Identifying old Eska outboards

[freeisforme]

I came across a half dozen old Eska and Sears outboards this week.
two of them run, both that run have no prop. The others either lack spark or just won't fire. No two are identical. Most appear to be early 70's or older.
Most have been repainted, several were most likely in use just prior to storage as four were still clamped onto small boats. They were put up in a barn, of which I purchased all the boating items at auction.

The list is as follows,
1- 7.5hp Ted Williams (Has points ignition).
1- 7.5hp Gamefisher (Same as Ted Williams but with fuel tank under the cover. No points, some sort of electronic ignition).
2- Sears 5hp different years, one with huge tank and shroud, the other with a small tank on top and tin skirting around the power head.
1- Sears 3hp, this was marked 'New 4-16-1973' in white paint on the side
1- unknown Eska, similar power head to the Sears 3hp but with a larger lower unit and different tin work. Its painted over in olive drab and black paint.

The Gamefisher 7.5 is seized, it appears stuck somewhere down low, as I can move the motor a bit, but the prop is locked up solid. My thought here is that this one will donate it's shroud or fuel tank to the Ted Williams 7.5hp.

I don't really have a use for these but would like to get one of the 5hp motors, and one 7.5hp running just to have. The others are most likely going to donate parts for the others.

The two that run, both 5hp models.

I read through a lot of former posts but am unclear on whether these have water pumps or are 100% air cooled. If they are partly water cooled, where is the pump impeller and how do I get at it?
Second, do these have any sort of clutch or are they in gear all the time?

What sort of seals need to be checked to be sure these are water ready?

 

[Tom @ Buzzard Bluff]

Re: Identifying old Eska outboards

<1- 7.5hp Ted Williams (Has points ignition).>

This is the 'keeper' since magneto systems are infinitely repairable.

<1- 7.5hp Gamefisher (Same as Ted Williams but with fuel tank under the cover. No points, some sort of electronic ignition).>

While Ed Stoller now provides affordable repair service for the Tecumseh CDI ignition I would consider this the 'parts motor' for the one above.

<2- Sears 5hp different years, one with huge tank and shroud, the other with a small tank on top and tin skirting around the power head.>

Check compression and concentrate on getting the one with the best in good fettle using parts from the other.

<1- Sears 3hp, this was marked 'New 4-16-1973' in white paint on the side>

Look for a model # and identify it by # at Brix Ent. <http://home.earthlink.net/~brixent/>

<1- unknown Eska, similar power head to the Sears 3hp but with a larger lower unit and different tin work. Its painted over in olive drab and black paint.>

May not be an Eska. The West Bend/McCulloch 3 1/2 horse has a powerhead that is similar but uses a different leg & lower unit. Try to find more identification under the paint. Great motors but the sheet steel gas tanks can be bad.

<The Gamefisher 7.5 is seized, it appears stuck somewhere down low, as I can move the motor a bit, but the prop is locked up solid. My thought here is that this one will donate it's shroud or fuel tank to the Ted Williams 7.5hp.>

Probably a rust victim of the Eska L/U seals and ignorance. Drop the lower unit to check engine condition.

<I don't really have a use for these but would like to get one of the 5hp motors, and one 7.5hp running just to have. The others are most likely going to donate parts for the others.>

I may want to talk to you about a carb from the 3 horse models.

<I read through a lot of former posts but am unclear on whether these have water pumps or are 100% air cooled. If they are partly water cooled, where is the pump impeller and how do I get at it?>

Both! Review many of my earlier posts on the subject so I don't have to type it all for the umpteenth time!

<Second, do these have any sort of clutch or are they in gear all the time?

The 7 1/2s should have either F-N OR F-N-R. Whether they still function is another matter altogether!

<What sort of seals need to be checked to be sure these are water ready?>

Those *&^%$#@ chintzy Eska driveshaft & propshaft seals. Don't even bother checking----just replace them!

Certified Parts owns the remains of both Eska & Tecumseh so they are the primary parts source. <http://www.certifiedpartscorp.com/> You'll have to call them with your model # in hand but they are very helpful. Tom

 

[freeisforme]

Re: Identifying old Eska outboards

The 7 1/2hp Ted Williams and the Gamefisher look the same, but no numbers are tags are on them. Both lower units have been heavily painted over.
Both are air cooled, but the Gamefisher has a tank attached to the motor and a cutout for the fill cap. The rest of the motor looks abused and corroded like it was stored in a damp place.

The one 5hp, is probably the ugliest of the lot both because of dents in the tin, a huge cutout to allow the spark plug to be gotten at without pulling off the cover, and some pea green and black paint. This one looks different all around, but again, no number plates or stickers. It's got really strong compression, uses the same recoil starter that the others use, but the cylinder head is perfectly round, has shorter fins, and they run vertical. This one had a lawn mower gas tank screwed to the shroud hanging off one side and a T in the fuel line to draw fuel from both tanks. It starts right up, even on the old gas that was in the tank when I found it.

