What next? Starflight V4 Evinrude (1960)

[stueywatson]

I'ld better lay it out in order........<br /><br />Shot my mouth off about "A good idea to rebuild something old for reliability and working knowledge"<br />A friend called my bluff and gave me this motor.<br />(He had bought it "sight unseen" and, horrified at it's sheer size, relagated it to the shed without even testing it.)<br />The catch for me was the two thousand Kilometer trip with a trailer (Australian Roads!)to pick it up.<br />Having opened my big mouth and thrown $600 of petrol money at the project I'm pretty determined for some sort of outcome.<br />So. <br />It's and Evinrude starflight V4 #50523 (1960)<br />Initial inspection revealed that one of the sparkplugs (lower port side)was just "sitting in" with the remains of a helicoil. The upper port cylinder also had had a helicoil inserted but it was tight. The lower sparkplug hole was just too big for a helicoil.<br />So I removed the head and had an insert with a new thread put in.<br />I didn't pay much heed to the head as I was eager to see if the thing ran so put it strait back on.<br />The motor started relatively easily and ran for a couple of good bursts.<br />However no water was getting pumped through the cooling system.<br />I replaced a totally missing seal on the top of the impeller housing.<br />This time, after the motor had run for about 30 seconds ( it was pumping water now)it died and there was a strange watery gurgling sort of sound coming from the throat of the carbys, strange enough to promt me to remove the spark plug on the lower port side cylinder and out came a bunch of water. There was also signs of water on the upper portside sparkplug.<br />Removal of the portside head revealed some previously unnoticed irregularities, enough, I hoped, to explain the water. I ground both the head and the top of the cylinders flat and clean and with sealant added reasembled.<br />No change to the situation at all!<br />With the piston (Lower port) up the top I could apply water preasure to the head jacket and there was no sign of water in the cylinder but as soon as the piston goes back past the ports a flood of water comes in.<br />My questions.<br />Are there any gaskets or anything in the manifold or sump between them and the water jacket?<br />Do all the cylinders share a common sump?<br />What about carburetta thoats? it looks like one throat serves port and another starboard ?<br />Any more tests I could do to clarify the situation?

 

[stueywatson]

Re: What next? Starflight V4 Evinrude (1960)

I think there may be, with the time difference (VS Aussie and US), a tendancy to get buried before all you Yank Wizards hit the board. I picked up a British Seagull for the dingy the other day so I'll muck around with it whilst waiting for some Stateside inspiration. Any thoughts?, anyone? on the above. Mid Winter day- 23degrees C, not a cloud, viva the Gold Coast!

 

[dewley]

Re: What next? Starflight V4 Evinrude (1960)

Somebody help this chap!!!

 

[rwise]

Re: What next? Starflight V4 Evinrude (1960)

stueywatson<br />Have you removed the port inspection plate/s on the side of the cylander/s and inspected for damage?<br />Richard

 

[Yepblaze]

Re: What next? Starflight V4 Evinrude (1960)

Somewhere in there the exhaust is cooled by the water. So if you have an exhaust cover you might want to pull that and see if there is a baffle or gasket gone bad letting the cooling water find it's way towards the combustion chamber rather then down the leg.

 

[dewley]

Re: What next? Starflight V4 Evinrude (1960)

up

 

[stueywatson]

Re: What next? Starflight V4 Evinrude (1960)

Thanks Guy's. I'll follow both leads,,,,

 

[DJ]

Re: What next? Starflight V4 Evinrude (1960)

steuy,<br /><br />You may also have a bad lower crankcase seal.

 

[stueywatson]

Re: What next? Starflight V4 Evinrude (1960)

Re- crankcase seal. Can you think of a test for this without pulling the engine off the leg?Wouldn't this have put water in the starboard cylinders as well? And thank-you all for helping me on this...

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: What next? Starflight V4 Evinrude (1960)

StueyWatson.... One of your statements is: "With the piston (Lower port) up the top I could apply water preasure to the head jacket and there was no sign of water in the cylinder but as soon as the piston goes back past the ports a flood of water comes in."<br /><br />I'm trying to visualize what you mean by "applying water to the head jacket", and the only thing I can think of is that you're forcing water into the port cylinder head at the tube that normally leads to the thermostat area. If this is true, you're forcing water in the opposite direction of its normal travel route. The direction of the water doesn't hurt anything as a trouble shooting procedure... I just want to understand what you're saying.<br /><br />And I think you're also saying that no water enters #4 cylinder (lower left port) unless you drop the piston down, slightly lower to clear the exhaust port (the port towards the center of the engine), and at that time water enters the cylinder via that exhaust port.<br /><br />If this is the case, assuming that the crankcase (block) isn't cracked, the most logical area of leakage like that would be the exhaust baffle plate area (the rectangular plate between the cylinder heads).<br /><br />That area consists of a outer and a inner plate. Between the inner plate and the crankcase is the exhaust. Between the inner plate and the outer plate is a constant flow of water. If the gaskets fail or the inner plate breaks, cracks, corrodes (whatever) water will flow to the exhaust port of the nearest cylinder, across the top of the piston, into the intake port, into the crankshaft and intake plate area etc etc.<br /><br />This may not be your problem but it does happen.