Hello All,
new to the board and just "aquired" a 15' runaboat with a 1972 Evinrude 65 attached. The powerhead seems fine, good spark and compression all around, starts and runs just fine, however there seem to be some problems with the lower unit. When engaging either forward or reverse, all I get from the motor is a rattle in the lower unit. The prop turns, but I get no forward or backwards motion from the boat. I took this motor to an outboard mechanic here in Dallas, and he says that because of the electric shift in these motors, that it's just junk now. What I'd like to know is, is he giving me good info, or can I get this lower unit replace/repaired, or should I just hunt down another used outboard to take my chances with?? I'm on a somewhat limited budget, and would like to err on the side of economy (now, and down the road)
Thanks,
A
this will help you understand the lower unit. very possible the wrong lube is in the lower unit, causing it to fail, sounds as if the solenoids are working. the engine is worth working on..
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That engine should default to forward gear no matter what oil is in it. I'm wondering if there is'nt a problem with the shift dog, or it's return spring. My experience with this shift system is,that a broken mechanical part does'nt happen very often. The only one's I recall was a cracken shift dog starting at the retaining pin hole, and a broken, and bound return spring. That system work's very well, but it must have clean oil with out water getting into the system. I certainly would not call it junk. Get a mechanic that is at least as old as your engine. Sound's like he is repeating something he heard. I ran a Johnson with the shift button on the throttle handle for years'. Docking, or putting a boat on the trailer with that system is a snap.
Thanks for the info ya'll I'll try the change of lower end lube and see where that leads me. I'll also be looking around for someone a bit more crusty to take a look at this engine for me as well. If there's anyone in the Dallas area with a reccomendation, I'll be happy to give em' a try
Andrew
the shops with all the glitter won't know anything about it. they just want to sell new. as you said the crusty shop is where your going to find help. the one with the pile of old motors on the side of the building.
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Hello and ty you for your wonderful forum. I just purchased a 72 65hp evinrude. We were winterizing it over the weekend and notice water was just coming out one hole in the motor. Is this normal, I thought it would come out the back and near the prop. Also, I put in marine gear oil. Is that ok or should I buy the other premium at the marina for this motor. Thanks for all info.
I own two 1972 Johnson 65hp motors. One is on my boat and used frequently, and one is in my shop awaiting refubishment.
My experience with these motors is that they can be great, if they are received in good mechanical condition. If the powerhead has no significant problems and the compression is high and even, that is a good starting point. The next most significant item on the motor is the gearbox. Since you have problems with yours, obviously you need to get the problem diagnosed.
The first thing I would say about this, is similar to what others have said - don't let the dealer type mechanics get you freaked out. The fact of the matter is that they don't like to work on these old motors, and the shop owners want to sell you something, be it a late model used motor or a new one. When I bought my first J65, I was extremely busy with life and didn't have the time to do the intial refurbishment, so I took it to an OMC/BRP dealer that I had a long relationship with. The lead mechanic there actually bitched openly about the motor, and told me I had junk and would regret the purchase, etc. When I came back with my boat to get the motor mounted on it, all the other mechs kept telling me that I had found an exceptional motor. They were right, I have been running it for a couple of years now and am extremely pleased with it.
Sometimes you can find a retired OMC mechanic who still dabbles in repairs to supplement social security, or just to maintain an active lifestyle. These folks are gold when you have an older motor. I recommend that you go to the marinas in your area and "ask around." By doing so, you can not only find out who is available, but you can also find the good ones and avoid the hacks. You may find that the repairs to your gearbox aren't all that terrible. Even if it needs a new clutch dog and needs to be sealed, the cost should be bearable - especially when compared to buying another motor that could have hidden problems. Even if the gearbox is not economically repairable, you can probably find a decent replacement via local listings, shop "boneyards," or the auction sites.
Another issue to consider is the ignition system. My experience has been that, if the motor still has the original parts, you will probably have to replace all of it at some point. After the initial refurbishment on mine (water pump, carb rebuild, link/sync, fuel pump, timing, etc.), that is what I ran into. The good news is that my life wasn't so nuts and I did the work myself. I also found that there are aftermarket sources (CDI & Sierra) for the parts at about half the retail price, when compared to BRP. Although I try to support my local BRP dealer as much as I can, I don't recommend buying such parts from dealers because the prices are ridiculously high, and the parts are made by the aftermarket guys anyway.
Something else that you should consider, is the shift switch in the control unit. The part is no longer available as a new item, unless you find a dealer with one as an NOS (new, old stock) part. This single part can be a deciding factor for some in whether or not to keep a motor, or buy it in the first place. That is exactly why the owner of my second motor sold it to me - his shift switch went bad and his mechanic told him that he would never find another, etc. The guy sold me the motor for $150 and it is otherwise in good shape. That being the case, I now have a motor that can be turned into a solid runner and, because I was looking ahead, I just happen to have another control unit that works fine, courtesy of an EBay seller. I guess my point is that this issue is something to be aware of, but its not the end of the world.
My advice to you is simply to have the motor looked over by a competent mechanic. You may have a motor that is worth hanging onto, and you may not. Whether it will be something that will require a relatively small amount of money to become reliable, or will become a "money pit," is something that the mechanic should be able to tell you after examining it. If you end up talking to someone that just wants to pronounce it DOA before looking it over, move on and find someone else.
A final point is that, if you have a reasonable amount of mechanical apptitude, and feel that you could work on this motor yourself, you will improve the financial aspect of refurbishing it greatly. I have a couple of thousand dollars in the J65 that is on my boat, but a good part of that is in shop time during the intial work. If I had done all of the work myself, my investment at this point would be about $1,300. Considering that it now runs as well as anyone else's $7,000, late model 70hp motor (and will probably last longer), I consider that to be a bargain.
To both of you who posted here about owning a '72 OMC 65hp, please feel free to PM me with questions. I don't claim to be a complete expert on the motors, but I have been through most of the issues that crop up with them, so I can probably help most of the time.
1972 Evinrude 65hp -- Repair or Replace.
Linear Mode
