1976 evinrude 15hp

Logo09

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Hi all. I have a 15 hp evinrude that is not getting any spark. i dont know a lot about ignition systems and need some help. I dont know how to troubleshoot the coils and the points. Here are some pics i took of the motor. IMG_1089.jpgIMG_1091.jpgIMG_1092.jpgIMG_1093.jpgIMG_1094.jpg
 
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Rick.

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

Hello Logo09. Is your motor and electric or rope start? Could you post the model number? Best of luck. Rick.
EDIT. I looked at the pictures and can easily see it electric start. Have never worked on an electric start but it does look like your coils have melted at some point. I'm not sure how to test them but hopefully someone can chime in here. Your points need to be absolutely clean and gapped to .020. Have a look in the Top Secret File at the top of this forum for directions on replacing points and coils. Stator looks like it overheated as well.
 

Logo09

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

hey Rick, the model is 15655r. It is an electric start. It does have a pull rope if i want to use it. I am not sure if anything is melted, at least it all looked normal to me. I will put some better pictures up tomorrow. I was wondering if these were bad and if i could test them? use this one.jpg
 

Rick.

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

Your pictures are fine. That brown wax looking stuff that appears to protect the windings from the metal is what I was referring to. Never seen that before. Normally the entire winding is encased. Maybe we need to back up a bit. Disconnect one of the kill switch wires just to make certain the kill switch isn't made causing the no spark. Rick.
 

Logo09

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

i dont even think they are hooked up. kill switch wires.jpg
 

Rick.

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

Are those wires from the stop button? Are they black with a yellow stripe? Rick.
 

Logo09

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

As far as I can tell they went to the stop switch. I got the motor like this. The wires are just black. The stock killswitch is gone and replaced with a simple on / off switch but no wires are hooked up to it. Far as I can tell these are the ground wires but they just aren't hooked up.
 

Logo09

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

hey rick, i figured it out. i pulled both ignition coils off and they are both cracked. i looked closely at the gaps in the coil and could see lots of corrosion as well. hopefully i can find a good price for them somewhere.
 

Rick.

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

Way to go. I have to admit I was stumped. I did see a youtube video about testing coils but I have had no luck finding it for you. Hope the new ones get you going. With you kill switch disconnected you may not be able to shut her down till your out of gas. LOL. Just pull the choke and it will die. I retrofit my motors kill button with a lanyard kill switch made by Seadog. They are easy to put in and fit well in the same hole. Rick.
 

Logo09

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

replaced the ignition coils. Still no spark. i have no idea what to do next
 

Dabbler_E

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

I have basically the same motor, only no electric start.

If you are getting no spark at all to either cylinder, that suggests a common cause, and the kill switch is a prime suspect. I see that the kill switch wires are not hooked up to the stop switch on the motor housing, but I don't actually see where the wires end. Are they run to a remote ignition switch (like with a key)? That switch could be the issue. You might try completely disconnecting the kill switch wire connectors to eliminate that possibility.

These ignition systems are pretty simple, and replacement points & condensers are cheap (also available here on Iboats). The first link that kfa403 provided will give you a ton of info on how to get things set up right.

If you are completely sure that the kill circuit is not the issue, then no spark that means either (a) components are bad (points, condensers, coils, or wires) or (b) the points are not set properly. Remedy (a) and (b) and the magneto will produce spark. Again, the problem suggests a common cause, which could be the common coil (the coil pointing bow-ward on the magneto in your first pic). That's a more expensive part, so I would eliminate all other possible causes (i.e., eliminate kill switch and check point gap, if those OK replace points & condensers) first. Hope that helps!
 

Logo09

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

no kill switch is wired up. took the flywheel off and cleaned the points with fine sandpaper and still no spark. Will be ordering new points and condensers soon.
 

Logo09

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

Also, Last night i was playing with the condensers and discovered that neither of them will give me any kind of reading on my multimeter and wont hold a charge. I think we have found the problem.
 

jmendoza

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Jun 9, 2008
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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

Hello.
You have a single component that is not working/bad that is causing both coils to not deliver spark. The wires to the kill switch can be left unconnected for now until you find the problem.
I think you should measure the resistance of the driver coil under the flywheel. This coil captures the magenetic field of the flywheel magnets and converts it to a current to supply the two primary windings of each coil with current via the closed points. It has a fairly low resistance, under 2 ohms, so test it. The book says 1.45 ohms, but any reading around 10 or less ohms is good given that most meters are not very accurate when reading less than 100 ohms. If it is open, then neither of your coils will produce a spark. The chances of both points, and condensors being bad are a million to one. Condernsors will always read open, because they block DC current. The newer replacement condensors are inferior and made in Asia, they fail, so unless yours are shorted, use them. An indication of a bad condensor is deeply pitted points.

Also check to see that someone did not replace the points and put the wires back on them incorrectly: All the wires must be held onto the points with the plastic insulator between them and the points frame, they must not touch the points frame in any way.
 

Logo09

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Re: 1976 evinrude 15hp

resistance is 2 ohms. killswitch is disconnected.
 
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