1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M

[lasko1]

Hey everyone,

My father passed down this 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp outboard to me. It had been sitting for a couple years and rolled over nicely when pulled the cord. I mixed new gas 24:1 and got it fired up in a trash can full of water. Ran fine. I took it out of the water and checked the lower unit oil. Milky white stuff drained out. I removed the top vent screw and the rest of the white stuff drained out. There is a plastic gasket on the vent screw, but wasn't one on the drain screw. Is there supposed to be?
Anyway, I ran some 80/90 gear lube thru the vent hole from top to bottom to flush out the rest of the white junk. I then filled the lower unit from drain hole up to vent hole until the gear lube came out clean and I replaced the vent screw. Then I replace the drain screw (no plastic/nylon washer). Took the boat to the local river to see how it'd run. Fouled a plug. Old plugs. Bought new ones and fired it up in the trash can again. Ran great.

Checked lower unit oil again and found it to be milky white again I do NOT have an owners manual for this and am wondering what all could be leaking the water in. A seal behind the prop? A gasket that seals the very bottom lower unit to the next section up?

Sorry about the lack of terminology, but this it the first I've had to dig into outboard repairs. I have been told NOT to touch the phillips head screw on the lower unit as something will get out of place inside the unit and its a pain to get it back together.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Dave

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M

Hi lasko1. Welcom to iboats. I have a '66 20 hp, which is virtually identical to your 18 hp. Sounds like you've done everything right to get it running right again. The milky oil is due to water intrusion which means you probably need to do a reseal job on the lower unit. Don't worry it's not that bad and you can get a seal kit right here at iboats for about $25. Here's a link showing you how to do the job from start to finish as well as a link for just doing general tune up and maintenance. Holler if you get stuck. Good luck.


http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=277190&highlight=lower+unit+seal+kit+installation

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/06/columns/max/index6.htm

http://www.outboard-boat-motor-repa...on 3 HP 1952-1967 Ignition System Tune-up.htm

 

[kbait]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M

Yes, it should have a nylon washer on each plug, so your water intrusion (turns nice lube white/foamy) may be due to that. You need plug washer #311598. Use new ones for both plugs and try it again. If it gets milky again, you have a seal leak. Can be one or more of: Drive shaft seal, prop shaft seal, shift shaft o-ring, spaghetti seal for skeg, or gearcase head o-ring. Most folks just put install a seal kit (about $30). Search this forum for instructions. Good luck, and welcome to iboats!

 

[F_R]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M

You have a major leak if it is getting water intrusion that quickly.

 

[lasko1]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M

I'm sorry guys, after re-reading my original post, I made it sound like I only had the boat on the river for a few minutes. I was actually on the water for about 3-4 hours walleye fishin (motor wasnt' constantly running though). I still think thats a short time to get the lower unit oil that milky white.

I'll get the drain screw washer and refill the lower unit with clean oil. Then, I'll run the engine for a bit and let it soak in the garbage can full of water overnight and recheck the oil the next day. Hopefully, it's that simple. If not, I'm in for a learning experience.

Another question that may sound dumb but I don't have a good picture in my head as of yet: When water gets in the lower unit through driveshaft seals, is the water originally entering the engine through the water impellar? I'm going to keep searching for visuals/pictures even if my problem happens to be the simple drain screw gasket.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M

I have the parts manual for it if you want it. If yes, PM me your email address and model #.

 

[kbait]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M

When your motor is mounted on boat/barrel in water, the driveshaft and shiftshaft seals (all the seals, in fact) will be exposed to water, running or not. If you need to re-seal it, it's really not as bad as it seems. On my first one, I just needed to get a seal puller and grind the end of a 1/4" threaded rod to pop the o-ring/bushing for the shift shaft. Just follow kfa's links^ (or take samo up on his offer^), and you'll be fine. I use a square of cardboard on my workbench to place parts when dismantling to contain the mess..

I've never run one w/missing plug washer, and have no idea how 'fast' the oil would get milky. It's there to keep water out, so I think your test w/new washers is worthwhile. Good luck!

 

[lasko1]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Ok, I replaced the easy gaskets...oil fill and vent....ran it in the barrel again for 1/2 hr or so at idle. Checked lower unit oil and it's milky white already. Also, I noticed some frothy white fluid coming out of weep hole just under the water impellar. I'm guessing the hole is there to drain any water to prevent freezing during cold temps. Anyways, I'm assuming that the driveshaft seal or shift shaft seal is shot and allowing oil to get up into the water impellar.

