'58 Lark 35 hp

[Iandayen]

Just bought a 13' 6" Sea King with a 35514 Evinrude Lark 35 horse motor for $450.

Owner told me it ran last time he had it out but not very well, When I got it the fuel tank smelled horrible, the bowl was full of junk.

I took the bowl off, and replaced the fuel tank, drained all the bad fuel out and replaced with good fuel.

She sputtered a bit and flooded once, but after a minute of running she started up right away numerous times and sounded very smooth, when I did short high revs the motor responded nicely, no backfiring on the way back down, and seemed to run smoothly through the whole process and didnt seem too horribly warm. This is with the earmuffs on and in my driveway, not in the water.

Everything sounded ok, The wiring for the electric start was kind of hokey so i fixed it up a bit.

So far I haven't put a single dollar into the motor.

Does this sound like it should run OK in the water, or should I bring my brother and his boat out with me just in case??

And if it doesn't work well in the water, is this motor worth putting money into or should I look for a newer used motor that runs good already?

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: '58 Lark 35 hp

The only way to tell is take it out for a short run, with your bro nearby...you can't check/set the carb high and low-speed needles on those motors hooked up to muffs. Have to do it in a test barrel or on the water. Check the Top Secret File at the top of this forum.

 

[Iandayen]

Re: '58 Lark 35 hp

Thanks for info.

Yeah I'm gonna take it out on Tuesday with my brother and see how she does.

I will be buying a new impeller just because lots of people have told me I should, and I expect to perhaps have to buy a couple coils for it.

Hoping it runs good and I won't have to replace the coils just yet but will see how it goes.

 

[Willyclay]

Re: '58 Lark 35 hp

If you need a service manual for your motor, send me a Private Message with your email address and I will reply with a scanned copy of my manual as an attachment. Good luck with that great old motor!

 

[coolguy147]

Re: '58 Lark 35 hp

check compression then spark then gear oil then replace impeller if compression and gear oil r ok but gear oil problem can probably be fixed

 

[lindy46]

Re: '58 Lark 35 hp

You can visually check coils by removing the small plate on top of the flywheel. You can also set points through the opening to .020". If you have good spark and can get the motor running decent on the boat by adjusting the high and low speed jets, then you have a winner. Even if you had to replace coils, points and install a carb kit, replace the impeller and install some seals in the lower unit, you'd only have to put about $150 into parts for the motor, and have a motor that will run another 50 years. A lot cheaper than a new motor