1956 evinrude 5.5 won't idle, need help

[S.C. Eric]

I have a ’56 Evinrude Fisherman 5.5. It has been stored for the last 8 to 10 years but was properly serviced prior to storing and is in great shape. The only problems I have are that I have to hold it at full throttle to start it (but it only takes one pull to get it going) and once started if I back off on the gas it will stall. As I cannot find anyone to service it locally, I bought the original service manual to do it myself but it assumes that I know what the problem is in the first place. Does anyone have any idea where I should start? I figure it’s the fuel system so I have ordered a carburetor kit but as I know very little about working on motors I don’t just want to start pulling things apart.<br /><br />Thanks for the help,<br /><br />Eric

 

[Xcusme]

Re: 1956 evinrude 5.5 won't idle, need help

Eric, Welcome to the board!<br />You're on the right track ordering a carb rebuild kit. Pay particular attention to the low speed idle circuit when you clean the carb. Removing old fuel deposits from the interior passages is vital to a good rebuild. Take your time, document with digital pics if you're unsure as to later parts replacement. It's not a hard job, and can be done in a couple of hours. If you run into problems or have questions, post back to this thread and we'll give you a hand. You should consider replacing the water pump impeller too. After sitting for that amount of time, dry rot can cause the impeller to fail.

 

[S.C. Eric]

Re: 1956 evinrude 5.5 won't idle, need help

Xcusme<br /><br />Thank you for the quick response. Here is another question for you. Will I need any special tools? I have a good set of standard stuff, pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers etc… but can you think of anything I may need to make this go smoothly or that I may want to pick up if I replace the impeller.<br /><br />Thanks again,<br /><br />Eric

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: 1956 evinrude 5.5 won't idle, need help

You must remove the powerhead (engine) from the outboard to disconnect the shift linkage in order to drop the lower unit to get at the water pump. That sounds _way_ more complicated than it is. The short of it is you'll want a new "powerhead to exaust tube gasket" to replace the old one which will probably tear.<br />Other than that, there's no special tools you'll need other than a repair manual. They're available here at the Iboats store. Personally, I prefer the Seloc one to anything. If your looking for a cheaper one, try your local library.

 

[S.C. Eric]

Re: 1956 evinrude 5.5 won't idle, need help

Thanks for the tips Paul, I just ordered the manual you suggested, it sounds like it will be much easier to understand than the service manual I have.<br /><br />Eric