what year is my 50HP engine, and why is it hard to start?

[kevinnem]

Hello Everyone. I have a 1996 Macgreor 26x, and having a hull of a time trying ot figure out stuff with my engine. I can't even tell what year it is , and all my google attempts seem to fail.
I suspect it is a 1996, however when I google them, I can't find much info, and the only 3 cylinders I can find are 60hp. The 50's seem to be 2 cylinder mostly.

Anyway , so step 1 : what is this?








I did look for the model number plate, and can't find anything, I think it was supposed to be on the left side on the tilt mechanism, but I can't see anything there.

Step 2 .. it is really hard to get this thing started, usually like 15 mins+ of cracking on and off. I noticed that it can kick over if I spin the red valve on the right side, .. but then it will die after a little bit. I think this closes the fuel off, I think this is the fuel pump. I also manually pull the throttle open to try to give it the gas it needs, as it needs extra for the first mins or so once it catches. The key has a "push in" mode that I think is supposed to do a shop, but I am not sure if it works.

The annoying part is that it just sits thee going puffed puffed puffed.. for a long time. Once started, if I try it off it usually starts right back up .. but if I wait 3 hours, it is like starting all over again.
I have no idea what condition anything in this engine is at .. I expect other then new spark plugs I put in last year, everything is old. I assume the water pump, fuel pump starter ect are all original.

thoughts?
Would video help?

[kevinnem]

more photos:

[kevinnem]

and last photo

[K9Kampers]

How long ago was it that this engine ran fine, and what has been done to it between then and now?

Was it winterized last year? If so, how? Were the carbs drained or kept full? Was last season's gas stabilized before winterization? Is the gas you're using now fresh? Do you have a fuel filter / water separator?

[yukonbob]

X2 K9Change all fluids and filters, empty and clean the carb, dispose of old gas and buy premium, check all fuel lines for cracks. Cracks in the lines could cause them to drain when not in use causing you to reprime by pulling over.

[Tomfoolery]

I also manually pull the throttle open to try to give it the gas it needs, as it needs extra for the first mins or so once it catches. The key has a "push in" mode that I think is supposed to do a shop, but I am not sure if it works.

Are you sure the choke is working properly? Butterflies are closing? My Honda has an auto-choke, but it starts easier if I use the manual choke, which isn't dependent on throttle setting, and I can back it off in a couple of steps over the first minute until it idles nicely.

Might also want to run some Seafoam through the fuel system.

An older OB potentially running ethanol laced gas could be problematic, especially if the ethanol has dislodged contaminants, or if it's eaten hoses or gaskets that weren't intended for ethanol gas.

[kevinnem]

How long ago was it that this engine ran fine, and what has been done to it between then and now?

Was it winterized last year? If so, how? Were the carbs drained or kept full? Was last season's gas stabilized before winterization? Is the gas you're using now fresh? Do you have a fuel filter / water separator?

Winterized last year - no.
carbs drained? No, I think your referring to the bowl as I don't know of anything else to drain. I did drain 1 of them last night as I was looking at the engine and pulled out that bolt. (ps -- do I need to do anything special to refill it?)
Last seasons gas? It may or may not have been stabilized, however I don't know if that matter, as even with fresh gas it has this issue. (it has had this issue since I got it.
fuel filter? I think there is one on the back of the engine, I have not looked at it.
water separator? I don't think this engine has one.

[kevinnem]

X2 K9Change all fluids and filters, empty and clean the carb, dispose of old gas and buy premium, check all fuel lines for cracks. Cracks in the lines could cause them to drain when not in use causing you to reprime by pulling over.

well it isn't a lower gear issue, but I will be replacing lower gear oil anyway. Only other fluids are the gas with oil in it at between 25:1 and 50:1

I would look in to the carb rebuild kits, .. but I don't know the year of the unit, so I don't know what to order.

[sailboatmike]

Not sure of the Evinrude uses the same choke system as the Mercury, but the Merc pumps straight fuel into the carbs rather than limit the air.

The choke runs on a solenoid and when you engage it you should hear a click from the engine.

Like yours the Merc wont restart for love nor money without choke after about 1/2 hour of being switched off even after extended periods of running

[kevinnem]

I also manually pull the throttle open to try to give it the gas it needs, as it needs extra for the first mins or so once it catches. The key has a "push in" mode that I think is supposed to do a shop, but I am not sure if it works.

Are you sure the choke is working properly? Butterflies are closing? My Honda has an auto-choke, but it starts easier if I use the manual choke, which isn't dependent on throttle setting, and I can back it off in a couple of steps over the first minute until it idles nicely.

Might also want to run some Seafoam through the fuel system.

An older OB potentially running ethanol laced gas could be problematic, especially if the ethanol has dislodged contaminants, or if it's eaten hoses or gaskets that weren't intended for ethanol gas.

