# First OB



## VBTravisD (Nov 30, 2009)

I am on the hunt for an outboard for my 14 footer. This would be my first outboard. There is a guy selling one locally on CL, this is from the ad...

"5 hp Sears Gamefisher outboard motor, starts and runs well. Newly rebuilt carb, new prop. Great condition, other than the shift handle is missing. $100"

Does that seem like a good deal to yall? I take it that the shift handle is the steering/throttle handle. How expensive/difficult to find is that part?

How long do these motors run? I am going to pick up a 6 gallon and wanted to get an idea of how long 6 gallons of gas would last me. Sorry to ask so many newbie questions, but I would appreciate any knowledge yall could send my way!

thanks!


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## jasper60103 (Nov 30, 2009)

I can't comment on the deal, but I would expect a 5hp to sip gas. 6 gallons should be plenty for 
a day or two. A lot guys use 3 gal tanks for that size motor.


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## Brine (Nov 30, 2009)

The shift handle is probably on the side of the motor and has nothing to do with the throttle. It simply puts the motor in neutral, or Forward. (I doubt the motor has a reverse). 6 Gallons of gas would probably run the Mississippi upstream with that motor.  I have an 80's model 5hp and 15hp Gamefisher. My 5 runs great and I would probably get $250-$300 for it in Atlanta.


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## Loggerhead Mike (Nov 30, 2009)

i'd recomend staying away from sears motors..

had 3 so far, all problem childs


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## crazymanme2 (Nov 30, 2009)

Sounds like a good price.You could make a shift lever.I always check compression before buying a motor.


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## bassboy1 (Nov 30, 2009)

Good price, but I personally would stay away from Gamefishers.


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## VBTravisD (Dec 8, 2009)

So I snagged an old Eska 7 hp for 20 bucks...

It was well kept and is very clean even had all the old stickers on it... I replaced all the 1/4" fuel lines, cleaned the fuel shutoff valve and the petcock in the tank. I pulled the choke and set it in the middle on the idle knob... a little starter fluid and I can get it to fire, but it cuts off right after it burns the starter fluid off... any thoughts? Am I going to have to take off the carb and clean that out too? What about the little needle valve on the bottom of the carb bowl? 

I suck with little 2 stroke motors (lawnmower...gokart... outboard)... so any help would be appreciated!


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## VBTravisD (Dec 8, 2009)

Also, anyone know where I can get a bench manual for this thing!?!?


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Dec 8, 2009)

You don't want to use starting fluid on a 2 stroke motor it doesn't have any lubrication for the motor. Try spraying fuel oil mix in the carb.


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## VBTravisD (Dec 8, 2009)

lckstckn2smknbrls said:


> You don't want to use starting fluid on a 2 stroke motor it doesn't have any lubrication for the motor. Try spraying fuel oil mix in the carb.



Fricken rookie maneuver... #-o


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## Rodnocker (Dec 9, 2009)

VBTravisD said:


> So I snagged an old Eska 7 hp for 20 bucks...



I need to shop, where you shop


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## VBTravisD (Dec 9, 2009)

Welp, took off the carb, douched the hell outta it and it runs great now! Before I run this thing too much... there has to be some place for the prop to be oiled correct? Where do I add oil to the lower unit?


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## Captain Ahab (Dec 10, 2009)

VBTravisD said:


> Welp, took off the carb, douched the hell outta it and it runs great now! Before I run this thing too much... there has to be some place for the prop to be oiled correct? Where do I add oil to the lower unit?



Here is some good info already posted on this subject - it is a simple job

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5893&hilit=lower+unit+oil

And another:

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4882&hilit=lower+unit+oil


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## commandohorn (Dec 10, 2009)

Sounds like your carburetor isn't carbureting! Yep, clean that too, those carbs are real basic. A $20 motor will buy you a lot of frustration though I might add.....been there done that, and at the end I would have paid $100 not to have experienced it!

Sorry....late reply


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## joepowe8 (Dec 10, 2009)

That sounds like a good deal. I don't know much but I have rebuilt a few two stroke dirt bikes and outboards. There should be a reed valve that goes between the carb and block. make sure that is clean and not worn out looking. I don't really know how it works, but I do know that it needs to work. 

Good Luck!


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## joepowe8 (Dec 10, 2009)

How bout some pics, I've never heard of an Eska.


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## Loggerhead Mike (Dec 11, 2009)

> I don't really know how it works



when you take the reed block out, shine a light on the back side. no light should be seen around the reeds, they need to be flush with the "cage". if they arnt, gently bend them in. finding new ones or used reeds in better condition than yours is probably going to be tuff. reeds are like the valves on a 4stroke, they're supposed to open and close with vacuum on piston strokes



> Am I going to have to take off the carb and clean that out too?



pull your carb off. blow threw the fuel nipple. you should be able to blow threw
now flip the carb upside down gently, and blow threw the gas nipple (blow gently, only about 2psi). you shouldnt be able to blow threw. this means your float is set correctly and jets arnt blocked, though they still may have a restriction

the biggest problem i had with my motor was blowing them stupid designed pump fuel diaphrams


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## VBTravisD (Dec 11, 2009)

Like I said, I took off the carb and got it running. It fires up on the 1st or 2nd pull. I am afraid to run it too long without it being in some water. Here are some pictures of the motor. When I removed the bottom and drain the oil it looked like chocolate pudding... yuck. I removed the fill screw and filled it up to till it came out of the fill hole. I ran it really quick and looked down and saw muddy fluid leaking out of some of the holes... that normal?


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## 1436delta (Dec 11, 2009)

I WOULD SAY THE SEAL IS BAD ON YOUR MAIN SHAFT #-o


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## VBTravisD (Dec 11, 2009)

1436delta said:


> I WOULD SAY THE SEAL IS BAD ON YOUR MAIN SHAFT #-o



Ahhhhhh! :shock: I wonder how hard that seal is going to be to replace... or purchase even!?!?!


