1960s 35 hp envirude lark

[clarky711]

Greetings, this is my first (and I'm sure not my last) post on I-boats and from what I can see it is a great and very helpful sight! Anyway on the questions...

I recently purchased a small alum boat with a 1960 (I think) 35 HP Lark OB engine serial #35012-01513. It is a manual shift, electric start. It has sat for a couple of years, but the last owner said it ran good. Upon visual inspection almost everything looks ok.

He also said it used to be 6 volt and was converted to a 12 volt. Is this common or even true? Here is a pic of what is in/on the electronic box...

If it is in fact an old 6 volt system is there anything I have to worry about it?

I found a misc. linkage part in the bottom of the boat, and after playing around I found out where it used to go. I've temp attached it (see big arrow in pic below), but does anyone know what it is for and if I need it installed again as the bottom half of it is mangled and doesn't fit anywhere anymore.

I want to clean the carbs, change the plugs the lower unit fluid (can I just 90W gear oil or is special outboard gear oil as I have some new truck diff 90W gear oil in my garage?).

Is there anything that you would recommend that I do before I try her out? It looks good and has been a fresh water engine all its life. I've read on hear to use a 24:1 gas/oil mix which is rich, but good for the old engines I guess. Thanks for any help that you might give in advance...

Mike

 

[CATransplant]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

That was a 12 volt system from the start. Even my 1958 35hp was 12 volt. Do clean up those contacts, though on the junction box. Clean up the contacts on the plug and receptacle on the engine, as well. It'll save you lots of troubleshooting time.

I can't remember what that link is for. I don't have mine any longer. For now, you can remove it, I believe, especially since it's mangled.

Definitely stick with the 24:1 fuelil ratio on that engine. It's what it was made for. Also, carefully remove the glass bowl from the fuel pump (careful of the gasket) and clean it. Start with fresh premixed fuel. If you have a lucky streak, you might actually not have to dismantle the carburetor. I didn't on mine, and it had sat for four years in a field. It's worth a try to start it.

You'll definitely want to replace the water pump impeller, though before putting this engine back in service.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Picture this scenario, if you will. You are out on the lake, running along at full throttle and you run out of gas. So you hook up the spare tank and squeeze the bulb. Ready to go...except the electric starter won't crank. OK, no problem, you stand up and give the recoil starter a mighty heave. The motor starts instantly. But oh-oh, remember it was running wide open and in gear when it quit!! And you didn't pull the throttle back and put it in neutral--that's why the electric starter wouldn't crank. And now, here you are, standing up, off balance, and the motor suddenly starts. You are going to go flying right out of the boat as it takes off. You were alone, so there was nobody to shut down or steer the boat. Unless it runs aground first, it will always go around in a big circle. Guess who's in the circle? You are. The boat runs over you and then comes back a few more circles to make sure you are dead.

The linkage you are considering throwing away locks the recoil so it can't be pulled at throttle settings above fast idle. That prevents you from doing the above situation and dying. Put the dang thing back (or a new one) and adjust it properly!!!!!!!

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Aw come on, FR, you're no FUN today...but exactly right. Very good advice so far, follow all of it.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

No kidding. That was a lot of typing. He must be cranky today!

A 35012 is a 1959 Big Twin manual start. If you have a Lark electric start something was changed somewhere over the years. Maybe the powerhead was swapped as it looks newer. Maybe the cowling...

 

[F_R]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Cranky? Heck I was trying to make it amusing. So much for my story telling skills.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Cranky? Heck I was trying to make it amusing. So much for my story telling skills.

I personally enjoyed the story.

Could of thrown in a shark or something though, lol

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Wonder if I could get my MIL out on the boat and ask her to pull the cord...naw, that would be TOO MUCH FUN. Actually she's a pretty nice lady...but I've always kinda wanted to have her out on the boat. Gotta go, WOS (wife over shoulder).

 

[wbeaton]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Picture this scenario, if you will. You are out on the lake, running along at full throttle and you run out of gas. So you hook up the spare tank and squeeze the bulb. Ready to go...except the electric starter won't crank. OK, no problem, you stand up and give the recoil starter a mighty heave. The motor starts instantly. But oh-oh, remember it was running wide open and in gear when it quit!! And you didn't pull the throttle back and put it in neutral--that's why the electric starter wouldn't crank. And now, here you are, standing up, off balance, and the motor suddenly starts. You are going to go flying right out of the boat as it takes off. You were alone, so there was nobody to shut down or steer the boat. Unless it runs aground first, it will always go around in a big circle. Guess who's in the circle? You are. The boat runs over you and then comes back a few more circles to make sure you are dead.

The linkage you are considering throwing away locks the recoil so it can't be pulled at throttle settings above fast idle. That prevents you from doing the above situation and dying. Put the dang thing back (or a new one) and adjust it properly!!!!!!!

I nearly peed myself! That's a way better answer than I had for him.