I plan on doing a total seal job on the lower unit and water impellar too. So far, I have removed the gearcase (lower unit) from the exhaust case. There was no seal between these two. Does there need to be one?

My driveshaft and shift shaft were quite crudded up with hard black exhaust deposit. I couldn't even slide the water impellar off the driveshaft without cleaning it up. I lightly scraped the hard deposit off the shafts and now they're clean. By the way, one of the lobes/fins of the water impellar was 1/2 gone and the others are curved as expected. Definitely time for a new one.

I'll be getting into removing the driveshaft seal and shift shaft seal later today. I've read about using a wood spade bit shaft to push out the shift shaft O-ring and bushing. Sounds like it's been successful for others so I'll give it a try. The other seals sound pretty straight-forward to replace.

My big question: What parts (if any) do I need to use Permatex or Perfect Seal on during re-assembly?

I've heard of guys using the Blue Permatex while installing the spaghetti seal for the prop shaft housing. I've also heard of some type of sealant applied to the shift shaft bushing.

I don't have the manual yet and am wondering what the best re-assembly procedure is. Hoping to do this just once!!

I've been using the schematic/photo from the Marineengine site for the 1962 Johnson engine model FDL-16. So if there's are specific things that need to be done and you happen to reference that schematic, It'd make things a bit easier for me. Here's the link to the photo I've been following:

http://www.marineengine.com/parts/johnson-evinrude-parts.php?year=1962&hp=18

Page 12 has the photo.

Much appreciated,

Dave

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Hello again lasko1. As fate would have it, I'm in the same boat, so to speak. My '66 20 hp lower unit is leaking too. I've had good luck using the spade bit trick to get the shift shaft bearing out, but you can also grind down the end of a pipe to a taper too. Technically, you're supposed to use 3M 847 to seal the LU, but there may be other brand sealants that would work also. You apply the sealant around the perimeter of each seal prior to tapping it in place as well as along the length of the spaghetti seal between the two halves of the gear case. There is not and should not be any sort of sealant or gasket between the lower unit housing and the exhaust leg housing, however. Here's a link of a reseal job on a motor virtually identical to ours. I'll try to start a new how-to thread with pics in the next few days, but I got relatives in town and I need to order my parts (I think I need a new clutch dog too :/ ). This should help get you started though. Holler if you get stuck.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=277190&highlight=lower+unit+seal+kit+installation



.....btw, track down that piece of impeller that broke off. Bent fins are ok, but broken is bad. If that piece got sucked up into the powerhead, you'll have to do some surgery to get it out and prevent a future overheat. Hopefully, it's just stuck in the copper water uptake tube, or something easy to get to. Regardless, find it before you run the motor again.

 

[lasko1]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

KFA, Thanks for the info. Got the driveshaft seal out and replaced it. It came out a lot easier than the prop shaft seal We had a heck of a time getting the prop shaft seal out. Also got the shift shaft o-ring replaced by using the spade bit trick. Didn't grind off the high points of the spade bit initially, and it started making a slight groove in the shift shaft bushing. Got smart and ground down the high points and it worked like a charm. A huge "Thank You" to whoever came up with this slick little tool trick.

I also replaced the thermostat. I didn't see any signs of the rubber piece from the impellar. I blew some air thru the thermostat housing and out thru the copper tube. The air flow was very good and I didn't see any rubber pieces come out. I have a feeling that the rubber piece got swirled around in the housing for a while until it got chewed up small enough to pass through and exit everything....at least that's what I'm hoping

Now, I'm getting ready to re-assemble everything and noticed a very slight groove on the driveshaft where the seal rides. How much of a groove is too much? I can just barely catch it with my fingernail. My concern is that the new seals seem a lot cheaper and don't have nearly the amount of rubber as the original. I'm hoping to get everything sealed up and see if the local dealer will pressure test it for me. I still need to get the impellar from them. Ang get this....when I originally removed my prop, the shear pin fell out in two pieces. It had broken within the prop shaft and was still able to turn the prop.....got lucky there. Pickin up a new one of them....maybe even a couple for spares.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

