Evinrude Fastwin 15 problem ID

[trevorduke]

I have a '50s era Evinrude Fastwin 15 that I just bought and am trying to get running. The previous owner said it was last in the water 2 years ago. I have some pictures of what looks to be something wrong after i partially stripped the engine. If anyone can identify what the cracked red part it I would appreciate it.

[jbjennings]

Ha HA! Good news! What you have there under the flywheel are cracked coils.....Probably THE MOST common problem on 50's outboards. Since it's a 15 hp, it's probably between a '53 and '56. They're really good little motors. I've got a '56 myself and sure do like it. The good news is that you can get new coils, condensers, and points for it for about 80 dollars or less. You will almost certainly need a carb kit for it, too, along with a lower unit reseal kit and FOR SURE a new impeller and it probably wouldn't hurt to replace the whole pump with a water pump kit. Myself, I'd fix the coils, clean the carb and install a new pump impeller, get it to running and take it for a spin to see if it will stay in forward gear which will tell you your lower unit is worth resealing. you'll need a harmonic balancer puller from an auto store or a helpful neighbor and 3 hardened 1/4-20 bolts about 4" long to pull the flywheel off in order to replace the ignition coils and such. Be sure to torque the flywheel nut on a clean and dry taper to about 45lbs. with a torque wrench. It's always a good idea to check the compression on your motor before you waste any money on new parts. I've rarely seen one with compression so bad it wouldn't run good, though. You can probably spend about 200$ on it and have a very dependable little motor that your friends will be amazed how well it runs.
Good luck with your motor--it's a good model,
JBJ

[F_R]

Shoot, those coils look good compared to this ugly thing that showed up on aomci the other day. Seriously, if they are cracked, they are junk.