Re: Sea King 3 hp
I have the identical motor that I recently got running after over 25 years of sitting in my father's garage. In my quest to restore this motor I compiled notes from various sources here at iboats and others on the web about the repair and maintainance of this motor. I can't take credit for much of what is here but this will save you some time in your search for answers about this motor. There is also a pdf verison of part of the service manual on this site and explains how to service the carb. Good Luck!
GALE 3HP OUTBOARD REPAIR AND MAINTAINENCE
Gale Outboard, a division of the Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC), the parent company of Evinrude and Johnson outboards, made Sea King (Montgomery Wards) outboards. Gales were made in the old Johnson
factory in Galesburg, Illinois. They were sold as Gale motors at private hardware and sporting goods stores that did not have Johnson or Evinrude dealerships. They were also sold as Buccaneer, Sea Bee, and Champion.
IGNITION
Use Champion J6J or J6C sparkplugs gapped at .030 Under the flywheel are the points, coils, and condensers. On outboards motors of this age if the original coil is still in use, you can assume it is bad simply because of it age. If it is cracked or looks like it has been perspiring or if it has a hole burned through it to the plate it is shot. You can do a resistance test with an ohmmeter. Resistance between the points wire and ground wire should be less than an ohm, but not zero. Resistance between the points wire and the laminated core should be infinity (with the ground wire disconnected). Resistance between the spark wire and ground wire should be several K-ohms. 99% of the no-spark problems with that magneto are dirty points. They are hard to clean without taking them completely apart and doing each contact separately. Watch all those little insulators when you do. You can verify the problem by checking the resistance with a good multimeter that is capable of reading less than one ohm. With everything hooked up, connect one meter lead to the wire at the points connection, and ground the other lead to the stator plate. Resistance should be zero with points closed and about an ohm with points open. If you cannot get the zero, the points are dirty. If you cannot get the one ohm (+/-) the coil or condenser may be bad. If you need to replace the coil, be sure to remove the stator plat and give everything a proper cleaning. You should go ahead and remove the retaining rings locates over the crankcase head and clean them up and relube them with just a thin smear of molybdenum lubricant available at NAPA stores. Also lube the neck of the crankcase where the stator plate rotates. Do not over lube--excess just slings off and gets all over the points. It makes no difference as to how the retainer ring is oriented, just so all 4 screws line up. When you install a new coil it is important that the ends of the laminations are flush with the machined edges of the posts where they mount. Use dielectric silicon compound at all connections to and from the coil, points and condensers. With new points set the gap to .020" at their widest opening. Make sure the wires going to the points approach from a sort of horizontal direction. Don't have them sticking upward so they'll rub on the bottom of the flywheel. Tuck the wire coming from the coil down and back so it doesn't rub on the hub of the flywheel or breaker cam. Make sure the crankshaft and flywheel tapers are free of oil dry before re-installing the flywheel. Clean this area with acetone to remove any trace of oil. Use a torque wrench to tighten the nut to 30-40 ft/lbs (360-480 in/lbs) Only use solid core copper spark plug wires as replacements to originals, do not use the modern automotive
wires with carbon centers.
? Coil part number 18-5181 (replaces OMC 584477 & 582995)
? Points and condenser part number 18-5011 (replaces OMC 172521)
CARBURETOR
This is about the simplest carburetor there is. One jet, no choke, turn the knob all the way to the left and it depresses a plunger that forces the float down and primes the carburetor. Let the knob go and it will spring back to its richest setting. As you turn the knob clockwise you set the jet leaner and leaner. Gaskets are pretty much make-your-own. The leather needle packing is part number 550259 and is still available from OMC dealers. Because it has to be turned so much and so often, the regular OMC packings won't hold up.
