De-Winterizing my 1974 Evinrude Lark 50 50472M Engine and no Crank

[lent0n]

HI all, first post hoping for some help or tips.

The history

Bought this boat last year from an owner who did the bare minimum of care but had it running well and I enjoyed a solid summer except for the throttle cables disintegrating.

At the end of the season we had a huge thunderstorm and it sunk the boat. I had it hauled out and managed to recover the engine.

I drained the starter motor, let it sit in the heat to dry out, cleaned the carbs and was able to get it running consistently. I ran it for 15 minutes straight to dry out the engine and then added some anti-freeze and fogged the engine and stored it all winter.

The problem

Now I'm getting ready to enjoy the summer and I'm getting zero response from the engine. Turn the key and nothing happens which would tell me it's a wiring issue. I pumped out any possible remaining gas, put fresh gas in, plugs were fresh as I didn't keep the old ones after sinking.

Some considerations ideas/What's been done

I replaced both throttle cables and retrofitted new cables into the controller, this didn't touch the wiring but while I was working on patching the hull I had the remote hanging off the boat for a bit, wondering if this loosened a wire. The cables shift nicely and it's sitting in neutral but obviously can manipulate it from the engine side to sit loosely in the middle.

I've cleaned the battery terminals and cleaned the thick white wire that comes into the starter solenoid, it gets power from the battery so I've eliminated those options.

Somehow the boatshop gave me two different cables, I'm still working on fitting the other one in. For a brief moment I was getting a clicking sound from the engine from a silver cylinder that looks like it connects to the choke. I have not been able to replicate this since yesterday but it gives me the feeling that the ignition on the key-side is probably okay?

Wiring is really not my forte, but so far all the wires look decent and not corroded and I've made a point of cleaning contacts on them. Overall other than a few surface rust spots the engine looks no worse for wear despite being submerged. Which I thought wouldn't be an issue since I got it running.

Any tips, labelled diagrams, anything would be a huge help, I'm completely lost and I'm sure it's extremely obvious what's going on.

 

[Crosbyman]

step 1... if you turn the key to start does it click at all now .... clicks come from selenoid or choke coils (if you have a push to choke key ) try pushing the key in.

keep shifterin NEUTRAL

have you inspected for fuses ... good bad ?? seems there is a 20 amp in the harness ...check and clean it

 

[jimmbo]

Can the engine be rotated by Hand? When an engine is submerged, it takes a lot longer running than 15 minutes to insure it is dried out, I always ran them over an hour , hour and a half, under load so they would get warm.

You say you drained the Starter. Did you take it apart, clean, and relube the Bearings? As for the rest of the Electrical, a stripdown, cleaning of all terminals, is likely in order. Use Contact Cleaner.

 

[lent0n]

Can the engine be rotated by Hand? When an engine is submerged, it takes a lot longer running than 15 minutes to insure it is dried out, I always ran them over an hour , hour and a half, under load so they would get warm.

You say you drained the Starter. Did you take it apart, clean, and relube the Bearings? As for the rest of the Electrical, a stripdown, cleaning of all terminals, is likely in order. Use Contact Cleaner.

Yes engine and starter rotate no problem as easily as they did before. I was told by the local boat shop to let the sun do its work to initially drain then get it running for 10-15 minutes but it makes sense to do longer, just wasn't an option unfortunately.

I took the starter apart and gave it a very basic clean with contact cleaner but not opposed to doing it again, I'm considering doing a straight jump just to ensure that the starter runs and eliminating that as an option as well.

 

[lent0n]

step 1... if you turn the key to start does it click at all now .... clicks come from selenoid or choke coils (if you have a push to choke key ) try pushing the key in.

keep shifterin NEUTRAL

have you inspected for fuses ... good bad ?? seems there is a 20 amp in the harness ...check and clean it
View attachment 360953

There's no clicking! Complete silence, I was baffled. I don't think it's a push to choke as the key is really just a stand-in I could use a flathead for the same effect. I don't recall seeing a fuse in the harness, so I'll have a look and maybe see if that part is missing. Again where I had it running months ago no problem, I'm assuming (maybe incorrectly) that it's something more obvious.

 

[lent0n]

There's no clicking! Complete silence, I was baffled. I don't think it's a push to choke as the key is really just a stand-in I could use a flathead for the same effect. I don't recall seeing a fuse in the harness, so I'll have a look and maybe see if that part is missing. Again where I had it running months ago no problem, I'm assuming (maybe incorrectly) that it's something more obvious.

So couldn't find a fuse on the line but found one on the ground near the motor, assuming it might be the missing one but no obvious place for it to go. I wish these diagrams had some sort of labelling. Will try to follow the cables for uncapped wire.

 

[Crosbyman]

dead is frequently synonimous with easy fix....

follow the current bat & grd to engine +12v gpes on the selenoid and Grd on the frame

follow +12 on the fat +12v post of the selenoid where a smaller wire sends +12v to the key switch

if no bat+12 on the key switch work backwards to theengine ... find the break

 

[Crosbyman]

see an example of a newer layout but in essence shows typical routing of wires to the selenoid...to the key.... etc...

 

[racerone]

Should not be hard to find the fuse on this motor.

 

[lent0n]

see an example of a newer layout but in essence shows typical routing of wires to the selenoid...to the key.... etc...

I bought the manual and got a very similar layout and ended up finding the solution.

Ran every test in the book, found the fuse and there was no issues, had never even be opened. Isolated it to the starter and was chatting with a friend while I was looking to order and they suggested tapping it in case it got stuck.

Gave it a few gentle whacks with a wrench, turned the key and got the snap. Wired everything back and the motor started up no issues!

 

[Crosbyman]

great news....bring a kicker just in case the starter stops again 10 miles out !!

 

[racerone]

Many starters now have a warning on them.-----" do not strike with a hard object "

 

[jimmbo]

A 50hp is small enough to Rope Start with ease.

 

[lent0n]

Yeah by gentle whack I mean more like a tap, just had to loosen them up. I've started it up a few times since without issue but will be ordering a starter just so I'm not stuck for the season should something go south. I do have the rope kit and I'm checking out how to attach it as a backup as well.

 

[lent0n]

I mean more like a tap, just had to loosen them up. I've started it up a few times since without issue but will be ordering a starter just so I'm not stuck for the season should something go south. I do have the rope kit and I'm checking out how to attach it as a backup as well.

Yeah by gentle whack I mean more like a tap, just had to loosen them up. I've started it up a few times since without issue but will be ordering a starter just so I'm not stuck for the season should something go south. I do have the rope kit and I'm checking out how to attach it as a backup as well.

Bumping this back up.

Another season another new and interesting challenge. Ended up replacing the solenoid last year as well and had no issues after.

This year it will turn but not start

Fresh plugs
Battery charged
Fresh fuel
Cleaned the carbs out

I feel like the issue is fuel. I'm going to get a friend to come over tomorrow to check that the plugs spark when it's turning over because faulty plugs would be an easy fix.

Presently the primer bulb on my line doesn't get hard, it clearly pumps gas because I've taken the filter off and squeezed it and had gas come out but my gut is telling me that something is not giving the sparks any juice to light.

Current starting procedure is with choke fully on to try to burn off the fogging oil.

 

[racerone]

Does spark jump a gap of 3/8" or more on a test device.----Sparkplugs are not involved with this test.-----Primer bulb MUST go hard.-----If not you have a leak somewhere.----Perhaps a float / float valve issue.----Fuel pump diaphragm ruptured.----Leaks on hose or primer bulb.

 

[jimmbo]

Is there an Operator Overboard Lanyard/Switch?