Buying a 1976 Evinrude 40hp

[Chrisravosa36]

As some of you know, I just finished up with my 50hp Johnson. I was going to put her on the boat but it was just to big. I sent her away today, scoring some nice profit! I am going to take a look at a 40hp Johnson (65lbs lighter!) I just need to prepare myself and get some advice from you all. Im going to go out, and buy a spark tester at one of these autostores, what is the MIN. the spark should be? What is a great number? I have a compression gauge, and cant seem to find the numbers for this motor, im guessing 150lbs??. I know 10% each cylinder, but not sure what is lb number "acceptable". Seeing that the guy is only looking to get about 300$ for the motor, Il give it a shot. It runs good he said, he claims 35mph on with it (on a 13' whaler" with his wife and son). Also the motor is just coming up on a new water pump soon. It is a manual pull start with tiller steering, but I will be using it on a 13.5' runabout, so I am going to make it adaptable to teleflex steering and throw some shipmaster controls on it. I also would like to know is there anything to look for in-particular about these motors? Is it a good model? I know that the 72' - 76' are basically the same, and are VERY light compared to 80's and 90's 40hps. Im going to look into adding electric start, but am not sure yet. Im also curious to what the cost of that would be. A new flywheel, starter and solenoid? anything else? I would think a donor motor will be necessary if I were to do this. Il keep you guys updated when I go check it out! I cant wait to get it on the water!

 

[hardwater fisherman]

I have the a 1976 evinrude 40hp and I bought it from the son of the person who bought it new. And it was well looked after and very little use. Mine has around 135 lbs on the top and 132 on the bottom. But not every gauge will read the same. I also converted mine to electric start. I found a 1975 johnson as a donor. I did have to buy a new safety switch but the donor has two good coils and a new fuel pump. If you wish to charge the battery you will need a charging coil that goes under the flywheel as well as what i think is called a rectifier. The ignition system is what is called a low tension magneto. It has a driver coil under the flywheel and two external coils mounted to the block. Also it has points and condensers under the flywheel. This system was only used for a short period of time. I have lost spark twice on the top cylinder in the last 5 years and both times it was because of dirty breaker points. Also mine will foul champion spark plugs and I was told this was a problem with the low tension magneto. I switched to NGK plugs a few years ago and never had one foul since. As far as the weight my manual says from 128lbs up to 140lbs depending on what model it is. You might not find a lighter motor in a 40 hp.

 

[Chrisravosa36]

Good to hear. I got some more pics of the motor here, it looks decent. He will demonstrate when I go there. It does look a bit dirty inside, but nothing a little degreaser couldnt handle. Im not quite sure if its a 76? I tried looking up the tag with no luck.



















I BELIVE THAT SAYS E40RWLC (18?) (78?) (76?)

 

[flyingscott]

That motor is an evinrude and it comes up as an 1981 model. Some kind of commercial or military model (probably commercial unit) from the look of it the lower has the extra fins on it. The hood is off of a 75/76 johnson

 

[lindy46]

Was it used in salt water? It's going to be fun pull-starting that motor!

 

[jimmbo]

It has enough mud on it to make it look like it spent some time on the bottom of lake/river without the cowl on it. Some rust on the flywheel too. There appears to be a plugged vacuum line on the starboard side of the intake manifold. I wonder what that line would have been used for?

 

[Chrisravosa36]

That motor is an evinrude and it comes up as an 1981 model. Some kind of commercial or military model (probably commercial unit) from the look of it the lower has the extra fins on it. The hood is off of a 75/76 johnson

WOW! Didnt know that... What would be the purpose of the fins? Also where can I find parts for the commercial units? I cant seem to find it when I look up the 81 40hp, they claim to not have made them in that year.

 

[Chrisravosa36]

Was it used in salt water? It's going to be fun pull-starting that motor!

He said that it pulls over pretty easy, but il just have to see.

 

[Chrisravosa36]

It has enough mud on it to make it look like it spent some time on the bottom of lake/river without the cowl on it. Some rust on the flywheel too. There appears to be a plugged vacuum line on the starboard side of the intake manifold. I wonder what that line would have been used for?

Are you talking about the line that starts in the exsaust housing and ends up down into the lower cowling? I belive thats the **** hole.

 

[flyingscott]

http://boatspecs.iboats.com/Evinrude__E40RWLCI__40hp__1981/bpe/57e2081 Look that up it's what I found and a model # from 1976 would have had more #s in it. Racerone would probably know what it is

 

[Chrisravosa36]

I would think that somebody just added those fines on... Also the RW stands for Commercial with Interlock, any clue?

