First engine - what type of fuel?

[DaveSt]

Hi,

I've acquired my first outboard. It's a really old Evinrude. I don't have the serial number handy right now, but I *think* it is a 18503S (although I may be remembering completely incorrectly! It's a 1965 18HP. Incidentally, what does the S suffix mean?

It being my first outboard, I'm not sure what fuel to use. I assume it's happiest with regular old leaded 4* fuel, mixed 50/1 with 2 stroke oil. Is that correct?

Obviously I can't buy leaded fuel in the UK any more, so will it be ok with unleaded? Should I use some kind of additive or something?

Also, if anyone can point me at a service manual, instruction manual, or any other kind of manual that'll help me look after the engine then I'd really appreciate it! (Google hasn't been so helpful yet...)

Thanks for your help in advance!

Dave

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

You are correct, the number of 18503S is a Model Number, not a serial number and is exactly what one needs to ID your engine. You do have a 1965 18hp Evinrude.

You can safely use the 50/1 mixture. Use TCW-III 50/1 oil to 6 gallons of "unleaded" gasoline. Use high quality 50/1 oil, NOT some of the other cheap 2 stroke oils. A octane rating of 87 will be fine.

Service manuals are available on this site.... see icon at top right of page.

 

[Vic.S]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

I noticed you are in the UK so ignore Joe's reference to 87 octane rating... they use a different scale in the USA.

Use our ordinary unleaded petrol ... whatever it is ... 93 RON ??

Luckily we also work in litres so you don't have to mess about with ounces and gallons (US gallons are different to Imperial gallons and they have 16 ozs to a pint)

50:1 is 20 cc oil per litre of petrol, or 100cc per 5 litres

Official manuals are available in the US from Ken Cook at www.outboardbooks.com and a staggering price.

Clymer and Seloc manuals are widely available but cover so many models in one volume that they can be very poor compared with the original manufacturers manuals.
Worth checking ebay for good deals but be warned CDs are often pirate copies and can be of poor quality.

Take a look at the Engine FAQ's board http://forums.iboats.com/forumdisplay.php?f=31 youll find some useful info there.
In particular as a new owner of an old engine look at "Awakening a Sleeping outboard"

You may also find the parts diagrams useful. You'll find a parts catalogue for your engine HERE

 

[DaveSt]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. It's really helpful. The parts catalogue link is brilliant.

On the subject of parts, do you know of a UK supplier anywhere near as well stocked as marineengine.com? I'd ideally like to replace the clamp screws.

Thanks again,
Dave.

 

[wilde1j]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

If you can find fuel w/o ethanol, you'll be ahead. Here, there are some marinas selling zero ethanol fuel.

 

[Vic.S]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

Sorry I normally name a couple of UK parts suppliers as a matter of course .

I dont know if iBoats ship to the Uk. Marine Engine don't

However www.willsmarine.co.uk who are in Kingsbridge, Devon and www.outboards-direct.co.uk (aka Oakley Marine) who are in Brighton

Users of www.ybw.com/forums forums in the UK have had good service from Wills Marine. I recently had good service from Oakley

To Wild 1 as far as I know we don't have a problem ... yet.. in the UK with ethanol.

 

[wilde1j]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

You will, if you ever get it. Causes all sorts of problems, mainly due to it's hygroscopic nature with vented tanks (water) and failure of some soft parts, especially with older motors.

 

[glassmaster68]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

thats 15.36 oz[[just put 16oz,tcw3]] in 6 gal of 93 or so octane is best

 

[Vic.S]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

thats 15.36 oz[[just put 16oz,tcw3]] in 6 gal of 93 or so octane is best

Thats 16 oz in a US gallon! not an Imperial (UK) gallon

But in the UK petrol is sold in litres. The OP is based in the UK!
The oil is also sold in 1 litre bottles.

What do you mean by 93 octane. there are several systems

research octane number (RON) is the most widely used. It is the system used in the UK, Europe in general and many other countries too.

Road octane number (RdON) or Antiknock index (AKI) is the system used in the USA, Canada and a few other countries It is the average of RON and Motor octane number (MON).

In the UK ordinary unleaded petrol is 95 RON, not 93 as I said earlier, and "Super unleaded" is typically 98 RON or 99 RON.

For a UK user ordinary unleaded petrol at 95 RON is fine

50:1 is 20 cc oil per litre of petrol, or 100cc per 5 litres

but for anyone who must work in gallons it is:
3.2 fluid ounces per UK gallon
16 fluid ounces per 5 Uk gallons
19.2 fluid ounces per 6g UK galls (near enough to 1 UK pint in 6 UK gallons)

 

[glassmaster68]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

,,,,,50 to 1 mix is 16 oz to 6 gallons here in the us,,,,you should prob look at a conversion table,,,but a gallon should be a gallon 4 quarts,,,16 pints,,,,,,and a liter ,well should be a liter,,,,sorry ,i know absolutely nothing,nor have i ever heard of an imperial gallon,,,sounds like gas for royalty to me,,imperial gallon sounds like something you would put in a rolls

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

PM sent about the clampscrews.

 

[Vic.S]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

sorry ,i know absolutely nothing,nor have i ever heard of an imperial gallon,,,sounds like gas for royalty to me,,imperial gallon sounds like something you would put in a rolls

Ok Read it as UK gallons. (Relevant because the OP is in the UK) and learn!

The original gallon, as used in the UK.
That is before we joined the rest of the world in using litres!

The US messed it up and made it smaller.

Also made pints smaller, only 16 oz instead of 20 ozs, there by cheating yourselves out of 4 ozs every time you buy a pint of beer!


As said already in the UK 50:1 is 1 Uk pint to 6 UK gallons, but 1 pint is 20 fluid ounces, not 16!

 

[glassmaster68]

Re: First engine - what type of fuel?

thanks for the clarification,i will rem that esp if tripping to uk,,,i hate it now that i know our beers could be a lil bigger,,,,bigger is better bout beers