1956 Evinrude Fleetwin 7.5hp Outboard Motor

Bought this motor at Constantine meet July 2018. It had original ignition parts in it and appears to have low hours. Everything is near perfect mechanically. Cosmetics are fair to good but it has its blemishes. A nice running classic 7.5 that I'll probably hold on to for a while.

[@GodBlessedAmerica]

Awesome vintage outboard. I had a 1958 Evinrude 15HP sams color combination. Strong engines. Thanks for sharing.

[@FSEVENMAN]

I had a 1956 Johnson seahorse maroon and white 7.5hp. It's essentially identical to this...... Definitely the best outboard engines ever made......😊

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

They are excellent motors. I have a '57 and a '58 Johnson 7.5 as well as this '56 Evinrude 7.5. Thanks for watching!

[@colehara]

Sounds great. Nice and smooth. Moves along nicely on that boat. (Glad to see that safety chain)

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Thank you. Yes, this is one of my excellent running 7.5s. Its looks are fair to good, but mechanically it is excellent and is a joy to run. It is very quiet and smooth and it trolls great. I have a safety chain on most of my boats. I have a couple that still need them added. I do believe in using them. Thanks for watching!

[@calumwilson1120]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 is the safety chain there incase the motor slips off the back of the boat so it won’t just fall in the water

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@calumwilson1120 Yes it is. Just in case it works loose from the transom it can be recovered. 👍

[@calumwilson1120]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 where do u attach the chain to on the boat?

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@calumwilson1120 I have an eye bolt through the transom knee. My safety chain is connected to that in this boat. Thanks for watching!

[@frodeasperheim4923]

My uncle had this engine on a traditional Norwegian wooden boat in the 1960s, nice engine !

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

That's cool! Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@lakesideranch]

That '56 looks like a nice unmolested original. Great you could restore it to peak operating condition. 2 thumbs up from here Enjoy your weekend! Doug@ the "ranch"

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

It is indeed an unmolested original. It has had some lousy touch ups done to the paint on the port side on the blue part of the cowl. Other than that it looks pretty good. Mechanically they don't get much better than this one. I'm happy to have this one. Thanks for watching Doug!

[@PRACERZ]

Another one saved! Hums along great ! 👍👍

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Yessir! This one does hum along nicely. I'm quite happy with how this one runs. It does well for a 50s 7.5 OMC. These motors are so quiet and smooth. That is their claim to fame in my mind. Thanks for watching!

[@michaelmarkes4818]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 do you have an email.or way to reach ya .i just got a 1956 seaking 5hp just got couple ?.thanks

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@michaelmarkes4818 bbreitner at hotmail dot com.

[@rll1954]

I have one just like it. Getting it ready for the water soon. Nice video.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@mrfish1991]

I have a '58 fleetwin on my boat. Runs like an absolute top. The recoil spring is a bit of a bear to replace though.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

I still don't have a 55 or a 58 Fleetwin. I really like the 58s. I have a 5.5, a 10, and an 18. The 7.5s are really nice quiet smooth runners and a wonderful fishing motor. That recoil spring is a bit of a bear. Gotta be careful with those! Thanks for watching!

[@GodBlessedAmerica]

Purrs like a kitten. Nicely done sir.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@fleetwin1]

Good, it out performs the fisherman, sometimes they don't! Sounds like it has low hours also, very strong. Another beauty that can be used and enjoyed...

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Yes, I have seen some of the 7.5s that wouldn't do as well as some of my strong 5.5s. Thus is a pretty good one. I should run my AD-12 on this boat and see how it does compared to this Fleetwin. The AD-12 does a solid 12mph on my Sea Nymph 14R. Yes, This is one that can be used and enjoyed. Thanks for watching Don!

[@Pileits]

When my older brother used to restore outboards he would clamp as many as SEVEN different motors onto his 14' Alumacraft boat. Three on the rear and two on each side of the boat. That way he could test all seven in one go on the lake. He said sometimes he even used to have ALL of the motors running at the same time.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

What was the idea behind the ones clamped to the sides? They have to be pretty small motors to clamp 3 across the transom of a 14 foot Alumacraft. Three 3hp OMCs will fit, but that's about all the bigger that will fit 3 wide. Seven motors running at once would be quite the handful. Thanks for watching.

