Re: evinrude pull cord
You are wise to replace that cord now. OR---it is possible that you should have replaced it a long time ago. If the fabric covering is shot, the metal core causes severe wear as it rubs over the inside of the housing. If that wear is bad enough, it will chew up any new cords you install.
The old metal core cords are no longer available. Most people just use braided nylon rope instead. Tie a knot at the end to prevent it from pulling out of the sheave. But be advised that if you yank the nylon rope all the way to the end, it will cut the knot off and the resulting backlash will wreck the recoil spring.
Take a look at the rope sheave. See that about 1/8" hole? Find something that will fit through the hole, such as a nail. Now pull the old rope all the way to the end and stick the nail in the hole. The nail keeps it from unwinding and you can go ahead and remove the old rope and feed in a new one. Then, hang onto the new rope and remove the nail and allow it to rewind. Gee, that was easy, huh?
The spark plug wire: If it is long enough, simply put on a new boot. They are available from any outboard shop or here at iboats. If it is too short, you will have to replace the wire. It is quite a job, requiring removing the flywheel and armature plate to access the clamps on the bottom. Be sure to use a flywheel puller and use a torque wrench to retighten the flywheel nut to 40-45 foot pounds. Don't be tempted to cheat, you can destroy the motor.
