You guys are gonna love this.

1946Zephyr

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Cool. I have a 1955 CD-12. Looks like death, but runs pretty good. :D

Yea, I actually have four of these big twin motors nows. Two 35's and two 40's. I don't mind manhandling these things if the price is right. LOL
 

samo_ott

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

I agree. I used to think they were too heavy also but I struggle around with em now. And I would always take a free engine! :)
 

1946Zephyr

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Yea, these things were pretty close to free. The price of the motors, plus gas, they worked out to about 34 bucks each. I'm a pretty big fan of the big twins too, so that just made it all the more reason to snag on them.
 

1946Zephyr

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Well, I got the '61 Lark III running today. It fired right up, after the 4th pull. All I had to do, was put another coil in it and clean up the mag plate. I drained the lower unit and found the seals are keeping the water out, which is a plus. It pumped water good too. After running it for about an hour, I took a compression test and got 120 psi on both cylinders with the pull starter. This one is a pretty nice healthy motor, like the '58 but not quite as low of hours. Another good runner for zero dollars and zero cents investment.

The '62 Lark IV will definately need the whole ignition system replaced on it, before it'll even offer to run. I sprayed a bunch of WD-40 in through the carb as I cranked it over with the starter and got the top end all good and lubed up. It appears to have good compression too. The bucked toothed varmits messed up a lot of paint on the powerhead, but at least nothing else was damaged. The carb and stuff looks like it's all in good condition. I'm betting that once the ignition system is all refurbished, I'll have a third runner.
 
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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

NICE!!! But - did you get those empty beer cans in the photo as part of the deal? (Could have made a few cents recycling them :D ).
 

1946Zephyr

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

LOL Yea, I see what you mean. Fortunately, I have enough of my own. LOL A lot of times, when I take pictures of my projects, a beer can or two gets to become famous :D:D
 

nwcove

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

NICE!!! But - did you get those empty beer cans in the photo as part of the deal? (Could have made a few cents recycling them :D ).

cant you use those empty cans as piston sleeves???? thought they were just spare parts! ( if they work, i could offer sleeves for a few!)
 

1946Zephyr

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

I don't know. The aluminum is a little bit soft. You might find pre-mature wear, with those kind of sleeves. :D:D
 

1946Zephyr

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Yep, got two runners now. Just one to go. This last one though is going to need a complete rebuild on the mag plate though. This is about the worst looking ignition system I've seen yet. LOL
 

mstahl1171

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Wow...nice find...why dont you give me that old Lark IV..it would go nice on my other new project whaler im working on this winter...lol

Good luck...love these old gems!!!
 

1946Zephyr

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Cool, is that a Lark IV I see in your avitar? That was the year that OMC greatly improved the powerheads. No more compression releases and a heftier crank.

I'll probably get the coils and stuff for it next weekend and wake it up. I got it cleaned up a lot, after hosing out all the remains of the buck toothed varmit nest.
 

mstahl1171

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Yes...its a Lark IV Electromatic shift. Runs great..love it. I too had to clean out a nest and replace coils and plug wires to get running. Generator works great...only paid $250...not so lucky like you to get a triple threat...lol
 

1946Zephyr

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Mine are all three manual shift with starters only. I haven't seen an electric shift model in ages. I got a '68 model from a guy once, that had a bad lower unit, but an excellent powerhead. The lower unit was completely packed with rust. :eek: I used the powerhead on a '59 Johnson RDS-21
 

mstahl1171

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Mine came from an ebay auction. Motor was located in WI and the sale was to benefit a Church Group. I was told the motor had been in storage for almost 20 years. Was told it would not run and was good for parts only....duh them....lol. Replaced coils, points, condensors, pllug wires and plugs...fired right up. Have not had to rebuild the lower unit. Just replace seals and bearings. I bet I'll pass this one on to my kids to play with....fingers crossed....lol
 

1946Zephyr

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Yea, that looks just like mine. Lookin good. :) I sure would like to get the paint color figured out. I went to nymarine.com to look, but all they had listed was platinum mist for the Larks. Is that correct? I noticed the Starflights were pretty much the same colors too.
 

mstahl1171

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

no...thats not the right color. I'll go thru my notes...it was something else. I found a duracoat paint for car rims that was a very close match. I'll get the can of paint I have left and give you that also...I think they call it charcoal
 

1946Zephyr

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Yea, my two are kind of a dark brown color. It seems that they used a few different colors on the Lark, from 1961 - 64.

Well, being the addict that I am, I went ahead and got two new coils and spark plug lead for my IV and will probably get it fixed up, before the weekend is done. :D
 

samo_ott

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Re: You guys are gonna love this.

Funny, my Lark 4 had a big nest in it when I got it last fall also... I dont think I did anything major to get her running. I didn't know they made a mechanical LU and an electric LU in the same year? Seems odd? Is that right?
 
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