Re: Ign. update. engine weight, etc.

[jdemaris]

Yes, has a dash and steering wheel. And yes – I could of just bolted the motor on anywhere I wanted without the block of wood. I don’t even remember why I stuck it there. It was 5 years ago when I did it and was living in NY. Shortly after – I got in a rant about NY and after being there for 40 years – decided to get things ready to move to Michigan. Lots of stuff and it took near 5 years to move it all and sell my place in NY. So even though I stuck that Yamaha on the Glaston 5 years ago – I never got to put it in the water and try it until last week. I stuck it in the river where it joins Lake Huron to test it out. First run was a near disaster. Water pump was not working at all, engine got real hot and started quitting. Note besides the boat – the engine was also new to me. I bought it used in NY without ever trying it. I thought I had a "back-up" in my tool box. To my surprise – my OEM "chrome water pump kit" from Yamaha does NOT come with an impeller. I finally tracked down one at a dealer, stuck it in, and it now runs fine. I also now know that the Yamaha pees out water like most other outboards and when it does not – there are problems. I have the motor with the fin at the near bottom 1" above the keel of the boat and it seems OK. It does seem to cavitate a little at high RPMs though. I don’t want to take it back out into the main lake (Lake Huron) until I have a kicker motor installed. Lake can rough real fast and I want to be sure of an alternative way of getting to shore (other then oars).
I’ve got a Montgomery Ward twin from the 40s ( I think). Plus a 1.7 horse Neptune 500. Plus a 1936 Elto that I doubt is any more powerful then the Neptune. Problem is – at the moment – none run. 5 years ago they all did and now none have spark. Thus the question about a breakerless conversion. I’m sick of yanking flywheels and filing points. The only small outboard I have right now that runs (breakerless) is my 5 horse Briggs and Stratton air-cooled. Weighs 56 lbs. and might be kind of big to stick on a kicker-plate for this little 14′ Glaston.

On a side-note – I was kind of hoping to use the 1936 Elto. My father-in-law’s father bought it new and it’s been in storage for 40 years. I took a quick look at it and cannot even figure if it has a carburetor. Pretty much all is hidden and I’ve yet to find a PDF anywhere for this year Elto. I see nothing like a choke nor is there any "on-off" switch. There IS a spring-loaded button that maybe is some sort of tickler for starting? Like I said, all is shielded in tin so I can’t see much of what is inside and hidden. I’d like to find some instructions somewhere on the proper starting procedure.