[@Pileits]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 The motors clamped onto the side could be test run simply because they were in the water. My brother didn't care what direction the boat ended up going. He only wanted "TEST" the motors to make sure they ran right. Yes those were usually very small motors usually between 1 to 5hp. Very large motors usually got solo runs like 22hp or 25hp Johnson, Evinrude or Mercury's. Me and my brother were members of the "Antique Outboard Motor Club" A great group of guys to learn from. Check them out it is a National group. aomci.org/

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@Pileits I thought that must have been the case with the side-mounted motors. I have been an AOMCI National club member for about 4 years or so now. Indeed it is a great bunch of guys and gals with a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise they are willing to share with other members. I highly recommend the club to anyone interested in old outboard motors.

[@ericwhitlow7364]

Nice. Wish my 15 hp was that easy to start. Takes both hands and all the rope.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

I wonder why your 15 is so difficult to start. That's a lot of effort to start a 15. Maybe it needs a tune up? The 15s usually start quite nicely. The Zhongfadz coils don't help in making them easier to start, but other than that, they should start well. Thanks for watching!

[@ourtimeourspeed]

I received this exact motor from my grandpa. He used it maybe 10 times. The parts inside the outer case look brand new! I asked a shop how much a tune up would be and they said if it didn’t need any work done it would be $150. Sound reasonable? I can get the motor start at my house and it runs fine! Maybe a little Smokey but they insist I should bring it in and be inspected

[@ourtimeourspeed]

Good idea? Or should I just take it to the lake and rest her out!

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@ourtimeourspeed Its kind of a wonder you found a shop that would even look at it. It would definitely be a good idea to have it looked over. It will at least need a water pump impeller which requires the powerhead to be removed and a new gasket. The lower crankshaft seal should also be replaced while that is off. For me to do a proper tune up on one of these there is between $60 -$150 in parts alone depending upon what needs to be replaced so $150 is not bad at all. Most shops charge between $100 - $125 per hour for labor rate.

[@ourtimeourspeed]

Old JohnnyRude Do you have any Tune-Up videos?

[@tickspoon2000]

Curious, could you tell us approximately what you paid for it or what you think it would be worth?

[@GonzoAudioTips]

Are the dual line pressure fuel tanks dangerous? Should they be changed to a single line?

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Although some people claim the pressure tanks are dangerous due to them.having gasoline and thusly gasoline fumes under positive pressure. This supposedly could lead to the tank actively venting volatile fumes into the air that could be ignited causing a blaze aboard the boat. The new plastic tanks have a one-way valve in the cap that will not allow pressure out of the tank. This causes them to pressurize in the sun even more than the pressurized tanks were allowed to pressurize in some cases. Those had a relief valve built into them. The fuel under pressure from sun exposure is probably more likely to leak out causing the escape of fumes as well as raw fuel into the boat. IMHO this is much more dangerous than the pressurized fuel system ever was or will ever be. I also find the pressure fuel system more reliable than the modern single line suction system with a pulse pump. If you ask me, no they are not dangerous. Thanks for watching!

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Alternator replacement in 2006 Mazda Tribute FWD

[@SuperTundra08]

My father had a 57 it was a heavy beast

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

What size was the 57? Thanks for watching!

[@SuperTundra08]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 7.5hp

[@tomspicer1672]

How to adjust fuel and air without knobs on a 1956 evinrude boat motor. Please help thank you

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

If you're missing the knobs, I does make adjustments more difficult. You can loosen the packing nuts just enough to allow you to turn the needles without a knob while you're dialing it in, then tighten them back up again. If they're too loose they'll let air into the fuel circuit and mess up the mixture, so loosen them just enough. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching!

[@tomspicer1672]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 thankyou I'm grateful for your the info.👍

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@tomspicer1672 You're welcome!

[@danmanthe9335]

How do you pressure test the gear cases?

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

I use a pressure tester that I made in my shop at home with a tire pump or regulated compressed air. There are purpose built pressure testers for outboard gearcases too. Look up Stevens pressure testers online and you will find them. You drain the oil and pressurize the inside of the gearcase with 6-10psi of air pressure and see if it holds pressure for a length of time. If not, start looking for the leaks and replace the appropriate seals. Thanks for watching!

