1949 sears outboard question

[Isaacm1986]

I have a 1949 45hp sears motor, it runs good right now, but is there a place to buy parts for these when i need it? or am i just out of luck? thanks.

 

[DaveyHAZZ]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

Motor looks damn good for its age.. i have a sears 7 hp ted williams and its a 72, looks nothing like it..Anyways, yes u can order parts through sears direct with the model number of your engine..only problem is they want lots of $$ for any part, and most of the time the part you need, is no longer availiblefor sale. Sometimes if you go on craigslist or ebay u can find a parts motor or parts for your particular motor...


Cheers mate,
David

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

Not a 1949, more likely a 59 or later. Post the model and serial numbers and we can date it accurately. More than likely a West Bend or McCulloch but I'm not real familiar with either one after the late 50's.

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

Yes that is a 60s McCulloch.Parts are out there but will take some searching.
Some ignition parts may be available here at Iboats under the McCulloch name.
Get us your model number we should be able to date it for you.
The scott guy at ask the scott guy may be able to help.
also the forum at www.aomci.org should be helpful.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

ok here are the serial and model numbers.

Serial - 67604531-1949
Model - 574.59581

If you guys can date it that would be great! are these outboards any good at all? I was thinking it was a 1949 cause on the serial it has the -1949.

thanks for the help!

 

[McGR]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

The first real speedboat I ever rode in was powered by a virtually identical motor that was branded with the Scott name. On my first ride in that boat, I thought it was scary fast. I also learned to water ski behind that boat. This boat was kept at a friends cabin up north. They had a few other smaller boats up there at the time. But the one with the Scott was the speedboat with the "big motor".

I would guess that motor was built in the early to mid 1960s.

 

[McGR]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

Your motor got me curious about old Scott/McCollough/Elgin/Sears motors. I did a little web surfing and came across this site:

http://www.elginoutboards.org/elgin1959to63.htm

The decoding scheme listed on this page seems to suggest that your motor is a 1967.

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

McCulloch is an ok motor.They were somewhat ahead of the times with a 43 cube 45 hp in 63 and a 3 cylinder 75 hp from 63 cubes in 63.
Biggest problem is parts they have been out since about the late 60s or early 70s.
And didn't have an extensive dealer network.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

ok here are the serial and model numbers.

Serial - 67604531-1949
Model - 574.59581

If you guys can date it that would be great! are these outboards any good at all? I was thinking it was a 1949 cause on the serial it has the -1949.

thanks for the help!

It is a 1967 45hp, built by Scott-McCulloch. (McCulloch bought the old Scott-Atwater company). They were pretty decent motors. But even when new, a lot of shops wouldn't touch them. Things haven't gotten much better on that score. But if you enjoy the challenge of working on and/or restoring old motors, this will be a good one.

EDIT: if you want to research the McCulloch company, it is the same Robert McCulloch that bought the London Bridge and shipped it to Lake Havasu Arizona.

Quote from Wikipedia: Robert Paxton McCulloch (May 11, 1911 ? February 25, 1977) was an Missourian entrepreneur most notable for McCulloch chainsaws and purchasing the new London Bridge and moving it to one of the cities he founded, Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

It is a 1967 45hp, built by Scott-McCulloch. (McCulloch bought the old Scott-Atwater company). They were pretty decent motors. But even when new, a lot of shops wouldn't touch them. Things haven't gotten much better on that score.

If they were decent motors, why would shops not touch them? Just curious is all, I do enjoy finding out the history on old things.

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

There are lots of shops that won't touch even more common old tech motors.
Parts are a Pain to find on the Scott/McCulloch .If you check parts here at I boats McCulloch has something like one page,Evinrude Johnson Has something like 60 pages dating back to the early 1950s While I like the McCulloch if I was looking for
an everyday motor I would be looking at any E/J from the 50s forward.
If I was collecting large outboards I would include a McCulloch like yours.
It is a fact they had some teething issues on their newer large motors.from about 40hp to 75 hp.If you need more help on yours the Scott Guy at "ask the scott guy" can probably help you.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

Your motor got me curious about old Scott/McCollough/Elgin/Sears motors. I did a little web surfing and came across this site:

http://www.elginoutboards.org/elgin1959to63.htm

The decoding scheme listed on this page seems to suggest that your motor is a 1967.

That's odd that there would be an Elgin name on a Scott motor. Elgins were West Bend Aluminum motors, weren't they? West Bend was later bought out by Chrysler Marine and later bought out by Force.....yada yada yada.

From what I understand, McCulloch bought Scott-Attwater out in 1956 and it wasn't untill 1963 that the McCulloch brand name was put on the motors. Kinda odd to me, but oh well. I've had a couple Scotts here and they aren't bad motors. Just hard to find parts and hard to find someone (other than me) to work on them. I did have a contact for Scott parts, when I was an AOMCI member. Hard telling if he's still around, but he had a lot of stuff. If you could get on their site, you'll likely find help there with you motor.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

That's odd that there would be an Elgin name on a Scott motor. Elgins were West Bend Aluminum motors, weren't they? West Bend was later bought out by Chrysler Marine and later bought out by Force.....yada yada yada.

From what I understand, McCulloch bought Scott-Attwater out in 1956 and it wasn't untill 1963 that the McCulloch brand name was put on the motors. Kinda odd to me, but oh well. I've had a couple Scotts here and they aren't bad motors. Just hard to find parts and hard to find someone (other than me) to work on them. I did have a contact for Scott parts, when I was an AOMCI member. Hard telling if he's still around, but he had a lot of stuff. If you could get on their site, you'll likely find help there with you motor.

Sears' model number prefixes indicate the mfr.
217 Eska
225 Force (Chrysler)
298 Tanaka
571 Kissel (1936-1945)
571 West Bend (1946-1960)
574 (Scott) McCulloch
582 Clinton

People woud buy Scott-Atwater motors, then try to get the main-line shops (Evinrude/Johnson/Mercury) to work on them and weren't received with many pleasantries. "Can't get parts" was the usual excuse. Truth is, they were the competition and any way to bad-mouth them was fair game. Things haven't changed much.

Where I worked, we were Scott-Atwater Service dealers (not motor dealers), and we had no problem getting parts and kept the common items in stock. That was then and this is now.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 1949 sears outboard question

Sears' model number prefixes indicate the mfr.
217 Eska
225 Force (Chrysler)
298 Tanaka
571 Kissel (1936-1945)
571 West Bend (1946-1960)
574 (Scott) McCulloch
582 Clinton

People woud buy Scott-Atwater motors, then try to get the main-line shops (Evinrude/Johnson/Mercury) to work on them and weren't received with many pleasantries. "Can't get parts" was the usual excuse. Truth is, they were the competition and any way to bad-mouth them was fair game. Things haven't changed much.

Where I worked, we were Scott-Atwater Service dealers (not motor dealers), and we had no problem getting parts and kept the common items in stock. That was then and this is now.

Oh my God. You would have to say Kissel. The good ole' "May West Motors" or aka Water Witch. I had a 1940 single that had this huge automotive type coil mounted on the side of it. The original WICO coil went out on it and someone adapted some other funky system on it. If I'm not mistaken, those were a problem child, about like the Thor was for Montgomery Wards.

Didn't West Bend Aluminum buy out Kissel?