Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Snap · Apr 29, 2010

Can anyone help me identify this motor. The casing says 'Evinrude Lake' and on the freeze plug is stamped: -

25526
25158

I'm lead to believe it's a 50's outboard but have no idea about power etc.

wilde1j · Apr 29, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

1st number says it's a 1956 30HP "Lark" not Lake. 2nd number ... don't know. Two cylinder motor, right?

Snap · Apr 29, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Thanks and yes two cyclinder.

1946Zephyr · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Those 1956 Evinrude Lakes are great motors.

Nice restoration project. Do you have any pics of it?

F_R · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

The first numbr is the model number
The second number is the serial number

Snap · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

1946Zephyr said:
Nice restoration project. Do you have any pics of it?

Will post some tonight. The guy who gave it to me said that it works off a pressurized gas tank (that it didn't come with) - can it be fitted with an electric fuel pump instead?

CATransplant · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

1946Zephyr said:
Those 1956 Evinrude Lakes are great motors.

Nice restoration project. Do you have any pics of it?

Yabbut, don't use 'em in salt water. They're Lake outboards.

Chinewalker · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

You do not want to use an electric fuel pump on any outboard. Battery goes dead miles from shore, you're paddling...

I'd stick with the pressure tank system. Not hard to find and generally cost about as much as the parts to convert to a fuel pump. Poke around your local marinas - good chance they have a few tucked away if they're willing to look. Showing up at coffee time with a box of donuts may help grease the skids a bit...

Snap · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lark

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lark

Chinewalker said:
You do not want to use an electric fuel pump on any outboard. Battery goes dead miles from shore, you're paddling...

ok, complete neewbie speaking here - so the engine doesn't have an alternator or anything like to provide power? All the lights and other stuff run off the battery?

Chinewalker said:
I'd stick with the pressure tank system. Not hard to find and generally cost about as much as the parts to convert to a fuel pump. Poke around your local marinas - good chance they have a few tucked away if they're willing to look. Showing up at coffee time with a box of donuts may help grease the skids a bit...

Chinewalker · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lark

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lark

Correct. Although you could add a generator system, you're still at the mercy of 40-50 year old parts keeping our battery charged. If you did want to convert to a fuel pump, it'd be recommended to use a pressure pulse system from a later motor. Quite a few threads here on iboats on the subject...

1946Zephyr · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

I posted a want ad on craigslist for a pressure tank and got lucky and got one for $10.00. CATransplant said recently he got one for $15.00. So, they're out there, it's just the matter of finding the right place and time.

I've always liked those 56 - 57 Larks. Good and sturdy and simple to work on.

Huron Angler · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Sorry to jump in here a bit off topic...do some of these 30hp Larks have tilllers or were they all set up for controls being marketed as good skiing outboards for smaller boats?

I ask because my grandpa-in-law says I can buy his 'Rude Lark at a good price($50) if I want to get her running again, which I do very much

Good reason for me to get a nice little 14' runabout too

1946Zephyr · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Yes, you can get tillers for those. I would try these salvage yards.

sea-way.com
outboard-parts.com
laingsoutboards.com
tcoutboard.com
fairwindsmarina.com
salvagemarine.com
marinepartsoutlet.com
outboardexchange.com
Superior Marine (800-338-9281)
budgetboats.net
americanoutboard.com
piratemarinesalvage.com
trixieslanding.com
mmmarinesalvage.com
tcoutboards.com

If you can get a motor for $50, then I would jump on it in a hurry. For under $200, you should be able to tune it up nicely and reseal the lower end, plus a new impeller. This would give you a reliable motor, for many years. I would do a compression test on it first, to make sure it's in good enough shape to put the money into it.

CATransplant · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Yes, a lot of them had tiller handles. It's a really easy conversion from remote steering to tiller on those engines. You should be able to find a tiller from a busted one pretty easily.

Huron Angler · Apr 30, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Thanks for the info

I will be hopefully getting to work on it after I'm done with my Starcraft project.

Snap · May 6, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Pics a promised.

1946Zephyr · May 6, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Pretty nice old motor. Will definately make a nice restoration project. The paint on the powerhead looks pretty good though.

Snap · May 6, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

1946Zephyr said:
The paint on the powerhead looks pretty good though.

Couldn't believe the good condition when I opened the cover considering it's 54 years old!

1946Zephyr · May 6, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Yea, that motor looks like very low hours and no salt water use. Should last you another 54 years.

What is your compression readings like?

wilde1j · May 6, 2010

Re: Help identifying Evinrude Lake

Sure looks like it's a Lark to me, but what do I know ... and very clean one under the cover at that.

Help identifying Evinrude Lake

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