'69 Evinrude 85hp, no spark on 2 & 4

[bloodymalibu]

Hello,<br />Once again I bring another Evinrude gremlin to this great forum. Got a 1969 Evinrude, 85hp: won't start, has no spark on 2 and 4 (I think that's right-- both left-hand cylinders, don't have the boat with me right now), but good spark on 1 & 3. History: last summer, I replaced the distributor cap and rotor with new parts. The coil, amp, and plugs were also replaced last year, and all plug wires have continuity and look ok. Ran great for about 4 days, then developed a rough idle. Would bog down and die when opening the throttle, and now it won't start at all. I've heard of the 2 - 4 problem happening on newer motors, but I don't think this ignition system is as sophisticated as those. I have the service manual, and it's no help. Is my brand-new distributor cap already shot, or is there something I can check w/o pulling the flywheel *again*? Many thanks in advance!<br />Dave

 

[bloodymalibu]

Re: '69 Evinrude 85hp, no spark on 2 & 4

I should probably also mention that 2 or 3 of the plug wires went bad last year-- copper cores separated from the end connectors. The insulation looked good (no apparent cracks, although stiff), and I didn't want to spend $150 on new wires, so I just soldered the connectors back on. Like I said, ran great for a while, but I have no idea if that could have anything to do with the problem.

 

[ledgefinder]

Re: '69 Evinrude 85hp, no spark on 2 & 4

You've got two sets of points in there, sounds like the set controlling 2/4 is shot.