Re: 50's vintage Johnson and Evinrude
Hi Trailbum,<br /> Good news! Those 1950s Evinrude tens are plentiful and the commonly replaced parts are readily available and easy to replace. Evinrude made a 10hp from 1956 right into the 1960s and they all shared the same basic powerhead. Somewhere in there they added a thermostat, made the flywheel a little lighter, and beefed up the rods, but most parts will interchange. Parts such as coils, points, condensers, water pump impellers, fuel hose, head gaskets, piston rings, seals, carb kits, etc. are still available. The first five listed ought to be changed as a matter of course if there is any question about their condition.<br /><br />The lower units are another story. The 1956 & 1957 models used the 15/18hp lower unit and those would last pretty near forever with proper maintenance and could handle moderate abuse. In 1958 they lightened up the motor by installing a somewhat beefed up version of the smaller 5.5/7.5 lower unit. These worked fine when well taken care of, but didn't hold up well under even minimal abuse. If you find a good one from 1958 onwards, keep it that way by having the lower unit resealed and installing a new clutch-dog. The units weren't necesarily a lemon, but they do need an owner who is aware of their limitations and maintains them regularly.<br /><br />Have fun and consider visiting the Antique Outboard Club website at
www.aomci.org for more old motor heads...<br /><br />- Scott
