1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

[Gamonman]

I just bought a 1959 16' Jon with a 1960 Evinrude 10hp motor. I'm debating wether to keep it or sell it. (the motor that is) It's a 2-cycle, two cylinder.<br /><br /> I have access to a 9hp Mercury, freshly rebuilt and more modern style. I can get this motor for $200.00 from my uncle.<br /><br /> The old Evinrude runs great and has fresh gears, but it looks like an antique and the paint is faded badly. Runs great, looks bad.<br /><br /> I could repaint it but I didn't want to ruin a vintage piece if it's worth anything or someone might want it.<br /><br /> I'm all ears guys. Any idea of it's value? Anyone want it near St. Louis MO? If I paint it black will I ruin it's vintage worth if any?<br /><br /> Thanks for any help guys.

 

[Terry H]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

It aint worth much, but if it's running good now it should be still running well many years from now with proper care. I vote to keep it. Chief

 

[JB]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Great engine, Gamonman. Better than the Merc in my never-humble opinion.<br /><br />Only drawback I see is that it needs a 24:1 fuel mix.<br /><br />I vote with Chief.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Another 'Yay' here. I'm of the (strongly biased and often arbitrary) opinion that Merc never really did figure out how to build a small engine.<br /><br />Those 10hp engines are pretty common and lots of them are still in general service. So go ahead and paint it any colour you like. There won't be any collectors wringing their hands over it.<br /><br />I see runners sell on ebay for around $300 or so. I suppose that's what it's worth.<br /><br /> 1958 10hp project page, click here.<br />(That's a couple years older than yours, but there's some good info there & worth browsing around)

 

[alden135]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

A bird in hand......

 

[Gamonman]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Thanks guys, I guess it's unanimus. (sp)<br /><br /> I opened the top and the engine looks great under the cover. I guess I was intimidated by the exterior as to how long it would run.<br /><br /> This is my first boat, EVER, and I'm just trying to do the right thing. <br /><br /> Any more advice... I'm all ears.

 

[Gamonman]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Oh... the guy said that it fouls plugs often. He also told me that he thought the mixture was 50:1. Any advice on what to check to extend plug life?<br /><br /> Thanks again, sorry for the double post.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Good, now go ask the same question in the Merc forum. <br />The mixture is 24:1 87 octane gas to TC-W3 rated outboard oil, the plugs should be Champion J6C gapped at .030". Go over to the Engine FAQ Forum and have a look at the post on Decarbing. <br />Are you sure about the year?<br /><br /> Click here and check out Joe Reeves post about what those knobs on your carb do. <br />Setting them correctly will help with fouling.<br /><br />There isn't much you can't do on your outboard with a set of wrenches and a manual. These older Johnny/Rudes are cheap and easy to maintain and fix. Hard to belive you can get parts for your 45 year old outboard when you can't get parts for a 3 year old TV.

 

[Gamonman]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Thanks for the great info.<br /><br /> I looked at the spark plugs at Wal-Mart today. They had a Champion JC6 or CJ6, but no "J6c" as mentioned above. The plug I saw said "Chainsaw Spark Plug" on the package.<br /><br /> Is this the same thing? The motor currently has Champion "J8C" plugs in it. Any advice? <br /><br /> The guy I bought it from said 50:1 gas and had new J8C plugs in it. The title says it's a 1960. I trust you guys more than him obviously, but I wonder why he did those things.<br /><br /> I really need a manual but I broke the budget buying the boat.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

<br />Yeah, I know how that is. Check out the local library's reference section - they might have a manual or two for your outboard. It'll answer a lot of questions.<br />The Champion J8C is too hot a plug. Up here I get my J6C from Canadian Tire (a cross between Autozone and a hardware store), but that's probably not much use to you. I hear you folks can find them at NAPA autoparts stores, and of course the local Johnny/Rude dealer will stock them since they get used in a variety of OMC outboard engines. Small engine shops might have them too.<br />The original plug for the engine was a Champion J6J, but they don't make them any longer. The J6C replaced it and the only difference is that the ground electrode is shaped a little different. The CJ6 can get used in a pinch - it's not significantly different other than it's a little plug. <br />OMC changed all their outboards all at once to 50:1 in 1964. I know that they changed some internal features on the 10hp engine in '61 that have some importance in regard to oil ratio, so I would stick with the originally speced mixture if I were you.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

If all is well, that motor should not be fouling plugs. I'd check the ignition components to make sure everything is up to date. Newer condensers will have a rubber cap to them. New coils will be opaque plastic, usually green (but other colors have been made - bright red and blue). If the coils are cracked - replace them. New points never hurt either. You can replace all of the under-flywheel components for about $50.00 and never have to worry about them again in your lifetime, aside from dressing the points occasionally. If the coils ARE NOT cracked, they're more than likely okay.<br /><br />If unsure of the last time the waterpump impeller was replaced, replace it. Cheap insurance.<br /><br />Keep an eye on the lower unit oil, too. If it gets milky after a few runs, consider resealing the unit. It's not hard to do and will go a long way towards keeping the motor among the living. That unit traces its lineage back to the 5.5 and 7.5hp models, and as such it's not as robust as it could be. It won't take a ton of abuse. Shift at lowest idle, shift swiftly and surely, and hesitate briefly in neutral when going F to R or R to F.<br /><br />Great little motors! Enjoy!<br />- Scott

 

[Scaaty]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

If you buy the newer Merc, make sure also get a Kicker bracket for the old Johnny to hang off of so you can get back to port!

 

[Gamonman]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Ok, really stupid questions guys, but I never claimed to be good at math... 6 gallon tank, what is the correct amount of TC-W3 oil for the mixture at 24:1?<br /><br /> Thanks again!