Chinewalker is right, 12V came in 1957. So it was always 12V.

Looks like it has been converted to electric start as Steve suggests. That's a nice add-on. Lots of posts on here about converting old motors. Consider yourself lucky.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

I personally enjoy making up all kinds of stories to get the wife to pull the anchor up! (ie priming system???, monitoring exhaust gas temperatures???) LOL She tends to hesitate though after I dropped a leach down her crack the last time she was bent over pulling up the anchor

PS She is a blonde

 

[clarky711]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Thanks a lot for the info guys! Good stuff Now for a few more ?s....

The throttle sticks. It is not in the cable to the motor as when it is engaged it moves freely. Once at the engine though it feels like it has very limited movement and has a lot of resistance. Any clues?

And the tilt doesn't work at all. It will lock in the down position, but it does not lock in any of the up positions. Is there just a replacement pin that I need to get or is it more complicated than that? I'm assuming that if it's a simple part that it would be carried by most dealers or is my engine too old?

The steering is a cable system with a white cable and pulleys to engine. The cabe is old and a lot of the outer layer is frayed off. The inner cable appears to be good, so I think I'm going to just leave it for now. Just wanted to be sure that this shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks again for all of the help... hopefully after this weekend, she'll be ready for a test run.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

I personally enjoy making up all kinds of stories to get the wife to pull the anchor up! (ie priming system???, monitoring exhaust gas temperatures???) LOL She tends to hesitate though after I dropped a leach down her crack the last time she was bent over pulling up the anchor

PS She is a blonde

Oh, you must like living dangerously...

 

[F_R]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Thanks a lot for the info guys! Good stuff Now for a few more ?s....

The throttle sticks. It is not in the cable to the motor as when it is engaged it moves freely. Once at the engine though it feels like it has very limited movement and has a lot of resistance. Any clues?

And the tilt doesn't work at all. It will lock in the down position, but it does not lock in any of the up positions. Is there just a replacement pin that I need to get or is it more complicated than that? I'm assuming that if it's a simple part that it would be carried by most dealers or is my engine too old?

The steering is a cable system with a white cable and pulleys to engine. The cabe is old and a lot of the outer layer is frayed off. The inner cable appears to be good, so I think I'm going to just leave it for now. Just wanted to be sure that this shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks again for all of the help... hopefully after this weekend, she'll be ready for a test run.

Make sure it is in gear before trying to move the throttle beyond idle speeds. An interlock prevents revving it up in neutral and/or shifting it at high speeds. Forcing it can bend or break parts.

The '59 has a button on the starboard stern bracket that you can push in to hold it in full tilt position for beaching etc. It is not meant for trailering and if used for that it will break. Most of them are broken. On the port stern bracket there is what looks like an extra clampscrew that you can screw in tight when tilted for trailering. It was a lousy idea..get a transom saver. Third, you can tighten the pivot bolt on the tilt to make is stay where it is to some degree, by friction. But it won't "lock" it.

The tiller cable is cheap at Home Depot.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Sounds like you have cable over pulley steering. If it is vinyl covered twisted wire cable and outside is cracking and coming off, you need to replace the cable before you do too much boating. And make sure the cables are tight, very little slack back at the outboard where they go through the pulleys. There are several posts on the board about replacing the cable, not that hard and not costly at all.

 

[clarky711]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Make sure it is in gear before trying to move the throttle beyond idle speeds. An interlock prevents revving it up in neutral and/or shifting it at high speeds. Forcing it can bend or break parts.

The '59 has a button on the starboard stern bracket that you can push in to hold it in full tilt position for beaching etc. It is not meant for trailering and if used for that it will break. Most of them are broken. On the port stern bracket there is what looks like an extra clampscrew that you can screw in tight when tilted for trailering. It was a lousy idea..get a transom saver. Third, you can tighten the pivot bolt on the tilt to make is stay where it is to some degree, by friction. But it won't "lock" it.

The tiller cable is cheap at Home Depot.

you were right about the throttle sticking as it was in neutral. how are you supposed to idle it up when starting in neutral? Thanks!

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

You idle it up to the stop in neutral. There is no need to rev it beyond that. Rev it up too high and bad things happen - usually involving shrapnel...

A properly tuned motor will have plenty of throttle in neutral to achieve warm-up.

- Scott

 

[cc67]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

The linkage running between that bracket and the flywheel would scare me! It appears to home made. Here is a picture of my 55 RDE with the correct setup. I would bet that it would be the same for yours. Or at least similar.

[/IMG]

 

[F_R]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

Scared or not, the 35 had a linkage made of thin stainless rod, as in his picture, except his is bent. Yes, your 1955 25 and earlier had the cast link.

 

[Grain Boat]

Re: 1960s 35 hp envirude lark

As for your steering, you may wanna try what I did for my '63 Evinrude Lark on a 1960 LoneStar Malibu. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=102668