Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

[MN_fisherman]

Some people never learn! I managed to pull the starter rope all the way out (I have long arms) on my recently resurrected 3hp and now it won't rewind. I was trying to impress a friend who wouldn't believe I could start that old outboard in one pull. Well I managed to do it in one pull but now I have bigger problems. I took the recoil assembly off and tried to remove the center screw that I assume is holding everything to the shroud, however I can't budge the thing. I've borrowed a bigger screw driver but before I went any further I figured I'd seek the advice of others here. Does any one know if that screw is right hand or LH? I realize that I'll need to hold everything together if I manage to loosen that screw otherwise I'll have a face full of spring which leads me to my next question, If I managed to break that spring where can I get a replacement? I seem to remember folks here saying that omc recoil springs will work for this gale. If so, which models or even better yet does some one out there have a part number. I should mention that the clutch dogs that engage the flywheel and the little springs with them look fine.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

In my factory manual there is no mention of left hand thread so I assume all are right hand.I have had good luck heating and bending recoil springs with a berzomatic. The rope on the E/J 3 hp is 5/32 X 65 1/4 inches.I'll assume yours is similar.Be sure it is
long enough so it will be more difficuilt to yank it out.Once you have the tension and rope installed/wound to length tie a knot to retain rope while attaching the handle.There are impact screw removers/looseners various bits
insert in slot and hit the end with a hammer usually pops it loose.

 

[Big Muddy]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

I second the last post. I've been forging steel since 1976. If you have to bend or reshape your spring, heat it to a yellowish color (not red or orange, which are both far too cold, but a nice yellow) and then bend it to the shape you need. Once it's bent, do not pull on it. Instead, heat it back up to the same nice yellow color at the bend, and then dunk in oil to cool it.

This will accomplish two things. First, it will give you whatever shape or bend you need. Second, bending the steel elongates the molecules into an oval shape (rather than round). Reheating the steel back to that same color (which is about 2150? BTW) will round out those molecules back to their original shape. Dunking it in oil to cool it will put the "spring" back into it and keep it from breaking again.

Properly done, it should be at least as good as new (and since it broke, probably better than new).

Oh, I would suggest the doing the oil dunking part outside. The oil will smoke, and might catch fire briefly when the steel first goes in. That won't last long (a second or two). The smoke will stink up a garage real quick, though.

Do not dunk it in anything but oil, or it's liable to break again (right at your bend) on the first pull.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

Or you could just buy a new spring, check the Links page for sources at www.aomci.org, the guys on the Ask A Member forum over there might even be able to tell you the part number.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

Or you could just buy a new spring, check the Links page for sources at www.aomci.org, the guys on the Ask A Member forum over there might even be able to tell you the part number.

Thats way too easy!!!! I like the idea of heating it up and cooling it and then heating it and then bending it then cooling and then heating it up again and setting some oil on fire and smoking the garage and stinking up the place with flames and smoke and then having un-uesable oil laying around and useing about 15 bucks worth of gas to heat up a $0.15 cent spring. Thats the fun way to do it! Or you could just spring for the new spring. Pun intended. Good luck and i hope this brought a smile to ya.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

Yeah, sounds like fun...let's see, fire, bending old steel, dunking in oil (more fire), smoke, call 911. Those old springs simply aren't worth the effort. Dangerous enough installing a new one, they like to bite. I'll pass...the nurses in our emergency rooms aren't that attractive.

 

[MN_fisherman]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

For about $9 I ordered a new spring 18-6501, I hope that is the correct spring, I guess I'll find out. Thanks about the tip with the impact screwdriver I should have thought of that myself!

 

[MN_fisherman]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

The new spring I ordered works fine and I was able to break loose the screw with an impact screwdriver. Now for my next question, it seems that after I reassembled everything and retightened the center screw in the recoil assembly the screw is too tight to allow the recoil to function properly. Now since that thing was a bear to loosen I'm wondering if I reassembled wrong or if I should leave it just loose enough to function properly and put some lock-tite on the screw to ensure that it won't vibrate loose. For those who are familiar with these set ups can someone lend some experienced advice?

 

[F_R]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

Ha!! I knew that was coming. Everybody makes the same mistake. The coiled friction spring in the equalizer cup has to be up on the shoulder of the spindle before putting the spindle in the pulley. Be sure you lubricate everything. Make sure the pin goes in the hole.

 

[MN_fisherman]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

WOW! I messed around with that thing for a good long time and would probably still be trying figure out how to make it work right but I don't I ever would have guessed that I needed to get that spring around the shoulder of that bushing. Pretty easy once I knew what do, now it again works like its supposed too. I guess I shouldn't feel so foolish since from the sound of it, its a common mistake. I ran er tonight after fixing the rewind and I'm amazed at how good this old little 3 horse runs. First 70 degree day here in Minnesota since last October 13th! Nearly 40 inches of ice on the lakes up here though so it will be awhile before I can actually test this motor on the water. Thanks FR for all the help you've given me on this restoration.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

Just remember you shouldn't have to pull the rope all the way out to get it to start/run...if so, it needs adjustment somewhere's else.

 

[MN_fisherman]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

Yes I agree now that I've had some experience starting this motor I realize it doesn't take much to start even when cold. Last night I got her to go on the first pull and i pretty gentle since I didn't want to tear that recoil apart again. After it was warm it would start on one pull with ease.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Broken Rewind on 57' 3hp Sea King

You're right on track then. Time to go fishing.