 

[jbcurt00]

Those fins look factory on the gear case, not add-ons

The L at the end of the model# suggests this is a long shaft motor. Does the boat you plan to put this on have a 15in or a 20in transom?

 

[jimmbo]

Are you talking about the line that starts in the exsaust housing and ends up down into the lower cowling? I belive thats the **** hole.

No. The intake manifold. In the picture there a short hose with what looks like a screw and two zip ties, located just to the left of, and a bit lower than the carb

 

[jimmbo]

I would think that somebody just added those fines on... Also the RW stands for Commercial with Interlock, any clue?

No the horizontal fins were on some lower units, I believe some of the commercial motors had them as many were used in the logging industry and the fins provided some side protection for the prop

 

[Chrisravosa36]

Those fins look factory on the gear case, not add-ons

The L at the end of the model# suggests this is a long shaft motor. Does the boat you plan to put this on have a 15in or a 20in transom?

I plan on using it on a short shaft transom. I belive its an 18 inch motor, but he said it fit his 13' whaler fine even though it was 3 inches to much.

 

[F_R]

That is a 1981 Commercial model with a Johnson hood on it. It left the factory as a long shaft model, but the extension has been removed (no problem). The fins on the gearcase were factory, and intended to act like Whale-Tail fins to get a heavy boat up on plane. They caused drag on a light boat and/or snagged weeds by the basketfull. Lots of people cut them off and filed the case smooth when using on a light boat or weedy water. I'm not sure what hose you are worried about, but there are small crankcase drain/recycle hoses and a vacuum hose that goes to the vacuum cut-out switch.

The basic motor design dates way back into the 1950's and there were trainloads of them made. Being a 1981 makes it one of the last of a breed. Installing an electric starter would be easy if you have a donor engine. Um.....I dunno though. The Lo-Tension magneto makes the flywheel special. I can't say for sure if the starter ring/gear are interchangeable with earlier models--probably are.

 

[Chrisravosa36]

That is a 1981 Commercial model with a Johnson hood on it. It left the factory as a long shaft model, but the extension has been removed (no problem). The fins on the gearcase were factory, and intended to act like Whale-Tail fins to get a heavy boat up on plane. They caused drag on a light boat and/or snagged weeds by the basketfull. Lots of people cut them off and filed the case smooth when using on a light boat or weedy water. I'm not sure what hose you are worried about, but there are small crankcase drain/recycle hoses and a vacuum hose that goes to the vacuum cut-out switch.

The basic motor design dates way back into the 1950's and there were trainloads of them made. Being a 1981 makes it one of the last of a breed. Installing an electric starter would be easy if you have a donor engine. Um.....I dunno though. The Lo-Tension magneto makes the flywheel special. I can't say for sure if the starter ring/gear are interchangeable with earlier models--probably are.

Ok just to confirm it it would work on a short shaft engine?

 

[hardwater fisherman]

My 76 40hp has those fins on the gearcase as well. Can be a bit hard to steer at higher speeds, but as said it does jump up on plane very quick.It is most likely they had a lot of parts left over from when the production stopped. And they made them for a few more years in the 80s. The only difference I see is there is a pisser coming off the exhaust cover. Dont know if thats factory or was added. It is missing a few things like the starter lock and maybe a plastic cover on the carb.

 

[Chrisravosa36]

My 76 40hp has those fins on the gearcase as well. Can be a bit hard to steer at higher speeds, but as said it does jump up on plane very quick.It is most likely they had a lot of parts left over from when the production stopped. And they made them for a few more years in the 80s. The only difference I see is there is a pisser coming off the exhaust cover. Dont know if thats factory or was added. It is missing a few things like the starter lock and maybe a plastic cover on the carb.

He found the carb cover, it was just in his boat for some reason. Im most likley going to cut em off. With your steering what do you use? Im thinking of figuring out a way to add my already exsiting teleflex rotary cable to it, instead of buying a whole new system for the steering. Im just consined with the turning radious? Ive hear things like it wouldnt work?

 

[F_R]

It will work with Teleflex push-pull steering, but not well. You heard right, turning radius will be compromised, and you probably will experience a problem with full tilting without obstruction, which could bend or break something if you hit an underwater obstruction at speed.

I took a second look at the picture and that blocked-off hose is supposed to go the the vacuum cut-off switch. And I don't see the switch. Somebody apparently removed it.

Also, it appears the ring is not a separate piece on that flywheel, so you will need to find a different flywheel if you intend to put electric start on it. Might be tough to find one for that year.