1968 lark x 40hp wont start

hello guys new to site and fairly new to outboards i just bought a 1960 boat and it came with a 68 evinrude lark selecshift the guy started the motor with jumper cables from battery to the starter it fired right up ran a little rich but ran when he went to shut it off he pulled the plug wires from the plugs the top wire never changed the engine at all the bottom wire killed the engine why is that??? next i get the boat home following weekend i tried to start engine hooked up the cables went to the starter and the starter only turns the engine over once then just stops i dont know if the battery was week but i tried 3 different batteries same exact problem the starter kicks up hits the flywheel spins it a half turn or a full turn then just stops then the jumper cables start getting hot why is this ??? next the guy said it needed a new control box (new throttle,select buttons,and ignition) found exact one on ebay got home spliced all wires together hooked upo battery and nothing put meter on it getting power to silenoid ground wire tight and clean also getting power to key but it will not spin the motor over there are a few wires that are just lying in the motor dont know where they go plus when i start the motor with the rope the prop spins but it is not hooked up to any wires i thought the older motor goes to nuetral when no power hooked up???
sorry for so many questions but i wanna go fishing please help if you can thanks in advance

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start

Wow. If anybody ever needed a factory service manual, you do. Stan at SCJ616@aol.com has tons of manuals, he may have yours.

I hope you got the correct control. There are two kinds of the push button switches and if you use the wrong one it will instantly break a drive shaft or clutch spring the first time you attempt to shift it to reverse.

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start

its the same one that came with the boat identical same amount of wires and same colors im hoping to.. thanks

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start

what F_R said ^^^ also read these

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=158071

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=158086

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=167352

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start

Heed F_R's advice. Do NOT apply voltage to any of the electric shift wires with the motor running until you have tested that lower unit with the motor not running. If you hook up the wrong wires with the motor running you will destroy it. It also takes a special type of lower unit oil. You will not find a shop that knows how to fix it if you break it, and they are very tricky to work on yourself. So use patience and caution as you learn how it works.

Use the "Search" feature near the top of this page and search under the word "Selectric". You will find a lot of information from past posts. You can use the Advanced Search feature and look for all posts from Itstippy that contain the word Selectric. You will find strings where the iBoats gurus have helped me out in the past. Their collective knowledge is vast and free and an incredible resource when working on old outboards. Take the time to learn; it will pay off. Welcome to iBoats!
PS - Search "Big Twin" and you can read all night about your motor.

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start PLEASE HELP

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start PLEASE HELP

ok guys got motor running found a loose wire vroooom right up prop was spinning went to shut of key eng did not stop but actually ran smoother and get this the prop stopped spinning had to choke out to stop well doing more research found the wires going to the foot the selectric shift i put my tester on it the green and blue wires had a closed circuit so thinking my lu is fried i tore it down found out the wires in the foot were bare and touching each other some other and when i took the very bottom off needle bearings came falling out ooopppssss crap now what so i think i either need a new (to me) foot or pay an arm and a leg to get this one fixed what do you think.......

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start PLEASE HELP

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start PLEASE HELP

What wire was loose that got you started?
Your key switch should short out the coils to stop the engine. One black wire from under the flywheel and one from the vacuum cut-out switch, I'm guessing.
I don't think the bottom bearing has a cage so the needles are held in place by the drive shaft. Stick them back in with petroleum jelly and reassemble when you're ready.

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start

the wire was from a small box like thing under the flywheel where the advance or throttle slides against it if there is no metal touching the box it will not start what is this little black switch?? and im still trying to figure out why the eng runs smoother when i turn the key off????? and its only running on one cyl. because the only way i stop the eng is to pull off the plug wires the first time i did that i pulled the top wire no change in the eng i pulled the bottom and the eng died

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start

Sounds like one coil is shorting out and the engine continues to run on the other cylinder. BRP engine parts diagrams show two cables called, "Lead assembly upper and lower shorting". You need to find that lead and make sure both are connected properly. It's hard learning without the manual though.

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start

F_R's first reply to you is the best advice you will find - get a service manual if you are serious about refurbishing that outboard motor and making it reliable and trouble-free.

That switch you are messing with is a safety switch. It prevents you from using the starter when the motor's already running, or starting the motor in a high throttle position. There is also a vacuum cut-out arrangement so the motor will slow itself down if it gets into a condition where it wants to over-rev in neutral. Per the manual:
"If the throttle is closed while the motor is operating in neutral, crankcase suction may become abnormally high. This high suction (vaccuum) will cause erratic functioning of the carburator, allowing the motor speed to increase. The function of the cut-out switch is to short out the breaker point for the lower cylinder momentarily when crankcase suction increases, preventing the bottom spark plug from firing and thus reducing motor speed. The safety switch opens the cut-out switch circuit and prevents it from operating at full throttle. The safety switch is also part of the electrical starting circuit."

You must take stock of your situation. You have an old, well-made outboard with a running powerhead of very durable design (40HP Big Twin). The electric shift lower unit is suspect and, if broken, beyond your ability to repair. You have issues with the controller, another very expensive part that is worth more than the outboard motor itself if it works properly but is worth crap if it's dysfunctional. You are in a hurry to go fishing and may not really like tinkering with old outboard motors. Outboards are not lawnmowers. They are far more complicated, and expensive, and labor intensive to maintain. They must be in tip-top condition or you will be stranded on the water or, worse, expose yourself & others to danger.

If that electric shift lower unit is toast then you have a parts motor with a good, refurbishable 40HP powerhead. There is no point in messing with the powerhead unless the lower unit can be made to work properly OR you intend to use the powerhead on a different (mechanical shift) outboard. If you do intend to mess with the powerhead, get a service manual and work slow and learn all about it before you wreck something.

Re: 1968 lark x 40hp wont start

ok how do i know if i have the right shifter switch just in case i have the wrong buttons...??just picked up the only lower unit from ebay hope it works but i want to make sure i dont plug this thing in and hit forward button and kabooom...