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

[Don]

A big consideration when buying one of these engines is the fuel tank….If the tank is full of rust, fouled with old fuel, it is pretty much unusable. Tanks that are all dented up might leak also.
Look at the gearcase also. Oftentimes the little end of the skeg is broken off, or the exhaust snout is missing/broken.
You need to assume that anything you buy will need a complete servicing to make it a “reliable daily runner”.
Ignition overhaul
Carburetor overhaul
Water pump service.
It would be ideal if the seller would let you do a compression test, but the lower covers must come off for that… Would be great if the seller would let you “crack” the lower lube drain/fill screw open for a second to see the condition of the gear lube also.
In other words, the selling price needs to reflect all the servicing the engine will need.
$50-100 seems about fair for most of these engines that are in decent mechanical/cosmetic condition but need servicing.
Feel free to post links here if you see somethings you like…