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## bassboy1 (Dec 11, 2009)

VBTravisD said:


> Ahhhhhh! :shock: I wonder how hard that seal is going to be to replace... or purchase even!?!?!


I don't think I would worry about either of those dilemmas. The seal isn't your problem. Those are exhaust holes (on some motors, both for cooling water and exhaust - others just for exhaust - I'm not real familiar with eskas). Without looking at it closely, it could be one of two things. It could be merely mud from the cooling passages. If the motor was run in shallow water, and sucked up mud, it often dries during storage, and it took you running it to flush it out. Or, it could be unburned 2 stroke oil. Often times, carburated two strokes won't burn all the way at low RPM's, and will spit out what is left. Usually, it takes a little while for this to run all the way down, so it isn't noticeable until after the motor is shut off. Also, if your motor hasn't been used in a while, I imagine there is build up from old fuel residue, that could also exit at this point. 

Those little holes are in no way connected to the lower end lube. Think about it - those holes are underwater, so if they were connected to the gear lube, it would leak out, and replace with water. You have to have a heavily cracked gearcase housing to see gear lube out of those - I personally have never seen that, as they don't usually crack up there, but further down, instead. 

One interesting tidbit about those motors is they are both air and water cooled. A "conventional" outboard circulates lake water through the entire powerhead for cooling. On your motor, the powerhead is air cooled, much like a lawnmower. The exhaust housing is water cooled. Your motor will have a very similar water pump as a conventional motor, but instead of circulating through the whole motor, it merely runs through the midsection, cooling the exhaust passage. You shouldn't run that (or any) outboard out of water. While it won't overheat the motor in the short time you run it, you very likely will melt the little rubber impeller. Mere seconds can toast one of those.


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## 1436delta (Dec 11, 2009)

THE MAIN SHAFT FROM THE ENGINE TO THE LOWER UNIT HAS A SEAL THAT SEALS LOWER UNIT OIL IN THE CASE IF THAT SEAL IS BAD IT WILL COME OUT OF THESE HOLE DO THE RESEARCH I DONT THINK A 7 HP HAS A PUMP [-X [-X


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## bassboy1 (Dec 12, 2009)

1436delta said:


> THE MAIN SHAFT FROM THE ENGINE TO THE LOWER UNIT HAS A SEAL THAT SEALS LOWER UNIT OIL IN THE CASE IF THAT SEAL IS BAD IT WILL COME OUT OF THESE HOLE



Alright, I see what your saying now. You mentioned "main shaft." I read it as "prop shaft." My apologies there. 



> DO THE RESEARCH I DONT THINK A 7 HP HAS A PUMP


As mentioned, I'm not an Eska guy - just happened to know that little tidbit from an Eska *7 hp* I almost bought earlier in the year. Just for kicks and giggles, I did the research, and found that _some_ Eska motors didn't have a pump, just a tube that stuck into the water, and used the boats speed to push water up the motor. From the pictures I found, that motor looks like ones I've seen with a pump. 

Without being there to touch, smell, taste the leakage, etc, it is impossible for me to tell what it is. I'm still doubtful as to the idea that the oil is gear lube, especially when it was pointed out that the motor was not run in water. _I could be wrong._ But, that looks much more like crud that would come out of a motors powerhead after sitting, than brand new gear lube.


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## hamar507 (Dec 12, 2009)

With the color of the oil that is coming out it looks like it has been mixed with water. Is that common? Also if the seal was bad there would not be the light color oil right. I have a small evinrude that seeps out where the lower unit comes together and it is the dark color, I thought that my problem was the seal.


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## bassboy1 (Dec 12, 2009)

hamar507 said:


> With the color of the oil that is coming out it looks like it has been mixed with water. Is that common? Also if the seal was bad there would not be the light color oil right. I have a small evinrude that seeps out where the lower unit comes together and it is the dark color, I thought that my problem was the seal.



Here is a picture of unburned gas/oil/carbon exiting out on a 1988 Evinrude 4 deluxe. 






Clearly looks like something to worry about, but in reality, it is nothing.


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## hamar507 (Dec 12, 2009)

Thanks again bassboy, you saved me a part of my Sunday afternoon. Just a shame that that will end up in a body of water. Mine is not leaking nearly as bad as the one in your photo.


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## VBTravisD (Dec 13, 2009)

bassboy1 said:


> Without being there to touch, smell, taste the leakage, etc, it is impossible for me to tell what it is. I'm still doubtful as to the idea that the oil is gear lube, especially when it was pointed out that the motor was not run in water. _I could be wrong._ But, that looks much more like crud that would come out of a motors powerhead after sitting, than brand new gear lube.



Sorry, I with held info. I did stick it in a big trashcan I filled with water and ran it once... The fluid is fuel with a bit of mud in it.


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## bassboy1 (Dec 13, 2009)

VBTravisD said:


> The fluid is fuel with a bit of mud in it.



Then, it is a good thing it is coming out, not bad. It is merely cleaning out the insides. A good decarb with Seafoam, or just mixing some seafoam in with each tank will be beneficial.


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## free jonboat (Dec 26, 2009)

sounds like a good deal but if the only problem is the shifter handle then i cant figure out y it woud only be 100$ sounds fishy make sure you hear it run before you buy it and you could use vice grips as a temporary solution for the shifter handle if you buy it


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## River Rider (Jan 13, 2010)

I know he went with the Eska, but I have to remark on the GameFisher. I owned a 15 horse for ten years never having a problem. They are good motors as long as you take care of them. They are getting harder to find parts for but not impossible.


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