What else to check on this older motor? (Have I been ripped off?)

[MichiBoater]

1956 Evinrude 15.
I posted a question about a shock from the tiller handle last fall and I'm about to do the re-wiring project - thanks to the suggestions I got on iboats.

But... when I was winterizing, I decided to replace the lower end lube before winter, and when I drained it, there was almost none in there. Seriously, the guy who sold it to me claimed to have fixed it up and gone over it. I guess not. I mean I hardly ran it after I bought it... maybe an hour total.
Anything else to be looking at?
Should I just go ahead and do points, condenser, wires, etc. while I'm at it?
THANKS!

 

[HighTrim]

Re: What else to check on this older motor? (Have I been ripped off?)

Well, not all people are completely honest.

That being said, maybe he did change the gear oil yet you have a leak. Common on this vintage motor. I would change the oil, take it for a run then check for water intrusion before worrying about a reseal. Even if you need to reseal, not a hard or complicated job. The kit is about 25 bucks and will take an hour or so.

I would start with a compression test, and go from there. Test the spark, will it jump a 1/4 inch gap on a tester with a bright blue ZAP!!? Have the coils been changed? If so, likely fine. Cannot hurt to pop the inspection port on flywheel and have a looksee.

 

[emckelvy]

Re: What else to check on this older motor? (Have I been ripped off?)

Was the lower unit full of water along with the little bit of oil? If not, then maybe he just forgot to refill it after he was working on it. Stranger things have happened!

Almost never will you see a leaking lower unit, that's been run for some time, that doesn't get water inside and only loses oil. Sometimes you'll have a leaking propshaft seal, and it'll drip out after time, but you'd get a big puddle of gear oil along with it. And likely at least some water back in the gearcase.

As the O.P. said, if you fill it with oil, run it then check afterwards, you'll know right away what you've got.

HTH..........ed