I am absolutely NOT sure the choke is working right, or at all, . I have no idea how a non manual coke works, only ever used manual ones with little levers.

The butter flies close when I push throttle up I think (wouldn't they open?) I can't remember, will play with it tonight maybe.

Also -- I have a can of sea form I was going to run though it , also I have only ever , since I got it, run ethonoal free gas, .. and usually highest grade ( cause that is the only ethanol free stuff you can get here). But I didn't want to run the seafoam, before I released any other parts that might need replacing. (like for example if you guys tell me to get carb kits). And if I need to replace parts, I need to know the year to get them

What tangled webs we weave.

[Tomfoolery]

I did look for the model number plate, and can't find anything, I think it was supposed to be on the left side on the tilt mechanism, but I can't see anything there.

FWIW, even though I found the location for the SN on my Honda from an online version of the manual, I couldn't find it on the engine. I had to print the pic from the service or setup manual, go out there, and find it. Which I eventually did. But it wasn't easy, especially the one on the engine block (there are two - one on the tilt mechanism, and one on the block).

Maybe try talking to a local Evinrude dealer or mechanic? If you're going to buy parts for them, it's in their interest to help identify the engine, I would think. If you can't bring the OB, bring pics on your phone or tablet. They might be able to tell things just by looking at it.

That's all I got.

[kadet]

From the photos it looks like an old Evinrude 2 Stroke if it was in fact from 1996 it would be a evinrude e50eled.

I can't find much info, and the only 3 cylinders I can find are 60hp. The 50's seem to be 2 cylinder mostly.

I think in 1995 Evinrude introduced a 50 60 and 70hp 3 cylinder I think they only built them for 2 years or so as they were not that popular the 50 being the least popular and OMC was in their death throes looking at moving to FICHT in 1997. The 50 is just a detuned 60 so all the 60s parts should fit the 50.


This may help with locating the serial no etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC2Oy8m2Sog

[BobofVa22]

It appears to be a 1995 Evinrude/Johnson 50 or 60. My Johnson 60 has a 50 hp cowling. Who knows why? If it only starts intermittently change the power pack. I've changed mine twice. Also clean the carbs.

[kevinnem]

UPDATE:

Sailboatmike and Tom

You guys were one the right track I think, . and you where able to get me on the right track I think..
I started looking in to the choke issue .. and learned that the way this engine ( and I guess mikes) works is that it injects extra gas in to the top of the carbs. The injection ,I think is "powered" but the bulb pressure, not but any residual fuel pump pressure. The big problem I think I had was the red knob on the side of the engine on a part called a primer solenoid. I had mine pointing away. I found out on another forum is a sort of bypass mode, not entirely sure what for, someone said for pull starting. So what you push the key in , you might hear a click (I am not sure), but nothing comes out cause the solenoid is not controlling the output. I discovered this by taking off the hose that goes to the top , and then pushing the key in .. I think I had to turn it 90% of the way to start as well, but you could hear the click of it opening , if you listen real close. Once I twisted this little red knob to point back at the body then gas would come out of the tube. The reason I was not using this red knob correctly, is that I didn't understand what it did, and uselay it woudl start with it pointed back , and then die, so I assumed this ment it should point forward. I seems to run with it faceing back now, and it seems to be starting fairly well now.

The engine started up on about its 2nd or 3rd rotate, only a second or 2. Both Saturday and Sunday.

I ran though it about 1 gallon of premium gas, 3/4 a can of seafoam and some (regrettable old) 2 stoke oil. I was using the ear muffs, . but it was so loud it was pi$$ off my neibour. so I bought a tub to put it in , .. as soon as the prop is under water 2/3 to 3/4 of the noise is gone. only noise is out of the second exhaust about 1/2 way down the leg.

I am going to let it sit a week though, and then see what happens when I try to turn it.

While it starts now, there is a problem still with the engine .. it is still about 1100 rpm ( if the tach is any good) .. and makes a sound usually about every 4-10 seconds. sounds like
put put put put POP put put put put put POP sort of sound.

sounds pretty close to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgvM3k0-n2k

Will maybe get video soon.

Any idea what is cause this roughness? Also there is a set of screws on each carb at the top , and the top one appears to be much farther in then the others.

[Tomfoolery]

Just a guess, but it sounds like one cylinder (in the video) is not combusting well, and every so often it burps as the unburned gas is being exhausted and is combusted in the exhaust system. It may be running too rich at idle on one cylinder. The PO may have closed an idle adjustment a bit on one carb to mitigate the effect.

Having had 2-stroke street bikes (Yamaha, Kawasaki - waaaay back in the day), and a few others like chain saws and OBs, I only know they can be finicky, especially at idle. But I'm no OB mechanic, so take all that with a grain of salt.