 

[chris in va]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Hey, WalMart has these nifty SeaSense mixing bottles with various conversion levels to make things easy, for about $2.<br /><br />According to my bottle, a 24-1 mix at 6 gallons is 32oz/947cc of oil, or a full bottle. Wow.

 

[marinemech1]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

the reason for 24:1 fuel oil mix is because at the time only sae 30 oil was avaiable<br />since the introduction of tcw (two cycke water cooled) oils the mix went to 50:1 there was some messing around at 100:1 but that didn't fly.<br />on older engines we stick with original mix even though we know about the change because the engines are over 40 years old.<br />buy good oil and mix 24:1 1 liter of oil to 254 liters of gas sorry we are metric up here in the great white north

 

[Gamonman]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Ok thanks guys. That comes to one full quart bottle of oil to 6 gallons gas. I guess they made 6 gallon tanks for ease of mixing? 24:1<br /><br /> After asking that dumb newbie question I ran up to Wal-Mart to get some plugs etc. This is the second Wal-Mart I went to that didn't have the J6C plugs, but rather "CJ6" or something like that.<br /><br /> I guess I'll have to go to an auto parts store for the right plugs. I did see the "J8C" plugs in the boating section and they were titled "marine plugs". That's what the previous owner was using in my '60 Evinrude. I sure hope he didn't mess anything up.<br /><br /> Thanks for the help and welcoming me on the forums. I know what it's like to answer the same newbie questions over and over as I belong to other forums where I know much more.<br /><br /> Feel free to advise me on anything you think I should know about my set-up.

 

[marinemech1]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

j6c plugs should not be real hard to find <br />p.s my other oost should read "buy good oil and mix 24:1 1 liter of oil to 24 liters of fuel sorry about that

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Originally posted by Gamonman:<br /> Thanks guys, I guess it's unanimus.... (sp)

Just thought I'd be a voice in the wilderness on that. Hell for $200, I'd buy the merc and keep both. Probably, for fun, "restore" or spruce up the shabby old one while you're running the Merc. (and yes, I'd tend to go with original colors, but that's just me and I'd like it to look that way if I kept it in the long run)...<br /><br />Then, if you really have two excellent looking and running old motors, sell the one that doesn't tug at your heart strings. If the merc craps out on you while you're restoring the 'rude, unlikely as it might be, it's not a huge gamble. If both are running, there is no way that you wouldn't get $200 for a 10 hp engine that is running well and looks even half way decent. From what I've seen, $500 is what a baseline price for almost anything that's running well.<br /><br />I like both Mercs and Johnnyrudes. I definitely don't adhere to what you're (in my opinion) hearing here - mostly biased, from dedicated johnnyrude fans. Sort of a Chevy vs. Ford deal, and you gotta figure where your own loyalties are. <br /><br />For 200, I'd buy a freshly rebuilt engine - whether it's a johnnyrude or merc. If nothing else to get to the 50:1 mixture and a little further down the timeline. Plus, at the point you're starting, and assuming both engines are running well, to me the fresh rebuild would make my mind feel more at ease than an original with uncertain history. But I've had great luck with two engines I've bought that were old, but professionally rebuilt, and mixed luck at best with straight original older engines. I tend to think of pro rebuilds as equivalent to new engines almost, and for $200 for a 10 hp kicker, to me it's a no-brainer.<br /><br />For both, though, give some real thought to the lower unit as well as "how it runs" - make sure that not only does the oil look good when you first inspect it, but also that it indeed looks good after a few hours of running in the water (idle it in a tank to test if you have to). A recent change of lower unit oil can mask water intrusion problems that might be more difficult to solve than you think, especially if you aren't a mechanic. Have fun.

 

[Gamonman]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Thanks guys.<br /><br />

For both, though, give some real thought to the lower unit as well as "how it runs" - make sure that not only does the oil look good when you first inspect it, but also that it indeed looks good after a few hours of running in the water (idle it in a tank to test if you have to). A recent change of lower unit oil can mask water intrusion problems that might be more difficult to solve than you think, especially if you aren't a mechanic. Have fun.

I just may buy the Merc too just because of the price. The old Evinrude motor has a freshly built lower, with reciepts. But it hasn't been run in a while.<br /><br /> I went out there just now and tried to start it for the first time. I put fresh gas in the tank, choked it, a squirt of starting fluid and bbbrrrrrrr! It started right up on about the third pull!<br /><br /> Now I'm realizing that I need to inspect everything and also learn how to use the controls. There are two knobs that say "rich" and "lean". The one on the left says "high speed" and the right one of course says "slow speed". I have no idea what these are for or how they should be set.<br /><br /> Second, I don't know how to inspect the oil . I have the motor in a 5 gallon bucket of water so I don't overheat it. But other than that I don't know what to do.<br /><br /> Lastly, I'm not sure how to use the hand controls. It has positions for "fast, start, shift, slow, stop". It's all pretty obvious except for the "shift" position. I wasn't aware of the ability to shift and I'm lost there.<br /><br /> Thanks again guys and please let me know if there are any other pre-use inspections I need to do.

 

[Gamonman]

Re: 1960 Evinrude - sell or keep?

Ok, my engine leaves a little bit of white milkiness in the water. Is that ok? The water cooling system seems to work fine as it fires it out the side with ease.<br /><br /> I still don't know how to use the "shift" selection on the hand control. It starts easily and will run great on "fast", but if I twist it down to "start" or "shift" it just dies. It dies even before I get to "slow".<br /><br /> Any help is appreciated.