New to Me 1957 Evinrude Fisherman!

Amphipod · Friday at 7:04 PM

Hello folks! Been a while since I was last on.
I just picked up this old girl from an auction for 20 bucks, I expected to have to do a bit of work to get it running. I was wrong. Put some gas in it, primed it, and it fired first pull and runs like a top. The old gas tank even works, leaks a little air around the cap and where the top section mounts but that's fixable.
I plan on replacing the impeller before long, and hopefully painting it sometime.
What do y'all use for paints on these? Do you use? Clearcoat? I've had some experience painting and want to get it looking factory again. Would you clearcoat over new decals or no? (Sorry if that's a dumb question.) How would a guy find accurate colors for this, being that it's from 1957?
Thanks!

I see the ability to post pictures has been added since last time I was here.

(I thought I got this posted this morning...must not have clicked the button...lol)

tphoyt · Friday at 7:50 PM

Sweet find.
Check out vintageoutboardpaint.com

Crosbyman · Friday at 9:40 PM

you may as well do all the servicing before the paint. sse the JOhnson bible good for your Evinrude to being cousins and all.

https://www.socalaomci.com/library/johnson_service_manual_10th_edition.pdf

impeller requires power head removal

probably needs new coils condensers a points clean up maybe some plug wire (7mm copper strand)

check replace GC oil

racerone · 2026-06-27T07:53:11-0600

Painting is the last item on the list.

redneck joe · 2026-06-27T11:29:22-0600

racerone said:
Painting is the last item on the list.

yes.

you will find that if you do nothing now that the more you use it the more things will break. Sitting is not good for motors.

They will work now but as thee parts get used they go from the static life they led in a barn to actually being used then break.

Think if you sat on your but for 20 years existing then on tuesday went to run a marathon. You will break.

Use her - gently - for a season and fix her when she breaks.

next season make her pretty.

Amphipod · 2026-06-28T17:28:23-0600

Firstly, thanks for all the input!

Secondly, painting is definitely not the first item on my list. But I am a mechanic, so I just took the repairs I will have to do for granted. Additionally, I know how to do them all at this point, so I asked about the thing I am NOT sure on, which is the paint colors.

Thirdly, I'm kinda definitely thinking this thing has not been beat on then completely abandoned for decades. It's very unusual for every gas powered thing I have EVER gotten lol.

So there's the fact it started right up and runs like a top. Then, the lower unit didn't have oil leaked all over the outside and I was wondering if that's because the oil had all drained out long ago, but I took the plug out and it's still full of oil. The oil is not milky at all, even after taking it for a spin on the lake. I thought for sure 69 year old seals would be bad, am I wrong or did I just get really lucky? Or did someone go through it, which is what I'm thinking.

Amphipod · 2026-06-28T17:38:34-0600

Someone's definitely been in it, I took the lower unit apart to replace the impeller, and this is what I found. OEM style is on the right, what came out of it is on the left.

The pump housing is plastic as well. From my knowledge those were not used in 1957?

Anyways, looked up the part number on the housing and it appears to be that someone replaced the pump assembly with one from a 1979 Evinrude 6hp.

No biggie, I'll get another impeller ordered, at least I went with a $10 Amazon one with free returns and not the $20 Sierra one!

Amphipod · 2026-06-28T17:46:58-0600

Also, these were knocking around in the lower unit when I took it apart. The nut appears to be for the shift rod, as I imagine that should be double nutted? It only had one when I was taking that apart, and that one was super loose, surprised it was still on there.

The other brass part and the broken bit of metal, no clue. I was initially worried it was something from INSIDE the engine but as it runs perfectly fine probably not?

Also, anyone know where I could find emblems?

racerone · 2026-06-28T18:43:04-0600

The black part is the seal under the powerhead.----The cup washer is part of the seal assembly.

racerone · 2026-06-28T18:44:56-0600

The broken part is carbon , not metal.

Amphipod · 2026-06-28T19:39:05-0600

racerone said:
The broken part is carbon , not metal.

2 of the pictures didn't load. It's not carbon but you're more right than I was. It's actually a ceramic seal(?). Not sure what purpose it serves in this assembly, or if I even need it?
I'm not even sure what's being sealed here, I would think the engine crankcase obviously has its own seals...
It's part #4 here. "0303391 - Lower Bearing Seal (303391)"