1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

[DirtyDoby30]

My buddy just got hold of an old 18 hp fastwin that is in great shape. We replaced the spark plugs and it fired right up after sitting covered in a barn for 40+ years! We have it on the back of our 12ft aluminum boat (in place of my '61 15 hp Sea King that needs an overhaul) and its a 20+ mph boat. I know the lower unit is in good shape, and we'd like to keep it that way. Where do we need to put oil in it, and what kind is recommended for lower units?

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

Remove the drain plug and the vent plug from the lower unit (DON"T remove the Phillips head screw). Let the old oil drain and then refill with 80-90wt marine gear lube. Fill from the bottom until it overflows out the top hole. You can get a hand pump that makes filling real easy for about $10. Replace the crush washers on BOTH plugs to prevent water from getting in the lower unit.

 

[Bosunsmate]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

Theres a drain screw just under the anticavitation plate. undo that and then look for the same sized one near the bottom on the fin, undo that.
Dont remove a screw of a different size otherwise you will end up with a lot more things to do.
Replace the gaskets on the screws the gearoil is like car gear oil but is more suited to a marine environment. Its normally about 300ml and should be about $6 for 500ml from a autoparts shop.
To refill you need to do it from the bottom up using a oil squirter or you can buy boat gearbox oil which comes with a hand pump. If you fill from the top you will get air bubbles.
When you a filling up from the bottom have the top screw ready to go in when its full.
Check it regularly as after 40 years the seals may of dried up and check that it is pumping water. The impeller is cheap too around $12. Itl be liking a change of scene after forty years

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

Oh, if it's been sitting for 40 years, you MUST replace the water pump impeller!!

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

...and the fuel lines....and the coils.....and, you get the point!

You will have to go over the motor. It will be very good runner and reliable, but will need a tuneup first.

Check compression before investing money into it. All my Fastwins and FDs are in the 95 to 130 psi range. They should be equal.

 

[nwcove]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

wow...sitting in a barn for 40 years and only a set of plugs to make it run and put it on a boat!!! follow the above advice , compression test first, then impeller, then the rest of the standard stuff, a good tune up and the old motor may be to much for a 12foot tinny!!!

 

[cc67]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

As has been stated, replace all rubber fuel line and carbureted parts. Todays ethanol laced fuel will destroy any non e-fuel rated hoses. These are great running motors, I use mine on a daily basis.http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll289/kink1955/Old%20Outboards/Picture054.jpg

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

HI DirtyDoby. Congrats on the sweet motor! Here are some great links and vids to familiarize yourself with that little gem. Only a few things to remember, really: no running on muffs, gotta run it in a test tank with water filled to about 1-2 below the exhaust port, use Champion J6C plugs (other brands don't work quite as well), use 24:1 mix which is about 5.5 fl. oz. of TCW-3, 2-stroke outboard motor oil to 1 US gallon of 87 octane gasoline. +1 on changing the impeller too. You can get any routine parts you may need right here at iboats.

Maintaining Johnson E & FD Serie

1958 Evinrude 15025 18 hp Outboard Motor Parts

1958 Johnson 18 HP outboard - Running - YouTube

 

[DirtyDoby30]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

Thanks for all the good info! And yea, I'll get it 'tuned up' with replacements and maintaned like it needs. Fortunately, I learned a lot from the old worn out Sea King I had before. It's great to have a good motor on my hands for a change!

 

[DirtyDoby30]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

OK guys, new problem with the fastwin, and I need help. We serviced the basics of the engine (carb, water pump, lower unit oil, etc.) and ran it again today. Ran great for about 20 minutes until the engine acted like it jumped or slipped out of forward gear and revved violently. It sounded like it was cavatating (perhaps sucking air vs water) but it wasn't. The first thing we checked was the lower unit- it was completely fine. We even swapped it with a good one from my '61 Sea King just to be sure and got the same reaction from the motor. Also, I do not believe it is a worn or incorrectly adjusted shift linkage. The engine stays in gear, just doesn't allow the prop to react to increased RPMs. Here's my symptoms:

Ever since the high speed incident, the engine will not engage the prop past an idle speed. Its very strange. It will go into reverse, and stay in neutral as well as forward. However, as you try to rev the engine to WOT, the prop doesn't spin faster with the increased RPM's of the engine (the engine will continue to rev though). The prop only spins a little faster than at an idle speed. I feel like this is much more significant than a detent screw on the shift level by the cowling, but I'm not positive. Also, the teeth on the top of the crankshaft of the lower units do not look damaged whatsoever, which one would think would happen if it was slipping there. I'm lost. Any ideas? Thanks y'all.

 

[DirtyDoby30]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

You know what, I bet its a spun hub. I used the same prop for both lower units.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

I was just going to write, if you used the same prop the hub is spun. You are describing classic symptoms.

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

+1 Spun hub on the prop. You can get it re-hubbed at a prop shop or Johnnyrude dealer for $35-40.

 

[tmise]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

Congratulations on getting a great motor! I have a 1957 Fastwin 18 hp that I recently purchased. I totally re-did the ignition system: points, coils, condensers, new 7mm plug wire, boots, boot springs, and rebuilt the carb. Also replaced the impeller as you should do that before anything else. Since it's been sitting for so long the rubber becomes brittle and it can come completely apart lodging pieces of rubber inside the water passages, etc...Anyway mine is running great and in the process now of replacing the lower unit seals as it was getting water in the gear case.

 

[DirtyDoby30]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

OK, spun out the second old, used prop on this motor today. Any input on the best, cheapest prop for this motor? Also, what is the appropriate size and pitch for this prop? Links to purchase would be great. Thanks!

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

Okay, my bet is, the shift linkage is out of adjustment. When you put it back together, did you make sure that the grove on the lower shift rod was perfectly centered in the lower bolt hole of the shift rod coupler? Because if you by mistake put the groove below the bolt, then it will not fully engage into forward gear and it will keep jumping out of gear.
If that doesn't cure it, then you will need to check the shift linkage for sloppiness.
Jumping out of gear is most often times a bad shift dog on the prop shaft too. Either sloppy shift linkage will cause it to jump out of gear and destroy the shift dog, or a bad shift dog causing it to jump out of gear, will cause the shift linkage to loosen up.

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

OK, spun out the second old, used prop on this motor today. Any input on the best, cheapest prop for this motor? Also, what is the appropriate size and pitch for this prop? Links to purchase would be great. Thanks!

You will pay $15-20 for another (old) used prop and the same thing may happen again. The rubber in the hub degrades/hardens and just breaks loose. You can spend $100 for a brand new prop. Or for $35-40 you can get a new rubber hub put in your otherwise good used prop and have a prop which will service you for many years.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

I think a re-hub might be your best dollar-for-dollar option. You may even be able to pick up another cheap, used one as back up and still come in for less than the price of a brand new one. You'll just have to shop around a bit. You may also want to place a WTB ad for a good used prop(s) on aomci.org. which is a great resoruce for vintage OMC info with lots of straight shooters and they generally have pretty good deals.

 

[DirtyDoby30]

Re: 1958 Evinrude 18 hp Fastwin

1946Zephyr - The shift linkage is in place, I had the lower unit off to check the impeller and replace oil. And its no longer jumping out, but good thoughts given my diagnosis.
I have a press and pushed both hubs out to find they were torn dramatically- dry-rotting over the years definitely brought on my problem.
I've had no luck finding someone to re-hub in central KY, but found some good deals on quicksilver props; they all seem to have terrible reviews. Any input on them?
Thanks again.