I don't see any water intake holes in any of the legs, only the exhaust outlets. Is there any web sites that has some pics where I can compare mine to other motors to tell what these may be?
The only two that I didn't fire up are the two 7.5hp motors, the good one needs some bolts put in the shroud and the one is seized.

I unbolted the bolts I could see on the one 7.5hp lower unit but the it won't budge, I removed all the bolts I could find both under the power head and at the lower unit, and neither end will budge.

The one 3hp and one 5hp resemble this motor that's on ebay now, item number 130428008400. The power head and tanks are similar. The 5hp tank is more square and has under skirting that hangs down about 4" all around.

On the 7.5 hp motors, I don't see any shift lever?
I have a slide lever, which says Start Run Stop, but that only connects to the carb,then I've got a choke button, and a Rich-Lean Knob.
No shift lever or any linkage going down below the motor?
The same with the others. The Ted Williams 7.5 looks like the one in this video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MshYLbKTLdk

I'll do some paint scraping and see about finding some numbers maybe on Wed if I get home early enough.

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: Identifying old Eska outboards

On the Ted Williams look for the model no. on the bottom rear of the pan, Look for the engine no. on a tag behined the carb.

 

[Tom @ Buzzard Bluff]

Re: Identifying old Eska outboards

<I unbolted the bolts I could see on the one 7.5hp lower unit but the it won't budge, I removed all the bolts I could find both under the power head and at the lower unit, and neither end will budge.>

Only 2 fasteners need to be removed to drop the lower unit. A bolt or screw just inside the exhaust outlet and a nut that lives behind a little vee-shaped cover plate on the leading edge immediately above the anti-cavitation plate. If you have removed those and the L/U won't drop then you may have a 'salter' since you referred to corrosion. I have on very rare occasions had to provide a bit of gentle persuasion on the anti-cavitation plate with a rubber mallet to initiate a divorce. You will find the waterpump sitting atop the plate when you get it free.

If you have motors that spent time in salt-water then all bets are off!

<The one 3hp and one 5hp resemble this motor that's on ebay now, item number 130428008400. The power head and tanks are similar. The 5hp tank is more square and has under skirting that hangs down about 4" all around.>

The 2nd pic from the bottom on that page has 2 keys for you. Just behind the carb you can see a small metal tag affixed to a crankcase bolt. That is the Tecumseh engine ID plate. All of your motors will have one unless it has been removed. You may need that model # to order parts.

<On the 7.5 hp motors, I don't see any shift lever?>

Below where the engine bolts onto the leg there are 3 large screw heads in a horizontal row. If you have a shift model the actuating lever utilizes the middle hole on the starboard side.

<I have a slide lever, which says Start Run Stop, but that only connects to the carb----->

And the magneto plate for ignition advance co-ordinated with the throttle.

There are LOTS of pics of Eskas on this board if you'll look for them.

 

[Tommy Two Stroke]

Re: Identifying old Eska outboards

If you have a full shift lower unit, where the clutch is in the lower unit itself, there is an additional fastener you will need to disconnect in addition to the two that Tom mentions. There is a small cover plate on these units, just above the lower unit. This plate has two screws - remove those, and inside is a screw that attaches the long shift rod coming down from above to the shift rod that goes into the lower unit. This inner screw needs to be removed. I suspect your 7.5hp Gamefisher may have this arrangement. Most of the Ted Williams units didn't have it, but the 7.5 Gamefishers mostly seem to have had it.

 

[freeisforme]

Re: Identifying old Eska outboards

A few of these have the carb tag, but only one has a complete tag, the others are broken off. The one 7.5 Gamefisher does look like it's seen saltwater, or at least its been kept in the water for a long time. My main target to salvage on that motor is the fuel tank/engine shroud, and the top cover. This will give me a running motor with an onboard fuel tank. I don't need any more fuel than that for the small lakes here. There's no reason to carry a 3 gallon portable tank if it only burns a quart or so per day.

I don't see any side plate on the 7.5hp motors? Both 7.5hp motors have the same leg. There are two bolts or screws that I can see, one in the exhaust tube, the other just behind it. Both are the same, but I've not tried removing the foot on the running motor. I ran it for a while in a barrel, rechecked the lube and all looks good that way. I still have to deal with the shroud rubbing the flywheel due to some missing bolts. The one bolt is broke off in the block and will have to be drilled out.

I found some numbers stamped on a tag on the one 3hp sears motor, 153424 stand out but all other info was printed and no longer there.
The odd motor, which I believe is also a 5hp is really a different animal then the rest and at this point I'm not sure what it is. It does run good though, even with the home made external fuel set up. Since it's got a grab handle on both sides of the power head, I assume it's got no reverse, or neutral either for that matter.

