Why to buy a junk motor

From the post where mice got into an engine I thought I’d post this. I do all my own engine work and it has saved me a ton of money plus my engines always run like thier supposed to. I began by buying a motor that I wanted for my jonboat along time ago, the guy didn’t know if it ran or not, so I worked on it and got it running and it ran good. I already knew how car and small engines ran and I worked on those. Boat motors are a little diffrent but still basically the same as any other motor. For guys who have wrenches or the guys who want to kill some time and learn how to maintain thier engines the best thing you can do is buy an old junk motor, or take it off someones hands for free so they can get rid of it, and just take them apart looking at every piece and try to figure out what that piece does.

You might be surprised to find out the engine you bought just needed maintainence and now after you’ve worked on it, it runs and can be used as a second backup motor. You aren’t going to loose anything and you’ll gain a ton of valueable experience learning what every part does and how the engine runs, how the water pump works and how the gears work in the lower unit.

I’ve picked up on probaby a dozen motors through the years and got everyone of them running, even the old vintage motors that they still sell parts for. Which reminds me, I sure wish I could find an old Merc. 50 horse two stroke that isn’t all worn out. They were a four cylinder engine and had such good low end torque that when throttled full open would throw you back into your seat or over backwards on the floor, they hauled as- with 4 cylinders creating all that low end torque, anybody know where there is one, if so I’m interisted.

Just buy or take an old motor off of someones hands and buy a cheap set of wrenches, a wheel puller and a few screwdrivers and have at it, basically thier all pretty simple and a good way to spend a day in the garage when its raining out. Besides it will save you a ton of money and more importantly your engine will start and run like its designed to do, we all know there isn’t any tow trucks out on the water.

I second this. There are a ton of resources out there and parts are still available for a lot of motors. Simple maintenance on an older outboard can sometimes ‘ressurect’ it. Sometimes all it takes is a good carb cleaning/kit, and that motor will purr like a kitten.

good post Dan!

Sounds like you’ve worked on your engines some too DFresh.

I remember one time back in the late 70’s I found an old twin cylinder Sears Waterwich, maybe a 5 horse, maybe. I took it down to the crankshaft to look at the connecting rods and the Reed valves and how they were made at that time and to see if they looked ok enough to run if this motor would. I put it all back together and tried to start it and it didn’t want to run. I knew the updraft carburator was clean and it wasen’t the problem and the settings on it was close enough for it to atleast start, I could fine tune it later. I checked for spark and there wasen’t any. I jury rigged another condenser into place and takeing the old one, (brass) out and retried to start it, still no spark. I knew then it had to be the windings in the coil. I looked at the sides of the coil and seen a small dark spot where the windings shorted out and knew they were broken and not making connection. I took all the windings off down to the frame of the coil. I went and bought some 1″ wide celephane tape and went to an electric motor repair company and bought some wire that was 10 thousandths of an inch thick, small thin wire coated with varnish to keep it insulated. I placed the tape with the sticky side up to hold the windings in place as I wound the wire around the frame and began to wind the wire, one course next to the other. I got to the end and put on another piece of tape and did the same until I had about 15 thicknesses or about the same number as the old coil. It took all day to wind this coil but knew I had too if I was going to get this engine to run. I put it back in the motor and hooked everything back up. This motor was one of the old ones that you wrapped the rope around the flywheeel and then pulled. I did that with the plugs out and laying on the block where I could see the plugs fire and when I pulled the rope the plugs were fireing, a nice bright and solid blue. I put the plugs back in and put gas in the fueltank mounted on the engine, then pulled the starer rope again and it started,,,and ran, it ran good too. I then put it in a garbage can filled with water and started it again. It ideled good and I then fine tuned the air mix screw so it ideled and started good. I then let it warm up and then throtteled it up a little at a time, then opened it up, wide open. It ran good and with no muffler it was loud but still pretty cool to hear run, exhaust smoke and all. I found this old motor underneath some hay in an old abandoned barn that was falling down. That motor haden’t been started in probably 40 years and it was the oldest motor I had ever heard run. It was pretty cool to hear that motor run and with this motor both plugs fired at the same time with opposing cylinders. One coil fired both plugs in the two cylinders at the same time which I thought was pretty cool. Old motors are pretty cool to see run and to listen too, especially if you don’t know if they will or not. Old motors talk thier own language.

some of us aren’t mechanically gifted.. but I have had an old 54 Johnson that some one stoled from my garage.. PAINTED IT RED.. and its still going out there.. and I know that you stole it.. I just can’t prove it..

so if you are fishing pool 7 or 8 and you see this RED painted Johnson with a certain trottle on the motor head and other stuff.. well.. ask them “where did you buy this”?

and watch them stumble on the answer.. to this day.. bastatges..

however.. if you ever come across an old 25 hp and you have redone it.. let me know ..I am looking for a cheap, small boat for early and late season fishing..

I also had a 25 horse stolen too, never found out who. Hint, remember to store your motor inside when you advertise your boat forsale. Thieves look in the paper for boats forsale then call you for the address, the rest is history, thats how they found mine.

I was moving and while between loads some one came into my closed garage and stole the motor../

what hurts is that I have seen it.. way too many times.. and I walked right up to these guys and said.. THAT’S MY MOTOR.. my buddy grabbed me and tried to convince me that is ‘wasn’t mine..” I know the various things that I did to the motor .. and the changes that I made are STILL THERE..

Mossydan, you not only have alot of mechanical talent but you can also describe it well. A great job with words, it reads like I’m there and can hear it run. Thanks.

Speaking of old motors, I have an old SEARS motor, I owuld guess aorund a 5 horse or so, I know it runs (it did about 10 yeras ago anyways) but it has a round fitting for hooking up the gas and I don’t have that type of hose. Does anybody know what I need and where one could be had ?

I have a round one on my chrysler. I would just change both ends to a new style.

yeah. Playing with junk motors is cool. It can be kind of frustrating but rewarding. Anyway, it’s not like you’re going to put a new motor on and drive it like you stole it in 18″ of water.

Great thread. Upstate ny is littered with motors to work on. unhappy to say I have neither the time or good work space to work on them. any days off are spent fishing. or my sundays off just resting. Someday maybe retirement or lottery.
FYI… would love to show up to a tournament with a big old chrysler on the back…

Glen just go to any boat repair shop and take the motor with you, Show them the problem and buy both a male and female fitting. Jury rig it to the houseing of your old motor lower cover, it dosen’t matter how but just so it works.

I’d be like a kid in a candy shop Iceman, too bad its so far away.

Thanks Tom, most old motors just need a part or two replaced to get them running again.