1941-46 Evinrude Sportwin - rebuild, sell, or part?

[franklenz]

Hi people,

Question - Please tell me what you think about the pictured motor. I picked it up from a coworker for $40, and I don't know much about it. I have rebuilt and restored several mid 50's Gale- Hiawatha, Buccaneer, Sea King, and a couple of mid 50's Mercurys. I have never done an Evinrude - let alone one this old.

Do you think I should attempt it? or, Sell it? or, Part it out to people that are already in the middle of a rebuild (or need the parts)?

Any advice would be great.

Oh yeah - the serial number is 4368-03629. If anyone could pin down a year, model #, and H.P. for me, that would be great. I think it's a 3.3 hp 1941-1946 model, but when I look at other pictures of the same motor - they have a different lower unit.

 

[boobie]

It's your decision on what to do where ever you can get the most $$$$$$$ out of it.

 

[franklenz]

I never make money on my rebuilds. It's just a hobby. I sell the ones I don't want for the $$ I got in to them.

 

[F_R]

Personally, I shudder when somebody parts out, or even worse junks, a restorable antique motor. Somebody wants it if you don't. No, you won't get rich off it, but it's a piece of history, and they don't make any more of them. If you want to pass it on, consider an ad on the Antique Outboard Motor Club's website www.aomci.org The ad is free.

 

[flyingscott]

Gale and buccaneer motors are OMC products like Evinrude. So jumping into the evinrude won't be a stretch for you, plenty of support out there for you at the AOMCI.

 

[Chinewalker]

I concur with Frank. If it's a complete motor with possible viability, leave it together. Wether you get into it or pass it along to someone else, it's value is that it's intact. If you try to part it out, you'll likely sell the gas tank, front cowling, propeller and maybe another part or two, then you'll be left with a carcass with no value to anyone. Most people who are restoring a motor are starting with something like what you have and only need a part or two to complete it or make it better. It's not like there are hundreds of people out there restoring that exact model who are going to line up for parts from it. There are enough stuck, beat up, junker motors out there to supply the odd part most of us might need if we're restoring one, and certainly enough that we don't need to cannibalize a good, complete one to do it...

 

[F_R]

BTW, 1941-46 were WWII years and civilian outboard production was shut down to make military stuff. I don't know how rare that makes the motor in question, but just something to think about.

EDIT: I just looked it up, and model 4368 is a 1946-47. After war's end and outboard demand was high.

 

[franklenz]

I decided today to restore it. I put some oil in both piston chambers, cleaned out the mice nest, and lubed the lower end just to see if was seized up. To my surprise, it moves! I got decent (useable) compression on both cylinders, and the lower feels solid.

FYI, parting out was my very last option, and only considered if someone really needed the parts. I put it up for discussion on the forum hoping someone else would be interested in snatching it up. Almost everything is in tact - im only missing the recoil assembly and the original tiller grip. One corner of the casting is broken off (cosmetic), and a stabilizing spring stop is broken off of the hanle/tiller. I already have a fix in mind for that I've I can't find a replacement part.

Thanks for the input.

It's going to be an ocd project.

 

[franklenz]

BTW, 1941-46 were WWII years and civilian outboard production was shut down to make military stuff. I don't know how rare that makes the motor in question, but just something to think about.

EDIT: I just looked it up, and model 4368 is a 1946-47. After war's end and outboard demand was high.

Can you put up a screen shot of what you found. I found the 41-46 when I looked it up.

 

[F_R]

Oops, I was reading in the wrong column. Sorry 'bout that. Doing it right, up to serial number 18,000 were 1941. 18,001-up were 1946. None were manufactured during the war. So, yours is a 1941. Information comes from Peter Hunn's The Old Outboard Book.

 

[oldboat1]

I never make money on my rebuilds. It's just a hobby. I sell the ones I don't want for the $$ I got in to them.

Me too. Yours looks like it would be real nice as a working original -- looks good. Think I might clean it up and see if I could get it running, maybe display it at a local AOMCI meet.

 

[TN-25]

Don't be so sure that your recoil is missing. By the looks of the starter sheave it is a standard starter rope model. The Simplex recoil starter was an extra cost option on the Sportwin 3.3 that made the 1941 price jump from $85.50 all the way to $92.50!

BTW, see the Chevron-shaped exhaust relief slots on the transom bracket? That same bracket was later used on the Gale Buccaneer 3 single all the way into the early 1960s.

 

[David Young]

Yep, its a rope start. Nice little piece of Evinrude history you have there

 

[franklenz]

No Title

Now I found this one for sale approximately 1 hour from my house....$225 is his bottom price, but it's the exact same model and year. Do I get it?

 

[franklenz]

Does anyone have an exploded view/diagram of this motor? I having tuff luck finding one. I don't want to dig into it without some idea of what's connected to what etc.

 

[ddwilson]

I bought a reproduction hand grip for a 1940 Evinrude Elto Handiwtin from Doug Penn recently. He has a lot of used parts and can probably help with any parts you need.

 

[F_R]

No Title

They didn't explode the parts book views back in those days.

 

[franklenz]

Awesome!! Thanks

 

[alpacino]

I'm looking for a manual 1941 evinrude 3.3 sportwin / model 4368 --- any help would be appreciated TY