Hangkai 3.5 HP, 2 stroke

[Fish 'Ed]

Just bought this motor off of E-Bay. Seemed like a bargain at $400.00, but now I am wondering.... ISSUES: 1) The cowling is one piece--to get to spark plug, etc., you have to undo numerous bolts. 2) The gear oil holes are "sealed" shut with paint--there is no way to unscrew anything to change the gear oil (weird)! 3) How do I flush/clean the motor--just run it in a water barrel--also, the cowling has several air vents that will allow any and all water (either from the Bay or my garden hose) to enter the engine and its parts--that is not good is it??? ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! I think I should have gone with a more expensive but reputable brand...this Chinese made thing is junk I'm afraid.

 

[steelespike]

The motor appears to have an air cooled power head with a water cooled leg like the long gone Eska among others.
Perhaps you can chip the paint away from the fill and drain screws.
I think for $400 you could have a very nice used 3hp Evinrude/Johnson from the 50s,60, and 70s.
Smooth,quiet,reasonably powerful.routine parts readily available from your BRP dealer and many vendors on the net including iboats.

 

[nwcove]

The motor appears to have an air cooled power head with a water cooled leg like the long gone Eska among others.
Perhaps you can chip the paint away from the fill and drain screws.
I think for $400 you could have a very nice used 3hp Evinrude/Johnson from the 50s,60, and 70s.
Smooth,quiet,reasonably powerful.routine parts readily available from your BRP dealer and many vendors on the net including iboats.

yep, for $400 you could get a nicely refurbished omc of the same hp or a bit more and run for many years with just basic maintenance. not sure why anyone buys those "off" brands, even the new " brand name" stuff is low quality expensive junk. jmo

 

[magscredit]

Actually the cowling is two piece.
As far as lubing the lower unit, those holes aren't painted over, they just never added holes to start with. You have to remove the prop and the the allen bolts holding the cover to the lower unit. To change the gear lube dump the old and add about 50cc 90w. This is about a 2 minute job.
To flush the engine just remove the prop. The engine has a centrifical clutch that won't start spinning the prop until you reach a higher rpm. The impeller doesn't spin unless the prop is spinning, so you will have to throttle up to keep the water circulating.
The fins on the flywheel cool the engine when it is running at a lower rpm. Unlike an Eska the water is actually circulated around the clynder when the engine is running at a higher rpm.
I've had the motor for several months and haven't had any problems to speak of. Try to use a synthetic blend oil, it reduces spark plug fouling.
I'm in my 60's.. I've own good boat motors, bad boat motors and some that just hang around. I picked this up mainly because of the weight (19 pounds) I put it on an 11 foot garvey I built and made an 8 mile round trip up and down the Intercoastal the day I got it. It ain't a Mercury, but it gets me around plus I only paid 299 plus free shipping. Good Luck!

 

[RCaptain]

I've had a similar experience as Magscredit. A light and cheap motor that does the work. Just out of curiosity, I popped the cowling open to find a converted mass produced 49ccm motor with a Walbro type carb that is used in many applications from power scooters to garden tillers. That's why they are so well priced. Although this is not a sophisticated high quality unit like you'd expect from outboard brand names, it does just fine. This is my second year and I've never had any issues with it. Easy to start and light to carry around. I use it to power my Mariner 4 inflatable and get around 7 mph at high elevations. On a canoe it does even better.

At the time I got it, I knew nothing about outboards so I wanted something new with a warranty but inexpensive and the little Hangkai did just that. Since then I've restored a 2 hp 1981 Johnson that was collecting dust at my father in law's garage. In terms of power, it well compares to the Hangkai 3.5 hp.

So, Fish 'Ed, if you have any further questions, let me know! I'd be happy to help.