Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

[JSGOLD]

I am adding a 1961 Evinrude 5.5 as a kicker motor to my 76 Starcraft.This motor came with a control box, which previous owner used on an older boat he had. The control box is a Scott Atwater, which is pretty old, but works fine. The motor has the lock down clips already and the throttle cable hooks right up. However on the shifter the end clip is missing from the cable, and the shifter, while it also has the lock down clips, has no way to connect to it. I would assume at one time the fellow had a bracket of some sort on there, but no more. Would it work if I added an "L" bracket, drilled a hole in it, and added two nuts to hold the cable onto it? Or, is there a better solution. I can't locate any of the clips, and I would assume based on the age of this control box, it would be hard to find. I am adding a kicker because 70% of the time I will be in lakes with 10hp limits, and it would be easier to use control box. I am getting a 3gal tank for the motor, as I see from previous questions it is a 24-1 mix. If I can just get the shifter hooked up this would be ideal.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

Being the "crusty old dude" that I am, my memory was a little foggy on the cowl arrangement of a '61 Erude 5.5hp. That said, I surfed the net a little and found a few photos of that particular model year. The good news is that it looks like your motor either has the pad for the shift cable trunion clip, or for installation of the bracket that I provided a photo of, in the other thread that you were reading.

What I am not sure of, is whether stock OMC shift/throttle cables will fit in a Scott Atwater control box. Given the age of yours, I am going to guess that it used the type of cables that used set screws to secure them, both in the box and to the end fittings. If so, a standard OMC Type 400 cable may work with it. You can buy Type 400 cables right here at iboats, and as TD pointed out, the end fittings are available too.

If all of this works out, you should be able to set your controls up easily. As for the control box, unless parts are missing, it should be just fine. The older control boxes are very simple in design and usually need little more than a thorough cleaning, with subsequent re-lubrication, to be serviceable.

If the Scott Atwater box doesn't work out, you should be able to find an ERude Simplex or Johnson Shipmaster control box on one of the auction sites.

On the lubrication issue, I believe that your motor does not have needle bearings at the crankshaft/connecting rod junction. That means that you can't get away with running your fuel/oil mix at the 50:1 ratio that your bigger engine will be happy with.

I'm also not remembering whether your engine has a pressure tank or a standard tank, with a fuel pump on the motor. If it is the old type, with no fuel pump, there is a conversion that can be done to the motor, so that you can add a fuel pump and use a regular tank. A search of the forums here will reveal a number of threads on this issue.

Once you all of this sorted out, you should have a great kicker motor. The OMC 5.5hp and 6hp motors are about as "bullet proof" as an outboard gets. I'll even admit that, even though I'm more of a "Johnson guy," the cowl on your ERude was one of the best looking designs of all of the OMCs, IMO.



???

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

Thanks for your quick reply! My control box came with cables, and they seem to be OK. They have threaded ends, so the Atwater clips would screw on and be adustable. My concern was what kind of bracket I could add. The previous owner had a bracket with a round ball that the (missing) clip would attach to. The motor. thankfully, does not need a pressurized tank, but I am adding a small 3 gal tank for the 24-1 mix it needs. The 5.5 runs fine but would be a little difficult to run by hand for me to see end of boat so that is why I am adding a second controller. The bracket that on the other post, would it fit my motor? I thought I read it was for newer motor, but I may be mistaken. I will post some pics shortly to show you what I am dealing with.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

Here are some pics of the motors and connections, as well as the boat

http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy158/JSGOLD2009/BOAT/

 

[steelespike]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

If you have the mounts to hook the cable housing into; a simple L bracket bolted to the hole in the shift lever so it can swivel a little and fasten the cable end with 2 nuts probably jam nuts with nylon inserts so they don't damage the threads.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

Take a photo of the starboard side of the motor, in the area just ahead of the gearshift lever. What I want to see is the mounting point for the trunion retainer.

I think your cables will work with the OMC retainders, because the ball shape isn't all that different from the barrel shape of the OMC units. As to whether or not the bracket for the later 6hp motors fits, or is even needed, I won't know until I see a close up of the mounting point. BTW, don't get too close - the closeup that you have of the throttle cable end is so close that it is very blurred.



???

