1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

[cclaeys]

I have a 1959 18hp Evinrude and have some questions/concerns. I rebuilt the carb a couple of weeks ago and first time out it was planing my 14' aluminum boat just fine and going like crazy. Since then, it idles great and will get up to wot (I think) but it just doesnt plane out the boat like it did before. This was the first time I used the engine so I have no historical comparison.<br /><br />The things that have changed since that first trip:<br /><br />1) I put the cowling on, I was running it without it to adjust the needles.<br /><br />2) I added a trolling motor to the transom and a deep cycle battery (probably 150# total weight for those 2 things).<br /><br />Other than that everything is the same. I started with the instruction Joe Reeves provided and have started from scratch a couple of times thinking something got juiced. One thing is that the high speed needle is only about 1/2 turn out from seated - pretty lean? I am running at about 5000 feet altitude. The top needle is right about 1.5 turns out. Idle is fine, but the wot just isnt hitting what it was. I am going to replace the prop and hook the tach up tonight and see what happens tomorrow, (I have a 9x11 on there now and will try a 9x8). <br /><br />Anyone have any experience/insight on this? Thanks for the help - this forum and the people in it have saved my butt with this motor!

 

[rolmops]

Re: 1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

You will have to adjust the high speed needle while going at wot.My guess is that you will have to open it more.Actually I would start with 1 1/12 turns.What sometimes happens with these adjustable needles is that they will vibrate and open or close by themselves.150 pounds is a lot on a 14 footer.Try and put your battery in the front end.If it is in the front already,you should try to tilt the engine up one more hole.The prop change should give you an extra 600 rpm.

 

[cclaeys]

Re: 1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

Up one more hole? I never even messed with that thing, I have it all the way on the bottom (I thought they were self trimming)- I found that I looked like I was going to take off, front end was at about a 30* angle on just the second peg. <br /><br />When I open up the high speed needle that much it sounds really rich and bogged down - and is considerably slower than the setting I have it at now. The current setting was made at wot, just seems weird that it is so far in when others are at about a full turn out at least - I dont want to screw this engine up even if it is 40 years old.<br /><br />Even though the bushing that holds the packing is tight you are right, they still loosen. Battery is in the center of the boat, otherwise I'd have to run something ridiculous like 2 gauge wire.<br /><br />Thanks for the tips!

 

[mjbrueck]

Re: 1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

You may need to do something to distribute the weight better. It sounds like it's having a hard time getting up on plane with all the weight in the back.<br /><br />My 1957 18hp Johnson doesn't seem to develop much power at lower rpms. With me sitting in the back of the boat, it won't plane. If I move to my middle seat it immediately planes and will hit WOT rpms with about 3/4 throttle. Mine will run my boat on plane with up to about 800 pounds total displacement (boat, motor, gear, people, etc.).<br /><br />As far as the props, I have a 9 1/4 x11, 9x10 and 9x9. The boat runs best with the 9 1/4 x11, even when heavily loaded. All the props are new, but I think the 9x's slip more and don't create enough speed to fully plane the boat.

 

[cclaeys]

Re: 1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

OK, ran at the lake with the 9x8. defnitely was reving more. Hooked up the tach and it was at 6100 (I am pretty sure that wot on that should be around 4500-5000), the kicker is that I felt like I was going about 5 mph tops. It is strange, on one run it planed out great and then I stopped to let it idle/troll and take some reads from the finder, hit it again and was really sloppy - seems like rpms were the same but it just doesnt go. Any ideas?

 

[cajun555]

Re: 1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

Chris, 6100 is way too much. Book calls for only 4500 rpm @ wot. You might look at your 11 pitch prop and make sure hub hasn't spun in prop causing your power loss. Just a thought.

 

[cclaeys]

Re: 1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

So if it is supposed to be 4500 @ wot what do I do if I can only drop it to 5200 with a prop change? Is my carb not properly adjusted? I followed the directions and if I make the hs needle more rich it will drop rpms, but you can see the unburned fuel in the exhaust and it sounds like it is bogged down.

 

[cajun555]

Re: 1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

It sounds like the motor is running like it should, but your rpms are really too high. Normally you want to reach your motors rated WOT RPM with a modertally loaded boat. If your prop is spinning on the hub under a load your rpm's will race.

 

[rwise]

Re: 1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

chris-UT<br />Pull your prop off, take a marker and put a mark on the back side of it from the hub to the blade. Put it back together and run it. then pull it and see if the mark still lines up. if it does then it is not slipping, if it don't well you know. My 58 50 hp oem manual say to start with high speed jet at 3/8 turn and the low speed jet at 1 1/2 turns, so you are fine there.<br />Richard

 

[mjbrueck]

Re: 1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

It's not a hubbed prop on a '59, it uses a shear pin. You definately need a higher pitched prop. On mine, my 9x9 prop only moves the boat at about 11 mph at 4500 rpm. My 9x10 gives about 14 @ 4500, and my 9-1/4 x 11 gives 22 @ 4500.<br /><br />From your post, I think your motor is running fine. My motor is more than happy to rev over 4500 rpms (it doesn't know what's best for it). I run mine much more conservately since I added the tach - no more full throttle when I'm solo.

 

[cclaeys]

Re: 1959 Evinrude Carb Dilemna?

Thanks for posting your experiences, makes me feel alot better about it. I dunno why, but that thing takes off like crazy sometimes. I think I am going to pick up the 9 1/4 x 11 - should be a bit of an improvement on the 9 x 11. The 9x8 was going about 5 mph @ 4500 - really stunk because there were a ton of skiers out there and I was stuck on the wrong side of the bay.<br /><br />I am glad I hooked that tach up, I thought it was running low still - thing probably would explode.<br /><br />Thanks for all of your insight and help guys.