What's wrong with this picture? About $1,200 as it turned out.

[Tinkerer]

Bought this 60hp 3 cyl Evinrude last weekend off a bloke who'd been told by a couple of mechanics that it was leaking water into the cylinders and needed big dollars spent, so he was pretty glad when I gave him AU$100 for it. Have a look at the photos and see if you can work out where the problem is. Clue: it's in No 2 cylinder.<br /><br /> http://members.optusnet.com.au/dawal/gallery.html <br /> <br />The answer is: At the bottom of the photo in No.2 cylinder, you can see a loop protruding from behind the head gasket. It's a lug on the end of an electrical lead (earth I guess, but all I've done so far is pull the head to have a look without looking at books). The bloke I bought it from paid big dollars for it after a professional rebuild. <br /><br />The only way the rebuilder could have managed this bit of magic was to lay the gasket on the block, get the wire and lug across it, and then lay the head on it and bolt it down.<br /><br />Looks like the head is still flat, but I'll find out when I run it. If it's not, worst I'm up for is a shave on the head and a new gasket.<br /><br />The motor running properly is worth about $1,200 to $1,500. <br /><br />Whoever rebuilt it, thanks heaps. You've given me a bargain. Well, at least until I find out whatever else is wrong with it.

 

[JB]

Re: What's wrong with this picture? About $1,200 as it turned out.

Congratulations, Tinkerer.<br /><br />Once in a while we take a risk on something like that and get a big payoff. Too often we get bit.<br /><br />We hear about a lot of the bites. It is nice to hear about a payoff.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: What's wrong with this picture? About $1,200 as it turned out.

Tinkerer.... Sounds like you finally lucked out. Congratulations. I hope you send that head gasket and terminal back to the seller so that he has proof of the goof. He will probably appreciate it when he has the friendly chat with his mechanic.

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: What's wrong with this picture? About $1,200 as it turned out.

JB<br /><br />Thanks. <br /><br />But you will note I said "until I find out what else is wrong with it". <br /><br />I'm feeling a bit smug and clever, which usually precedes a fall. I might be bit yet.<br /><br />The seller always knows a lot more about the item being sold than the buyer.<br /><br />Joe,<br /><br />Thanks.<br /><br />I was thinking exactly along the lines you've suggested, but in the end I decided not to contact the seller because he'd only feel bad that he'd sold it way below value and he'd never get a cent from the people responsible for it. Better that he feels he's stiffed me for $100 for a dud motor.<br /><br />You might have an idea on this. The seller's mechanic had replaced a coil because of some intermittent misfiring / cutting out / electrical problem. I'm wondering if the ferrous (earth?) lug sticking into the alloy No. 2 cyl could have been getting arcs or some sort of interference to the electrical system from the spark plug to create problems that looked like a coil. There's a decent bright hole on the head where the lug wire was beside it and it looks like an arc possibility. I doubt anything else could have done it, short of sticking a drill bit in a few millimetres.<br /><br />You might be interested to know that I still haven't installed those rings you sent me. Why would anyone finish one job when they can start lots more?

 

[Hooty]

Re: What's wrong with this picture? About $1,200 as it turned out.

I wonder if that ground wire under the gasket was the old coil ground?<br /><br />c/6<br />Hooty

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: What's wrong with this picture? About $1,200 as it turned out.

Hooty<br /><br />Hi. Been a while since I've been on.<br /><br />Think you could be right, but I need to look at some books to make sure.<br /><br />It's a bare, fairly heavy gauge twisted and galvanised looking, wire coming off the back of the alloy frame that holds the elecrical terminals. It looks like an earth / ground wire. Best I can work out is that the head gasket insulates the head (ignoring fact that bolts are connected to block and head and give continuity) and this wire links earth / ground to head. The beers are having an effect. Bedtime. 5.35 am Goodnight!

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: What's wrong with this picture? About $1,200 as it turned out.

I have heard of deals like this, I've just actually never experienced it first hand. Good for you Tinkerer, I have a strong feeling that this is the only ting wrong with the motor.

 

[OBJ]

Re: What's wrong with this picture? About $1,200 as it turned out.

Good goin tinkerer....Even if you do need the head and block shaved a might, I think ya' got the problem licked. And there ain't nothin wrong with brew while ya' work...