Re: 1936 Bendix Eclipse Electric Outboard
If the motor spins over by hand, then it might go with some juice. If the rubber is cracked a bit, but the wiring isn't showing, I'd try it on 6V and see what happens. Most car & boat batteries from that era were 6V. If the wires arc with the switch OFF, then you've got a short somewhere between the clips and the switch. Look for smoke, heat, etc. and don't run it long. I would NOT run it in water until you've had a chance to go through the whole thing, as the seals in the motor (which is submerged) are likely dried out.