1978 35 hp Evinrude...Possible Rebuild?

in-too-deep · Apr 7, 2012

Motor sat for a few years outside. Was submerged for a time. Pulled the head...full of rust. Pulled the reed valves...bottom end full of rust. Gonna need a full o/h. Any idea what a kit costs? 81-04 is $240. Is it as bad of a job as it looks? Never done a boat motor but I've done my 666 ih and other small engine overhauls. Not afraid to learn. Service manual is 60 bucks. Plan on selling motor as soon as it runs again. Advice? Thank you!

S.Crum · Apr 7, 2012

Do yourself a favor and scrap it, don't waste your time. With gas over 4 bucks a gallon you can't hardly give a boat away. Craigslist is loaded with good running boat motors for a couple hundred bucks. 2 stroke motors are being banned on more and more lakes and waterways due to enviromental.

in-too-deep · Apr 7, 2012

Think i could sell it to a salvage guy/parts dealer?

David G · Apr 7, 2012

Scrap it

Janicholson · Apr 7, 2012

I, though I am a person that makes parts to rehabillitate old machines, believe this is a near impossible task, with fundamentally negative outcomes in all directions. S. Crum is correct. I will add that having been submerged and rusty, most of the parts will be toast. Crankshaft, mains, rods, and ignition to name a few. If a person found a new motor to put on the lower unit (assuming it was not rusted) you would still have a poor engine with poor performance, and poor economy. Jim

JRSutton · Apr 7, 2012

I actually rebuilt one of those about 4 years ago.

To be honest, I can't remember too many details, but I'm left with the strong feeling I wouldn't be to quick to do it again.

It wasn't horrible, just lots of pain in the butt bushings and bearings that needed pulling. Lots of little parts that added up quickly.

It's definitely doable by anybody with decent mechanical skills, but as others have pointed out - it may not make a lot of sense financially speaking.

Be sure to get rebuild manual if you decide to do it. (yet another $20/$30)

Unless you've got some sentimental attachment to the motor, as I did with mine, I'd look for a working one in better condition.

Russ from MN · Apr 7, 2012

They were fuel pigs when they were new, scrap it!

in-too-deep · Apr 7, 2012

Will try to sell it as-is to someone for parts...if no one wants it I'll scrap it.

ShadetreeRet · Apr 7, 2012

Use it for an anchor.

in-too-deep · Apr 8, 2012

Heavy! Uff-da!

LA in WI · Apr 8, 2012

Even after you fix it up, those old 2-cycle motors are smokey (burns mixed oil and gas) and guzzle gas. I sold my 40 hp 1989 Evinrude 2-cycle because our gang also used a fishing-camp new 4-cycle motor while in Canada. The 4-cycle used 1/3 the gas, never smoked and moved just as fast. Recycle the old motor, as it will only cost you money and is a horror for the environment. No win here.

LA in WI

Texasmark1 · Apr 8, 2012

Run. They did the job in their time. Their time is long gone and you are dealing with aluminum, low grade at that in a marine environment, discounting everything else involved. I owned several: blue, green, brown white, white, several mfgrs, green and gold.

Iterating, RUN,

Reiterating, RUN

HTH,
Mark

Fritz Maurer · Apr 9, 2012

Take it all apart first and see what all is wrong. I don't know what would make it "look bad", you have both ends off all there is left is the rod bolts. You don't mention if it turns or not, but if you can get the pistons out without damage, just put a set of rings and a head gasket and reed cage gasket in it and run it. That way, if you really like it, you can spend big bucks on a O/H kit later, without a lot of capital outlay right now. If you decide against it, you don't have much invested. Sitting around the way you say it was, find the water pump and see how that looks.

1978 35 hp Evinrude...Possible Rebuild?

in-too-deep

Well-known Member

S.Crum

Well-known Member

in-too-deep

Well-known Member

David G

Well-known Member

Janicholson

Well-known Member

JRSutton

Well-known Member

Russ from MN

Well-known Member

in-too-deep

Well-known Member

ShadetreeRet

Well-known Member

in-too-deep

Well-known Member

LA in WI

Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

Fritz Maurer

Well-known Member

Similar threads