[@Jeffafa562]

Ok I have the exact motor but not getting near the power you are ..maxes out at about 5 mph and can't even get close to getting on a plane. Should I start with points and condenser? It has new plugs and supposedly the last owner had the carb rebuilt. Great little motors regardless of the power. Also I do have some sort of aftermarket vacuum operated fuel pump installed.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

So it sounds like someone converted your motor with a pulse fuel pump to use a single line suction tank. If done properly that will still work just fine. The first thing I would check is to see if your motor is running on both cylinders or just one. It is surprising how well they will run on only one but they will be quite low on power. How big is your boat you are running this motor on? Have you checked the coils to see if they have been replaced at some point or if they are still original? If original, they will be cracked, but still may be generating spark. They won't last long if they're cracked open though. Thanks for watching!

[@Jeffafa562]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 thank you for your response I really appreciate your input. Started doing some basic testing tonight both cylinders have spark went to do a compression test and the recoil stopped pulling the string back but I was able to get a compression reading by winding it up by hand a few times. Guess I'll have to fix that to get a more accurate compression reading. Next I got the flywheel off and looks like new coils and condenser so that's good. I'm going to check the timing with a multimeter to make sure that's correct. Also one of the plugs had clear water on it I'm a little worried now that it could be the head gasket, especially since I'm a Subaru mechanic lol. And it goes on a 12-ft aluminum boat btw

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@Jeffafa562 If your compression readings are even and anywhere around 75psi or higher I would tend to think the problem is not the head gasket. Good spark on both plugs is promising also. I'm starting to think you may have an expanded shock absorber in the lower unit. These motors use an internally spring loaded shock absorber in the lower unit between the drive shaft and the pinion gear. It is directly under the water pump. It is there to take up the shock from shifting and impact of hitting underwater objects. There is no rubber hub in these props and they were supposed to have a stainless steel drive pin. If the spring breaks or it hits too many things eventually the halves start to work apart and the length of the shock absorber becomes too long. The top of it will rub against the bottom of the drive shaft bearing carrier plate under the water pump. This drag puts excessive load on the engine as well as causing damage to the bottom of the drive shaft bearing. Sometimes this is only noticeable when the motor is pushing the boat in forward gear. In neutral there is not enough load on the shock absorber to expand it. If this is happening, the shock absorber needs to be compressed back together either with a vise, large C-clamp, or driven back together with a hammer. When I have to fix these, I always tack weld the seam of the shock absorber in 4 places around the diameter. Once it is welded, it acts as a solid drive shaft so a brass shear pin should be used in the prop to protect the gears from damage.

[@Jeffafa562]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 ok I will check that out, it kinda makes a little sense that that could be the issue. Out of my realm of experience but I'm anxious to get the lower unit off and inspect. And if anything else I'm not sure how old the water pump is so I might as well change that while I'm in there. Can you recommend me a good website that I can find parts and seals for this engine? And possibly an exploded diagram of the parts? I found a recoil spring on Amazon so that's a good start

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@Jeffafa562 I definitely recommend servicing the water pump while you have the powerhead off anyway. I often use Marineengine.com for parts and they have lots of exploded views and parts diagrams on their website. I think the only seal kits available are from Sierra, but their seal kits are fine. Stick with OEM for impellers and ignition parts when possible. One of my videos from a few years back shows where the shock absorber is in the lower unit and how it comes out and goes back in. Chrysleroutboarddude on KZbin also made a video on servicing a 1955 Johnson 5.5hp. The 5.5 and 7.5 are built the same way for all practical purposes so his video is a great reference for any of these motors.

[@davekimbler2308]

1st question- why the #19 sticker on the well tray ? Lol and are you at the cabin or close to home ? And it sounds strong !

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

The 19 sticker came off one of my motors I had tagged to do a lake test video of this year. I'm at my favorite make to test motors on close to home today (Allen Lake) in the Irish Hills. We did not go to the cabin for Memorial weekend this year. Too much to do here and the weather isn't going to be that great up there. It's a great running Fleetwin. I'm happy to have this one.

[@davekimbler2308]

RON and I are discussing what to bring to Constantine besides the 3 motors for you , any suggestions on what will sell ?

