1965? Evinrude Lark 6

[Handymann3]

Hey guys, I know its a bit different from everything else on the engine section but I figure you guys will know what to do. So heres the story, Back in the day a good 20+ years ago my grandfather parked this old boat (not sure what kind of boat) in the boat house up at our cottage. The cottage is more then 60 years old and the boat house is somewhere in that range too. After all these years of the harsh winters and ice smashing into it during the winter, the thing is ready to collapse at any minute. With this boat sitting there my uncle and I decided to get it out and save it.

This weekend my friend and I went up there to meet my uncle and try to get it out. The thing is beautiful! It has a layer of dirt and dust like you wouldn't believe but its mint! Anyways, we look the engine over and it looks great. she cranks over nice with the starter and has compression like you wouldn't believe when you pull start it. Anyways, we check for spark but no luck. At first we think its the points since its such a old boat (1965). We take the pull start off and of course I didn't bring my impact gun to take the flywheel nut off. After that my friend gave up on getting the engine running. Everyone we spoke to said we wouldn't get her running since its been sitting too long and me being the believer that everything built back in the day is almost always better never gave up. I thought that as long as we had spark she would run. After looking the boat over I realize that NOTHING in the front works. Not the horn, lights, volt guage or marker lights. At this point I am thinking we aren't getting power to the coil. We check voltage and we are getting just over a volt. So after sanding the connections on the ignition switch still nothing. At the end of it I hot wire the ignition and she has spark. FINALY!

Alright, this is where my problem comes in and after all this I am going to look stupid as hell. I hot wired the coil with a line straight off the battery and after we found we had spark I was called to run up and take a look at the water pump because it had been having issues all day and suddenly quit on us. Of course with all the commotion I forgot to take the cables off the battery and when I came back the wire I used to hot wire it had melted and the wire on the engine was just reaching that point as well. I killed the power and let it cool off. After that we couldn't get spark anymore. We had power to the coil and everything, but no spark.


FINALY ------ The engine off the boat is a Evinrude Lark 6, and from what I can find its a 40hp model from 1965 or 66. I am pretty sure I killed the coil but I want to know what you guys think. What did I break and where can I get a replacement? Thanks in advance and sorry for the novel I wrote

 

[Daviet]

Re: 1965? Evinrude Lark 6

You need to start by pulling the flywheel, the coils are under the flywheel as well as the points and condensers. Check and see if you burnt up a set of points. Check both coils for cracks, if you are serious about getting the engine running, you would replace coils, points, condensers, water pump and change lower unit oil. Be sure to use fresh gas/oil mixtue.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1965? Evinrude Lark 6

You goofed!! The igniton system on that motor generates its own electricity. It is not fed a voltage from the key switch. By hot wiring it, you probably melted a coil. And possibly burned up a set of points. I'm amazed that it ran.

 

[Handymann3]

Re: 1965? Evinrude Lark 6

You goofed!! The igniton system on that motor generates its own electricity. It is not fed a voltage from the key switch. By hot wiring it, you probably melted a coil. And possibly burned up a set of points. I'm amazed that it ran.

I am new to boats but not new to engines, I am a car guy myself. I am not doubting your knowlage on these boats but why was there no spark untill I hot wired it then? when we checked the voltage comming into the ignition system it was at just over a volt. If it generates its own electricity why did it have that volt and a half comming into it from the ignition? Also, why did it only generate a spark when I jumped it? Once again, I know I am the new one to boats, but I just want to know more about this engine. I know already that I messed up the ignition system but do you guys know where I could pick up everything I need? Thanks

 

[Daviet]

Re: 1965? Evinrude Lark 6

You should start by getting an OEM manual to help you troubleshoot and repair your engine. You will probably be able to get the parts right here on i-boats. Click on the parts section and you should find them, or check with your local marina.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1965? Evinrude Lark 6

As I said, or at least was trying to say, it is a magneto igniton---just like a common lawn mower. It doesn't need any battery for the ignition. Of course it does need one for the electric shift though. You probably burned some corrosion off the breaker points when you hot wired it. That's the only explanation I can guess.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: 1965? Evinrude Lark 6

The flywheel magnet and coils generate all of the electricity need to operate the ignition system. It's like a lawn mower magneto system..... If it is equipped with a belt drive generator, that provides around 9 amps of charging current to the battery but does not provide anything to run the motor itself. Luckily all of the ignition parts are easily available.
Now, before you spend a dime on that motor, check the compression.
If it is an electric shift motor, make sure to capture the original shifter/throttle control and wire harness. Those are nearly impossible to find in working condition.
I would make darn sure that the lower unit (if an Electra-Matic) was operational before sinking anything into the motor, and you will really need a good manual to do what needs to be done.

 

[Handymann3]

Re: 1965? Evinrude Lark 6

The flywheel magnet and coils generate all of the electricity need to operate the ignition system. It's like a lawn mower magneto system..... If it is equipped with a belt drive generator, that provides around 9 amps of charging current to the battery but does not provide anything to run the motor itself. Luckily all of the ignition parts are easily available.
Now, before you spend a dime on that motor, check the compression.
If it is an electric shift motor, make sure to capture the original shifter/throttle control and wire harness. Those are nearly impossible to find in working condition.
I would make darn sure that the lower unit (if an Electra-Matic) was operational before sinking anything into the motor, and you will really need a good manual to do what needs to be done.

I am pretty sure the shifter is still good. The only reason the boat ever got parked was because way back in the day, the family started growing and no one had time to go boating anymore. The boat looks perfect. The only problem is that someone cut up the electrical for the guages, horn, and all that. The boat does have the belt drive generator and I guess I really musta done a number on the magneto. I really want to get the engine going and other then the water pump, what do I need to pick up? Magneto? coils? I need a list of things to pick up before I get to the cottage because once I am up there I am pretty much stuck with what ever I have.