I snapped a few pics of this motor and the one 3hp earlier. They're big pics so I posted them online.
Here's the links to the pics:
3hp Sears
http://i56.tinypic.com/fw84jk.jpg
Unknown Aircooled motor
http://i54.tinypic.com/2yw5ks2.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/2816c6d.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/ih5v9l.jpg
Unknown motor on left, Sears 3hp on right
http://i56.tinypic.com/2mycza.jpg

The Sears 3hp prop attaches with a flat headed, tapered screw. The odd motor is missing it's prop and prop nut. The unknown motor's lower unit and mid are a lot heavier duty than any of the other motors.

As rough as these two look, they both run fine, I was originally thinking that the others were low on compression compared to this one odd motor, but after checking the compression with a gauge, I see that the others are all around 120 to 126 psi, this one odd motor pictured above has 172 PSI. The physical size of the power head is also much larger than the Sears motors.
Take a look at the pics, do either of these legs look like they may have impellers?

 

[Tom @ Buzzard Bluff]

Re: Identifying old Eska outboards

<The unknown motor's lower unit and mid are a lot heavier duty than any of the other motors.>

By the pics it appears to be a Clinton. Both it & the 3 HP probably require a 16/1 fuel/oil mix to remain healthy.

<--after checking the compression with a gauge, I see that the others are all around 120 to 126 psi, this one odd motor pictured above has 172 PSI.>

Those #s are too high to be realistic. You either added oil to the cylinder before testing or have a defective gauge. Test cold & dry to be accurate.

<Take a look at the pics, do either of these legs look like they may have impellers?>

The Clinton will have it on top of the anti-cavitation plate as I told you before. You can SEE the watertube exiting the exhaust on the 3 horse in one of the pics. Note that it faces forward as well as being immediately behind the prop. Both forward motion and propwash force water up the tube to cool the lower bearing and seal on the smaller motors using this system. It was tried on the larger motors and deemed insufficient for the task. Insects just LOVE to build nests in those tubes to help you cook your motor to a nice even 'crispy-critter'! Motors with this cooling method should only be ran on the boat while under way! Too much testank time will cook them since propwash alone is insufficient.

As I said before you should exercise your own due diligence in researching this site for past posts applicable to your motors. If you do so virtually all of your questions will be answered before they arise.

 

[freeisforme]

Re: Identifying old Eska outboards

I've gone through over 300 past posts but found only one other motor that matches the one 5hp I have here. Not many have pics, and many that did have bad links now.
I have yet to find an identical match to either Ted Williams 7.5hp, I've been over these again and again but I see no shifter or neutral lever.

I pulled the foot off the 3hp, there's no impeller or anything that resembles a water pump inside at the bottom? That tube appears to just force water up the leg into the exhaust chamber. If I pump water up the tube it will eventually come out the exhaust relief holes up top if I block off the exhaust with my hand down low. Otherwise it just blows out the bottom.
The Clinton lower won't separate, there's something other than the obvious bolts holding it.

The other 5hp, the one that looks most like the 3hp pictured above, has no water tube, and that has a water pump in the leg, but the second motor does not, and has no holes or provisions for one? Other than that they apear to be the same motor.

I checked compression after giving each one a shot of fuel/oil mix and a few pulls to be sure the rings weren't dry. The 'Clinton' is actually very hard to pull, but it fires up and runs real strong. I've been running it on a remote tank giving it gravity feed fuel since it's got no fuel pump. Someone has put an inline 3 way valve between the carb, built in tank, and an external fuel tank which was mounted on top of the motor. It appears to be from an older 5hp Tecumseh go cart motor. That tank was cracked so I just removed the connector from an old boat tank and connected it right to the spare line off that fuel switch they added. I've been running these on fuel mix from my older Homelite saw, which runs 24:1 mix. I see various posts and many recommendations on what mix to run. At 24:1, they smoke heavy. I do have an owners manual for a 1968 Eska 5hp that someone sent me, it calls for 50:1 in that motor. The one Ted Williams motor, the one that runs has a decal stating that it requires 50:1 "Air Cooled" oil mix only.
Either way, at this point I've only been firing these up for a few minutes at a time under no load to see what works and what doesn't.
With the way they smoke with 24:1, what will it do with more oil?

The compression gauge I have is from Matco, plus I've got another from a GM dealer I used to work for by Kent Moore. Both are in good condition and are within a few pounds of each other. Each reading was done with the carb wide open, and the rope pulled sharply as many times as it took to max out the reading, usually about 5 pulls. All were checked cold, or only slightly warm, none were hot or had been running within the hour.