Have acquirred 2 old supposedly 18 HP Evinrude motors today. Confirm year and HP??

[Arthur Tyler]

Hello everyone, my friends call me Cuzz. I just bought an Aluminum Boat today and with it came 2 old Evinrudes the previous owner said were 18 HP. He didn't know the year model but said that he though the parts on anything 15 to 24 HP between 1955 and 1074 would interchange. Can anyone shed some light on that or tell me if that statement is true?

2nd Question: Here are the Serial Numbers for both motors. Could one or more of you kind folks help me figure out what exactly I have and whether they are good motors worthy of keeping in good running condition? The serial number on the one on the boat already and running very good actually is > 18502s E13254. I took it out the first time today and was very happy with it's performance. Started first pull which was a nice surprise. This one is a manual start but the back up or 2nd motor that came in the package is an electric start which I would think was a newer model but not a clue of either. It actually looks a lot better that the one that came on the boat I ran today. Also, the man I bought it from said that they were the same motors but that someone had changed out the carb that was a much bigger carb and that made it equivalent to a 25 HP even though it's supposed to be an 18 HP. That did not compute in my brain. Could that be possible? Anyway, the serial number of the 2nd or backup motor is.. 18902B E02409. I'd appreciate it very much if someone could tell me what I have and what year they were made?

Oh yea, while I'm asking you experts.... The 2nd motor is said to have a problem in the lower unit and that it need to be replaced. Any suggestions where I could start looking for one without paying an arm and a leg? I'd really like to get this last motor running with the electric start and new lower unit and if in fact the bigger carb on it boosts the HP by 6 or 7 HP, that would make a big difference in the time it takes the boat to plane out.

This is my first time on here and I know that's a lot of information I've just inquired to you about, but I'm really excited to have a new boat project to tinker with, not to mention all the Crappie and Catfish I will soon have in my freezer because of it!

Listen, I trust all of you had a fun and safe Memorial Weekend. Hope to hear from some of you. Next I would like to talk about home made live wells.

Many Thanks Ladies and Gentlemen,
Best Regards,
A Tyler (Cuzz)
Garland, Texas

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Have acquirred 2 old supposedly 18 HP Evinrude motors today. Confirm year and HP?

The numbers that begin with "E" are serial numbers. While sometimes we can identify model years with them, it is harder to do than with a model number.

Not to worry, however, because the other numbers that you have are model numbers.

The 18502 motor is a 1965 model and the 18902 motor is a 1969 model.

Your seller sounds like he was either trying to buffalo you a bit, or he doesn't know much about outboards. As far as I know, OMC (parent of Evinrude and Johnson) never made a 24hp motor. I also doubt that a carb swap would turn an 18hp motor into a 25hp motor. There is truth to some parts from the older ('53 - '56) 15hp model possibly fitting your motors. The Johnson version of your '69 motor was a 20hp motor. Most of the parts from that motor would fits yours, as well. The 15hp Evinrude/Johnson motors made in 1974 and later years, is a completely different engine and very few of the parts would be usable on your motor.

The good news is that the OMC 18hp motors are great motors. If they still have decent compression and no serious mechanical problems, they may be expected to be useable for a long time.

I think you have a couple of options in regard to the two motors. You should be able to swap the electric start components from the '69 onto the '65, if you wish. This might be a good option, since the motor runs well and has no gearbox problems. On the other hand, if the '69 runs well also, but just has a gearbox problem, you should be able to pull the one off of the '65 and put it on the '69.

You may also be able to swap the hoods between the two motors. If the one on the '69 is in better shape, give it a try on the '65. I'm not completely sure of compatibility, but I think the '65 has the same or a very similar lower cowl. If this works, putting the starter on the '65 and giving it a new coat of paint, might have you ending up with a pretty "spiffy" motor.

If you decide to fix the gearbox on the '69, take a look at www.shop.evinrude.com. Look for a tab that says "Parts." After you click it, you will see years for Evinrude motors listed from 1968 and up. Select 1969, then select "18." When you get there, you will see several variations of the 18hp motor, by model number. Select any one of them and then go to "gearcase group." You will then see a "parts explosion" and a lsiting of the parts, with pricing and availabilty.

My guess is that the "problem" in the gearcase, is a worn clutch dog or that it is leaking and needs news seals. Both are repairable. If the gears are shot, however, the cost of replacing them will be prohibitive. In that case, its time to go looking for another gearcase on EBay, Craigslist or an outboard repair "boneyard."

Hopefully, all of this has been helpful. Please feel free to ask further questions and we'll try to answer them.

 

[JB]

Re: Have acquirred 2 old supposedly 18 HP Evinrude motors today. Confirm year and HP?

What part of (not engine topics) did you not understand, Cuzz?

Moving to JohnnyRude.

 

[Arthur Tyler]

Re: Have acquirred 2 old supposedly 18 HP Evinrude motors today. Confirm year and HP?

First of all Mr. JB, I'm not real sure what I've done but by your comment it seems that I have committed the cardinal sin on here. Whatever I have done, I'm going to have to plead ignorant on this one. I thought my questions about my motors was posted under .............. (iboats Boating Forums > Repair and Maintenance > Johnson & Evinrude Outboards). It was probably 2 AM when I stumbled onto this site and with my new boat and motors I've been as excited the past few days as a kid in a candy store and I was past tired but at the same time excited about the possibility of someone like Captain Jay possibly answering some thing I wanted to know but had no clue where to turn to find out. All of that and more he did for me and I want to thank him for that. Thanks Captain Jay by the way!

