Do you have the second magneto wire on your 35?

No, mine only has the one wire going to the center of the cut-out switch. I guess I could try stopping it with the one wire. If that doesn't work, I guess it's a matter of pulling the flywheel and adding a second wire to the other set of points? For security, I doubt if the motor would pull-start that easily with one cylinder grounded out.

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1957 Lark - stop switch

Ended up adding a second wire to the upper cylinder points. The hole was already there in the armature plate, so it was relatively easy to do the job. Works perfect! Thanks!

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1957 Lark - stop switch

There ya go,happy boating

 

[coolguy147]

Re: 1957 Lark - stop switch

u werent really going to modernize it lol if u did only by like 1 or two years lol

the vacum was just meant to slow the motor down incase u hit a log and the motor popped up but its really not needed

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1957 Lark - stop switch

u werent really going to modernize it lol if u did only by like 1 or two years lol

Heh Heh - not exactly modern by today's standards, but it looks really cool cruising the lake and I sure get a lot of comments, mostly from older folks (like me) who remember the Good Old Days!

 

[shawpdx1]

Re: 1957 Lark - stop switch

I have a 1968 johnson 40 hp electric/ not the electric outdrive just says electric superseahorse/super quiet. it has a 3 way toggle on it. not hooked up to anything has a starter its not hooked up but does work. wanting to wire a simple switch for the starter and a kill switch off the 3 way I have. the motor does not have a sileniod either any help would be great. not good at figuring out wiring for these. seems wierd not to have a kill switch. If Im reading right they were designed to be stopped by choking the motor?

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1957 Lark - stop switch

Motor can be stopped by choking it - that's how they were designed before 1958. In 1958 they added a kill circuit, which basically is two wires connected to the points which, when touched, ground the points and stop the motor.The later models used a key switch and when that switch is in the "off" position, that kill circuit is closed, which stops the engine. That is the circuit I hooked up to my 1957 Lark. Yours should already be wired for a kill circuit. Look for two wires, probably black, coming out from under the flywheel. If you touch them together, and pull the rope start, you should have no spark at the plugs. When they aren't touching, you should have spark.

I believe your motor had a separate junction box with a starter solenoid in it. Battery connects to one side of the solenoid, the large terminal, and a similar gauge battery cable connects to the other large solenoid terminal and goes to the positive starter terminal. There is a smaller gauge wire which also connects to the "battery in" side of the solenoid and goes up to the starter switch. A wire comes back from the starter switch and connects to one of the small posts on the solenoid. When the key is turned to "start" the circuit closes and and the solenoid activates, allowing juice to flow from the battery to the starter. I'm not sure what the 3 way toggle is which you are talking about. There should be a large plug in wiring harness which goes to the junction box nad then on to the key switch.