HI lasko1. Glad that the water passages are nice and clear. Let's hope you're right that everything got chewed up and spit out. The groove in the driveshaft shouldn't really be there. If there's a way to smooth it out I would. Good luck on the shear pin too. I always get a few extra and keep them attached to the motor. Some folks tape them on the inside of the cowl, or on the handle. Hopefully, the pressure test will come up good too. Unfortunately, I just drained my LU and after having just filled it with fresh oil, it was already grey goo after just one trip on the river, so I'll be getting started on that. I'll try to post pics and do a play by play thread. Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[cc67]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

From my experience, if a motor has been run a long time with watered down gear lube the upper drive shaft bushing could be worn out. No amount of new seals will fix it. If you can wiggle the drive shaft without the water pump assembly installed, you probably have a bad bushing or a worn drive shaft. Not the end of the world, but could get expensive.

 

[lasko1]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

KFA,
Would smoothing out the groove just take more material off the driveshaft making it smaller and increasing the chance of not sealing? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't understand. Thank you for the suggestion.

CC67,
Have you ever replaced the upper drive shaft bushing? Where exactly is the upper driveshaft bushing located? Is it in the lower unit just under the seal, or up where the top of the drive shaft inserts into under the powerhead? If it's way up under the powerhead, that seems a lot more involved and costly. I sure hope mine is good.

I'm guessing/hoping its in the lower unit under the seal I just installed. Otherwise, I don't know how I'd wiggle the driveshaft when its inserted into the upper powerhead and the gearcases/exhaust case were together. Anyways, when I re-assemble, I'll wiggle the driveshaft prior to installing the water impellar and see what results from that.

Thanks for the heads up and keep any of the tips/tricks coming. This not only helps me, but also helps any others reading this.

Man, if there were a group of us that lived near each other, we could have a motor rebuilding club. Meet every week and help each other out....refreshments included

 

[cc67]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

The bushing is under the driveshaft seal. It's non replaceble. If it's worn out, your driveshaft probably is too.

 

[lasko1]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Installed the driveshaft and there wasn't any wobble to it while the water impellar was still unbolted I got everything back together last night and filled the lower unit oil. I will run the motor in the trash can when I get home today and then re-check the lower unit oil. Hopefully all is good. I did ask the guys at the local shop to pressure test it, and they said there's no sense because they never seal up entirely and to just make sure to change the oil a couple times a year (as long as it's not a huge leak causing it to get milky white like mine was doing).

Also, I took the old thermostat and was gonna show my son how it opens when in a pot of hot water. Well, we waited and waited and when the temp got around 140-150 deg F, nothing happened. Even when the water began to boil the thermostat never opened. I'm hoping I didn't do any damage to the motor when the old thermostat was in there Hopefully, by fouling a plug and only running on one cylinder, it didn't heat up too much. What would be the tell tale signs I would see now if I overheated the motor?

 

[cc67]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

You need to find a different shop. Telling you to change the oil a couple times a year tells me they don't want to mess with it.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Hello again lasko1. Glad you got it all back together. Fingers crossed. The guy at the shop is sorta right. Kind of like old cars, you may have to resign yourself to a little leaky oil from time to time. Your motor is over 50 years old after all. I would just check the oil frequently and change/top it off as needed. You could get everything perfectly air tight again if you really, really wanted to, but that may take more time, money and effort than it's worth for you or the shop. Hopefully, you'll be ok as is. There are actually ways to add material back to the drive shaft, if you want to.Check out the link below and watch epsiodes 29 and 30. They're all great if you have the time it show a complete engine rebuild. Give the LU a test and report back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6xghWrEmSU&feature=BFa&list=UUqtXoVOxjtEKjjTKj0cFydg&lf=plcp

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

The old single seal motors are designed to keep oil in the L/U, but not very good at keeping water out. My '57 Lark has newer seals and pressure tests OK, but will always take on a little water during use. So changing the gear oil regularly is sometimes the only solution on the older motors. Tilting the motor up when not in use will also help. A vacuum test is more appropriate for diagnosing water intrusion.

 

[lasko1]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Great info guys. Thank you.

KFA, that last link you posted was exactly what someone starting out on this project needs to see. Those video's show exactly what my lower unit is like.

Once again, AWESOME info.

I didn't get a chance to run the motor last night, but am going to get at it tonight. I'll run it for a bit then check the gear lube.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Re: 1962 Evinrude 18 Hp Model 15036M LOWER UNIT

Glad it helped. Holler back after the test. Fingers Crossed!