Need info on old Sears Elgin 7.5 HP

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum. I have a question for anyone who might know. I have an old Sears Elgin outboard (model #574.60080). I believe its from 1961. I was going through it checking the electricals, impeller, lower unit etc. On the inside of the plastic top cover there were instructions indicating that hypoid 90 weight oil should be used in the lower unit. When I took the lower unit apart, it seems like it was full of light grease (lubriplate?). At this point, I'm curious whether either/or 90 weight gear oil and lubriplate are incherchangable in the lower units of these motors. I know Merc's used lubriplate up until the early 1960's then switched to gear oil. Anyone have any ideas's here? Also would anyone know what the fuel/oil mix should be on this motor? Unfortunately I don't have a manual for this oldie.

Any help would be appreciated!
Joe

Re: Need info on old Sears Elgin 7.5 HP

The motor is Mc Culloch built.
It uses outboard gear lube.Someone may have tried lubriplate if the seals were bad.
They aren't interchangeable.Outboards with gearshift gearcases use outboard sae 90 gear lube.Most with direct drive gear cases use lubriplate 105.
Fuel mix for your 61 is 24:1.

Re: Need info on old Sears Elgin 7.5 HP

Thanks Steelspike. If I understand you correctly, your saying the 90 weight hypoid gear lube is what is required for this motor? as the instructions state under the cover. The motor has forward/neutral and reverse gears. Right now there is light grease (dark grey colored) in the lower unit. I assume I would need to flush this out before refilling with the oil? should I use kerosine to clean out the old lube? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
Joe

Re: Need info on old Sears Elgin 7.5 HP

Wash it out the best you can (kero is OK), and fill it with 90 weight. It probably leaks, which is why somebody filled it with grease.

Is the plastic hood still good? It is really rare to find a good one.

Re: Need info on old Sears Elgin 7.5 HP

F R is right! Good hoods are rare indeed! They were made of a very poor grade of plastic and couldn't tolerate being used as carrying or tilting handles even when new. With 50 years of UV degradation added on treat a good one like it's made of glass. If you are lucky enough to have a good one then cleaning and sanding the inside surface with very course sandpaper will prep it for have a few layers of fiberglass mat or cloth to be applied to the inner surface using Epoxy as the laminating medium. I wouldn't even consider using Polyester resin for several reasons. One is that it doesn't adhere nearly so tenaciously as Epoxy and the other being that the Poly might well melt the original plastic.

IIRC then <http://www.discount-marine-parts.com/index.html> acquired the remaining parts stock for the Mac motors. Sherwood (the owner) has almost always been able to help me find what I need. Including new L/U seals for the '61 I'm currently gathering parts for prior to tear-down. Brian Wilcox
<http://www.chrystine.com/impellers/order.html> will make you a new impeller for a reasonable fee if you will send your old one to him---he has to have the brass core from it for the new impeller. Far preferable to a 50 year old NOS part which may already be ready to disintegrate---even if you can find one.

Bad-mouthed by many for being difficult to service they are very sweet running, user-friendly little fishing motors if given TLC and a good tune-up.
Plus they only weigh @ 6 more #s than a Johnnyrude 3 horse twin.
HTH, Tom

Edit: Forgot----<http://www.pfs-ware.com/Parts/OllieParts.htm> has the material to cut a new fuel pump diphragm. A piece that will just barely fit inside a standard business envelope is $15-S&H included. So far I've made 2 from the piece I got from him and have enough left for at least 3 more. In that respect it's not expensive at all.

Re: Need info on old Sears Elgin 7.5 HP

I gave a complete outboard with hood intacked away a few months ago, me ole pap had stored it for me when I was 19, now I'm 52 yrs, but he never told me where he put it and I never asked, I recently had cause to go out to the farm and look under maw and paws old place and there she was melted into the dirt, my trusty ole sear elgin 7.5 w/ hood intacted but gear case was busted and she was locked up, gave to a friend who has outboard shop to go in his junk pile...