Texas Maid Invicta
Part 1
Besides getting her home and out of the elements, the
first thing I wanted to do was get the motor running. I got myself
a manual and read up on the motor. I found the motor uses a
magneto for the ignition. I also discovered upon closer inspection
that it appears the points and distributor cap are new along with some
wiring. I also discovered I had no spark.
I started by resetting the timing. Fairly simple,
just line up the timing marks per the manual. Nothing. I
gapped and inspected the points. Nothing. Well, that
concludes my limited knowledge of ignition systems. Now
what?
Well, since the boat was so cheap and I don't have the
proper test equipment, I decided to seek out a mechanic. If it is
a simple ignition problem, a mechanic with the right tools should be
able to run it down in no time. At least he can tell me what's
wrong and I can make a decision about the motors fate.
In the meantime, I decided to see if my other outboard
was ready to go. This is an Evinrude unit, 18 hp, 2 cylinder, made
in the early 70's. I bought it about 5 years back from a guy that
repaired/restored outboards as a hobby. I started first pull the
few times I used it, but it has sat for about 4 years. Of course,
this time it wouldn't start. It has spark, but won't fire. I
hit the message boards on www.iboats.com
and verified what I suspected. The carb is probably gunked up and
needs to be cleaned.