The cork float is obsolete. Many people have modified a Mercury float, Mercury part number 1395-8983 (Sierra number 18-7208). What you have to do is drill a 3/32" hole all the way through the center for the float pin and cut the float down 1/8", down worry about cutting the float its cloased cell foam and won't absorb gas. If the cork float is intact, just soaked with gas and heavy you can take it out, let it dry out completely for a few days, then reseal it with epoxy or fuel-proof dope (for model airplanes at hobby shops), then re-install it. Or you can replace it with a newer float, like has already been suggested. The high and low-speed settings are pretty simple.
Turn both clockwise gently until they seat/stop. Turn the high-speed/big needle out (counterclockwise) about 3/4 to 1 turn. Turn the slow-speed/idle needle out about 1 to 1 and 1/4 turn. You'll have to adjust both a little
after you get it running. Run it up to speed and adjust the high speed in or out until it runs best, then idle it down and adjust the slow speed the same way. It's best to do final adjustments on the boat, under load. The carburetor settings are a tad different for the single cylinder Gales than many other motors. Open the high speed needle 3/8 turn and put the primer parts on with the knob pointing straight up. When you turn it to the left to prime, it will be around 3/4 turn. Hold in prime position till it drips gas, then turn back to the right just enough to release the primer. Pull the rope and if everything is right it will start on the first pull. On a boat, run at wide open throttle and it will probably be running too rich. Turn the knob to the right till it
smoothes out. Now loosen the knob and reposition it pointing straight up. The slow speed adjustment is really strange. It is a screw that holds the throttle valve part way open. Set it for best slow idle. It has no effect on higher speeds. The little lever that operates the primer should point the same direction as the knob pointer.
IMPELLERS
This motor has a ?wobble pump? with a rubber ?rotor? attached to the prop shaft instead of the now-common impeller style pump on the drive shaft. I dressed the old one up with a file and it pumps water fine. When the
motor is running there should be spit coming out of the louvered vent a third of the way down the ?leg? on the propeller side. That?s the water outlet. Keep an eye on the outlet and listen to the motor as it runs. If it
?bogs down? and starts running slow and then quits then it may be overheating due to bad water circulation. That is the leading cause of death for old outboards. They quit pumping water and people run them anyway
and they burn them up. Pay attention to how the motor is running! It is not a lawnmower. The water pump impeller (part number 550683), properly called a "rotor" is available from Brian Wilcox at
www.pfs-ware.com/impellers.htm $12.00, or one can be obtained from
www.Twincityoutboard.com $20.00
You need to take the prop off and there is a sleeve around the prop shaft with 2 screws holding it on. If you take those two screws out the sleeve will come out and you should see, fitted onto the prop shaft, a round
rubber thing shaped sort of like a Q. There's an eccentric on the propshaft that wiggles the rotor around and squeezes the water up into the powerhead. They're a very simple and durable design, but not very efficient.
If you can find a new rotor, you should replace it. They shrink over time and get hard. Then they don't pump too well. Unfortunately they haven't been made in quite some time. If you get spray out of the exhaust, you'll
be okay. Other available parts would be sparkplugs, shear pins, recoil springs...that's about it.
LOWER UNIT GREASE
This is a direct drive motor. No neutral or reverse. You start it in gear and go. To go in reverse you turn the whole motor around on its mount. The gearbox is currently filled with assembly grease. I had it apart so I was able to pack grease in there. Normally you unscrew the drain plug on that bulge that the propeller shaft comes out of, drain the oil, and refill it with ?Lubriplate 105 Motor Assembly Grease". Get it from N.A.P.A. Auto Parts stores for $5.69. It is the lightest grease and the next grade is oil. This type lube is used
because it won't leak out as easy. There?s a bleeder screw on the other side of the drain plug that you take out to let air in so the oil will drain. You should take the drain plug out about mid-summer and tip the motor
and see if any water comes out. You don?t want water in there to rust the gears. Drain it and fill it with fresh gear oil if there?s water. If nothing comes out and you can see coffee-colored gear grease then there?s no
water getting in and the assembly grease is keeping things lubed so just leave it alone. If the assembly lube has melted a bit and the gearbox isn?t full then you can top it off. Be sure to check the gearbox oil at the
middle and end of every season.