Now, Mr. JB, I apologize to you sir. I will try to back track and figure out where I screwed up. It still seems like most all of the posts in the catagory I thought I was in were in fact about Evinrude motors. This is a great site it seems and I can see by the posts I have read that there are some very knowledgeable people who love life and helping dumb ole country boys like me who obviously can't even figure out where to post motor questions to for those kind folks. Once again, I'm sorry Sir. Please forgive me!

Cuzz

 

[Arthur Tyler]

Re: Have acquirred 2 old supposedly 18 HP Evinrude motors today. Confirm year and HP?

Captain Jay, I just turned 55 this year, just a pup still... I live 2 minutes from the water and am finally getting to enjoy life and fishing anytime I have the urge which is several times a week if not every day for awhile. I didn't register on this site to wake up in the morning and get rebuked like I just got from Mr. JB before I even get down my first cup of Coffee.

The good Lord has blessed me in many ways more than I probably deserve and it's really nice to wake up in the morning excited about the day and eager to hit it running. When I saw that I already had a reply from Captain Jay to my post, it put a big smile on my face that went away when I got my hand spanked on here. Anyway, I want to thank you for that Sir and for you wealth of knowledge and your answers to my questions. If I may, can you answer one more thing right now if you don't mind? Can you tell me what I did that was so bad.... and, why didn't you make mention of it in your message if it was so bad?


It's good to know that I have a couple of sound motors that are worthy of keeping on hand that have proven over the years to be reliable little work horses. Captain Jay, though the 65 model ran well yesterday, it did smoke more than I thought it would. I was running a 50:1 mix. Should I lean it down some or is that the right ratio for those motors?

In regard to the bigger carb on the 69, do you think it was added by someone or did it come with different size carbs through those years?

One again Sir, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with me. I wish you well and hope to chat with you more sometime.

Arthur Tyler
Cuz

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Have acquirred 2 old supposedly 18 HP Evinrude motors today. Confirm year and HP?

Don't worry about the rebuke - JB is a good guy, he just forgets to eat his cheerios sometimes. So you made a mistake and next time you won't. I'll pass sentence for this very serious infraction - your birthday is hereby revoked for one year.

When you get a chance, surf around the site for awhile. There are some forum rules and a bit of perusing the various topic areas will give you a feel for what type of post goes where. Get to know the search function too, because knowing whether there is a current thread on a topic that may be of interest to you, reduces duplication of threads on the same subject matter.

Another thing that seems to be a cardinal sin around here, is the opening of old threads. My personal view of it is that, as long as the new post remains on topic and offers new information, I don't mind it and sometimes even appreciate it. But, hey, its not my sandbox, so I don't get a vote on the matter.

One suggestion that I would make, is to look at the date of the last few posts in a thread. Sometimes what happens is that someone else will comment on an old thread after seeing it during a search. In doing this, they will bounce the thread to the top of the section that its in, and the next person will come along and comment, not realizing that it is old. Given the small font that is used in the date/time header on each item, this is not too surprising - its just easy not to see it.

Anyway, go learn about the search function and find the thread on forum rules.

On the matter of oil, no, do not reduce the mix beyond 50:1. Old 2-stroke motors just smoke alot. This is, as the saying goes, the nature of the beast. The reason why new motors, such as the Evinrude ETEC smoke so little, is because they have very precise oil injection systems that vary the fuel/oil ratio in accordance with rpm/load. They have the capability to lean the oil mixture at low rpm and idle, to reduce smoking. You motor has no way to do that, so the mixture must be suffcient to handle periods when higher lubrication is required.

Use nothing but oils meeting the TC-W3 standard and shop around to get the best price. I buy my oil (BRP XD-50, semi-synthetic) at my local OMC/BRP dealer. I bring a 3 gallon gas can that I bought specifically for this purpose and never put anything other than the 2-stroke oil in it. By doing this, I can buy the oil "in bulk" (it is pumped out of a 55 gallon drum) and save money. I've also found that Academy Sports sells Pennzoil semi-synthetic in one gallon jugs, at about the same price as what I get the bulk BRP oil for. I used the Pennzoil for years - its really good oil - and only switched to the BRP bulk oil because I wanted to support my local dealer in these tough times.

Its hard to say what the origin of the carb on the '69 might be. Given some of the things the seller told you, that carb might be bone stock for the model and year of the motor. Who knows?

OMC tended to make minor changes to its motor lineup over the years and many models remained essentially the same over long periods of time. For example, the original Bigtwin started life as a 25hp motor in the early 50s, went to a 30hp in the mid 50s and became a 35hp in the late 50s. That basic design then became a 28hp motor in the early 60s and a 33hp motor in the mid 60s. It even became a 40hp motor in the early/mid 70s, although the powerhead by that point was a slightly different displacement.

My point is that the carb on your '69 could have come from any number of model/years, but would have most likely been from an engine that is of the same lineage. There is a 25hp Evinrude that was made for a number of years (including 1969) that fits that bill. It is very similar to yours and has the same carb as yours. What is different between the two, however, is the high speed orifice, which is most likely larger in the 25hp.

This does not mean that merely slapping a carb off of a 25hp motor onto an 18hp motor is going to make the latter a 25hp motor. Thre are other factors involved, such as port tuning and exhaust chamber tuning. Merely feeding more fuel into an engine may not help it, if you can't improve "breathing" too. Although I am not sure, the 25hp motor could also be a bit bigger in displacement than the 18hp.

Welcome to iboats. Get settled in, figure out how folks do things here and have fun. I think you'll find that JB is a pretty good guy in the bigger picture and that he knows alot of stuff about OMC branded motors. There are also a few of us stubborn old guys, who refuse to spend nine gazzilion dollars on a bloody outboard motor, so we know the old ones pretty well.