1963 Gale Buccaneer; General questions; stiff flywheel.

[Purduefan97]

Hello, I am new to the forum. I just purchased a 1962(?) Sea King Runabout (14') with Sea King Trailer and 25 hp Gale Buccaneer outboard. I think the package is all original from the original Montgomery Ward combo. I paid $85.00 for the boat, motor and trailer . I'd really like to keep the motor with the boat, but have some questions about what to do to get it running.<br /><br />Here's the details on the motor:<br /><br />25 h.p. Gale Buccaneer<br />Model # 25DE21B<br />Serial # 883007<br /><br />I tried to find this exact model number on the Ken Cook website. The closest I came to was model # 25DEL21B, which was a 1963. My model # is absent the "L". Anyone know the details (year, etc.) on my motor?<br /><br />The guy I bought the unit from got it from "an old lady". He said that he had the motor running just after he purchased it 3 yrs ago. He said he "drove it across the lake once", but has not run the motor since. He said the motor needed a "tune-up".<br /><br />I have not tried to start the motor, because I assume there is much preparation work that I need to do. However, I have engaged the electric starter to make sure it worked, and as a result realized that the flywheel is a bit "stiff" (so stiff that it makes the starter smoke). When I pull the manual cord (with plugs in), I notice that as I pull, it is stiff, then lax, then stiff again. The flywheel is not frozen, though. I checked to make sure it was in neutral. I also tried pulling the cord with the motor in gear to see if the prop turned, and it did.<br /><br />Can anyone suggest what is causing the "hard pull" of the flywheel and what I might do to fix it? Any other suggestions on prepping this motor for running it would be greatly appreciated. <br /><br />Thanks for your help!

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1963 Gale Buccaneer; General questions; stiff flywheel.

BM, Your motor is indeed a 63.<br /> Based on similar E/Js.<br /> I would take a peek in the plug hole see if you can see any scoring or rust.Then I would lay it on its face try to position pistons so the ports are covered soak it with an oil like WD40 or CRC<br /> You may have to soak one cylinder at a time.<br /> Soak over night.Then crank it with rope with<br />the plugs out.It is normal to feel a slight<br />tug or compression from the crank case.The oil<br /> should free up the stiffness if it is in the cylinders.Sometimes the stiffness can come from the driveshaft or lower unit. You could pull it and see how it cranks.<br />Of course the problem could be in the crankcase<br />lets hope its not.

 

[Mark R Groves]

Re: 1963 Gale Buccaneer; General questions; stiff flywheel.

BM - These old OMC "Big Twins" required a pretty strong arm to hand crank... The stiff/lax repetitions while pulling should not be a concern. In fact, they are probably an indication that the motor has decent compression, which is good. Nonetheless, I agree with SS in that you should lube up the cylinder walls. After doing this see how well the unit turns over manually(with the plugs out). It should be relatively easy to crank now. If it is, you have little to worry about. However, if you still have binding then you need to take it a step further. I would remove the lower unit at this point and evaluate accordingly. If you are planning on seriously running this motor you should probably check/replace the water pump anyway... If you still have binding after this point you need to remove the flywheel and see if it is perhaps causing the problem. If this doesn't do it, then you need to tear into the powerhead and see what's going on.<br /><br />I bought a similar motor ('56 Johnson 30hp) to yours a couple of years ago, and this is what I did to get it ready to run:<br /><br />- New Plugs<br />- New Wires<br />- New Points<br />- New Condensors<br />- Carb Kit (Rebuild)<br />- New Fuel Lines<br />- New Water Pump Impeller<br /><br />It has run like a champ since.<br /><br />I hope this helps.<br /><br />MG

 

[Purduefan97]

Re: 1963 Gale Buccaneer; General questions; stiff flywheel.

Thanks SS and MG,<br /><br />Your suggestions were a big help The crankcase pulls MUCH easier when the plugs are out, and the starter has no trouble turning it. I took a peak at the pistons through the plug ports and they looked a little grimy (moist), but no filings or rust. <br /><br />I drained the lower unit and there was a little water followed by thick syrup. I am flushing out the rest of the gunk with new L.U. oil before I plug the drain and re-fill. I will take your suggestions on what to replace, as I'd like to restore the motor and use it regularly.<br /><br />When I went to the Ken Cook website for manuals (which I found by reading old posts on this forum -- this forum is great resource), I saw three manuals: service, owners, and parts. Do I need all of these? If not, which one(s) of the three do you recommend?<br /><br />Thanks for all your help.

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1963 Gale Buccaneer; General questions; stiff flywheel.

I would get the service manual.A factory manual<br />is usually the best if you can afford it.<br />I would be curious what it costs.