Reply To: 3 hp Evinrude question (’50s to 60s)

[David Stanton]

I like the way the older ones were better-built. Two transom clamps instead of one, and older ones have a high speed carb adjustment knob; but both the old and newer versions are great running motors that weigh approx 35 pounds with the tank empty. The one with the old gas in it, needs the gas dumped out and maybe rinse the tank with fresh gas. Undo the carb end of the gas line and rinse gas through the line until fresh gas comes out. The carbs on either of those (7 and 15 years since run) may need to have the bowl taken off to clean out residue of dried up gas, often leaving the oil and other ish behind, but try to start first – you may get lucky. The one with the gas dumped out may still have had gas in the carb to dry up, unless it was run until it quit after gas dumped out, or run until it quit with the gas valve shut off.

Being run 7 years ago, or 15 years ago, it is likely the original coils in both have already been changed out, so you are probably OK with coils.Any motor that sits a few years with out being run may need a new water pump impeller because the rubber dries out and gets brittle, or loses it’s ability to flex enough. When running, there will be a small spray about a foot below the transom clamps if the water pump is working.

Lighttwin is just a model name applied to all 3 HP Evinrides some years. They called all their motors “Twins” – Fleettwin, Bigtwin, Fasttwin, etc, and of course twin means two cylinders.

The 3 HP motors are very easy to work on.
Dave