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

Gotta find sme batteries, then will post, just not sure exactly where you are asking (new to me) I assume the front view of the motor on starboard (left side looking at rear of boat). The pic I took of the cable end was the last one I could take, but the one pic with both cables is clear and shows it. I will try and take a better close up of it as well. Maybe several pics all around the motor as well, for future use, just in case.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

See if these help. I temorarily set the control box in the boat and ran cables through the transom, then connected the thottle. The 5.5 needs a little grease so I hit it with somw WD40 and oil for now in the throttle areas. It seems to work OK. The cable to the shifter looks to be just short, but this cable looks to be adjustable a little and the right bracket should hook up up OK, (I hope).
http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy158/JSGOLD2009/EVINRUDE5/

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

One thing I have noticed, even though the throttle cable is easy to slide it gets harder to move the handle on the control box whne installed. Maybe more lube needed, maybe the angle is a bit tough since the kicker motor is further left, or maybe the old 61 just does not like being ran this way...will have to tinker with that for sure. Right now the way the box is set up the handle all the way forward is in the off or slow position, and you have to pull back on the control to accelerate. At least I think that is it. I have not ran this motor myself since buying it so am not used to the tiller settings...still new to me.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

If you have the mounts to hook the cable housing into; a simple L bracket bolted to the hole in the shift lever so it can swivel a little and fasten the cable end with 2 nuts probably jam nuts with nylon inserts so they don't damage the threads.

That is what I am leaning towards so far, unless I find something ready made that is reasonable...appreciate the suggestion.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

I wish F R would pop into this one, because he knows the old motors really well.

You have the trunion retainer mounted on the motor for the shift cable. Its the silver part with the "double U configuration." What I can't see, is whether or not the motor should have the bracket that I showed you in the other thread. If the shift cable runs directly fore/aft between the retainer and the shift handle, your OK. If the cable points outward at the handle, because that is further from the side of the cowl than the retainer is, you probably need the bracket that we have been discussing.

BTW, your shift handle appears to be a home made unit. Most likely, someone broke the handle off of the shaft that goes into the exhaust housing and made the handle that is in the photo. If the repair was done well, I would leave it alone, because the only was to replace the one you have with a new part, is to pull the powerhead. This is so, because the shaft has a bracket on the interior end, to which the shift rod is attached.

Another recommendation, is to go into the "Other Outboard" repair forums here at iboats, to seek advice on finding an end piece for your shift cable. I have no idea how hard or easy they are to find, but the folks that frequent that section might have some advice.

One more bit of info - WD40 is a water dispersant, not a lubricant. For most of the parts that need to be lubricated on the motor, you should use a marine grade (water resistent) grease.



???

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

Somewhere along the line this motor was damaged, as the front pc that is just under the reverse lock handle is broken away...so that makes sense on the handle. Did not think about the Wd40, you are right. I will get a better lube for sure. The cable is close to the handle, hard to show that though for some reason. It would appear though that some kind of bracket, at least 3-4" would be good. I will try cobbling something up to see if I can make it work first, as money is tight but if that fails I will get this one shown on the other post after the holidays. I know Scott Atwatter stuff will be hard to find as far as end pcs go but will take your advice and check other forum. I may have to buy different cables and controller or just use the tiller and make do if nothing else for a while. Does it matter where the levers are as to whether they are forward or back as far as controlling goes?

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

My first J/E engine was a '61 E5.5. And it had remote controls. Here is a pic of it on my pontoon boat.

And you're right. The previous owner to me had made a Z type bracket that was screwed on the starboard side to hold the shifter cable. I can't find a pic of it, sorry. I just looked. So you need to make one. The rest is a standard hook up.

And those cables look awkward. I would think about get the proper OMC cables.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

You should set your controls up so that a forward push on the gearshift handle results in forward gear and a backward motion on it results in reverse. Same goes for the throttle. Setting them up with reverse motion would be dangerous, because you will react intuitively in an emergency. The last thing you want to do in such a situation, is to accidentally select the opposite gear or throttle position.

If you are trying to set the control box up on a side opposite what it is configured for now, reverse the cable - you should find that you can flip the cables (you will have to take the box apart) from one end to the other, in order to keep the direction of travel as it should be.



???

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Hooking up 5.5 kicker to control box

Ok will do. I am not 100% sure if it is wrong as I have not run this motor so unfamilar with the tiller control. It has markings on it but a bit confusig on the throttle side....The handle does not say fast/slow but rather had 4 settings including stop. I need to run it in a barrell to get familiar with it's controls....and yes, these cables may need to go. The shifter cable is tougher than it should be anyway and both cables show damaged exteriors. Most likey very very old. I am going to mount the control near the one already there, that looks fairly easy with a proper bracket. Thanks for all of the input!