Home › Forum › Ask A Member › Evinrude Lightwin 4 weedless questions › Re: Evinrude Lightwin 4 weedless questions
Well, the 4hp lightwin was introduced in 1969. They were dark blue in color, with a white fiberglass hood.
The lever on the right side of the engine is the throttle control, there is no clutch, or gearshift. The weedless model is probably a little faster on a light boat that it can plane easily, than the right angle drive, which is meant for heavier loads. This engine has a fuel pump and uses a single line tank, not the same tank as your 5.5hp. You should be able to find a plastic fuel tank for a reasonable price.
$175 isn’t unreasonable for this engine if it is indeed in good mechanical and cosmetic condition. The weak link on these engines is the pesky side mount recoil which can be easily damaged and a challenge to repair. Many of these engines got worn prematurely due to higher RPMs and the leaner 50:1 mix, these engines still use rods with plan bushings.
So, check it out thoroughly, look for signs of overheat, spark plug lead damage due to cover latch interference, and damaged gearcase castings.
You may want to inspect the driveshaft splines if the engine has been used in salt water as well.
I guess you would never know that I actually like these engines, in spite of trouble areas.