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@davekimbler2308 I really have no clue what will sell at Constantine. I buy the same crap wherever I go pretty much and don't overpay often. I don't sell much at meets... yet...

[@cassandracrawford1006]

Hi! Just wondering what you paid for this motor? I have one I am looking to sell as a repair project needs work but has original parts and manual same motor and everything 1957 model

[@andrewwheeler2737]

I’m restoring one similar to those I have the can I have the fuel fitting the line looks like it was tangled in weed wacker. Is there somewhere to source that fuel line ?

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Sierra Marine is still making the dual line fuel hose. Otherwise, if you're in a pinch you can use two separate lines and zip tie them together every several inches to keep them from getting tangled around each other. Thanks for watching!

[@scottdowns2934]

Gramps had a motor similar to this one. A 7.5. Evinrude. It fad an internal gas tank. Would that have been an older motor compared to this one ? It was nice from what I remember.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Yes, the Fleetwin 7.5s with the the built-in fuel tank were built from.1951-1953 and they had a neutral clutch knob on top. In 1954 they went to a remote pressurized fuel tank, and full F N R gearshift. Thanks for watching!

[@scottdowns2934]

Thank you !

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@scottdowns2934 You're welcome. 🙂👍

[@mosheference1324]

Where can I buy replacement fuel and air lines? I am working on the same motor at the moment.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Sierra Marine still makes the dual line. It can be found online. If nothing else you can always run 2 3/16" lines and just zip tie the two lines together. It doesn't look or store quite as well, but it is functional. Thanks for watching!

[@mosheference1324]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 Thank you so much! I couldn't find these anywhere it was driving me nuts!

[@marcgorzynski]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 what do you mean by zip tie two lines together? i have cruise-a-day evinrude tank with 3 prongs and same motor as you. what to do? thanks

[@stevengraham185]

Is this the 7.5 Evinrude that is available? Very Very Nice 😃

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

For now, this one is still a keeper. I do have a couple 7.5s that will be for sale once they are done and a couple others I'd consider selling. Thanks for watching!

[@stevengraham185]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 let’s try it this way 😃 Do you have a video of anything 7.5 hp or under that you would like to sell ? Thank you

[@stevengraham185]

I’m so happy

[@colinselby2405]

Where do you buy all your parts

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

I buy a lot of my consumables from Marineengine.com and iBoats. That stuff is avathrough your local Evinrude servicing dealer as well. I don't have any close to me that coordinate with my hours of availability. Other parts I often buy at swap meets, from club members, or get from parts motors I have bought from any number of places. I'm starting to make some of my parts as well. Thanks for watching!

[@dustinworley5962]

Man, that thing hauls compared to mine. I’m only getting 7mph out of my 57 7.5hp fleet win. 14ft aluminum v hull

[@andrewwheeler2737]

And did you say fuel ratio is 16:1...I need find manual for mine

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Yes, the oil mix ratio is 16:1 on 7.5 and under OMC motors earlier than 1964. The 7.5 is really important to use 16:1. They need the oil. There are no rolling bearings in the powerhead and the 7.5s are on the delicate side when it comes to that. Thanks for watching!

[@sceriff68]

OMC 👌👍👍

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Yup! Definitely an OMC fan. Too bad they went under. At least BRP still makes most of the parts to keep them alive. Thanks for watching!

[@sceriff68]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404, I'm Italian i live on lake Como and i started using the boat at 12 with a 3 hp evinrud of 63'fantastic then 6, 8, and 15hp beautiful memories.

[@stevebrown9966]

Will that run ok in saltwater ?

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

As long as it is flushed well with freshwater after each run, it will run just fine in saltwater. Thanks for watching!

[@ronbaker816]

I should have bought that one . I think the truck was full

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

My truck was fuller than yours and I bought it anyway...lol. You just don't like 7.5s.

[@andyhowat4624]

Have a 1955 fast twin 15 Starts 1st or 3nd pull every yimrm

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Excellent motors. The 1950s 15s run amazingly well. Thanks for watching!

[@TheFishman88]

man thats fst for a motor that old

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

This is a very nice running 50s OMC 7.5. These often don't do a heck of a lot better than a 5.5hp, but this one has got it. Thanks for watching!