New member-LarkII

[mark_61]

Hello all! New to this forum & really enjoy it so far.I have been slowly (very slowly) restoring a1961 Bowman 14' runabout. It's been a learn-as-I-go project that is currently in the floor replacment stage. Had not even thought about power yet but recently came across a late fifties-early sixties Evinrude Lark II 35hp. Starts & runs (a little rough) and is in decent shape for 75$. Don't know much about outboards but want to learn by doing. Is this motor a good choice for this and to power the boat? Any thoughts on this & the Lark II in general would be welcome. Thanks ,Mark

[Helmar]

Welcome to the forum.
I am sure you will enjoy yourself and the comments on your project.
Looks pretty sweet

[westerner]

Hi mark, welcome to the forum. Nice looking boat. I'm not familiar specifically with the Lark ll but I have a 1980 35 LS Evinrude that I ran on my 16' express cruiser and it did fine. Got 23-24 mph wide open with two people plus gear, so you should do considerally better with a 14' runabout if the 35 is running well. Heh, for $75 bucks you can't go wrong, right. I paid $800 for mine. Does it have controls and electric start? I've always found Evinrudes to be great starters and dependable. My boat came with a 1958 35 LS evinrude and it runs great to this day. It just wasn't enough power for my boat (and it didn't have electric start) so I went with a 50. A 35 or 40hp would be perfect for your boat in my opinion.

[FINS]

That is a great looking boat. I love that scoop on the bow!

[mark_61]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! Yes ,the motor does come with working controls & electric start & also the design will look nice on the boat.

Fins - The scoop is my favorite feature ! I think I've seen a similar one somewhere before but can't remember where. Maybe on a car?
The boat was produced in Little Rock Ark. & so far I have not seen another one like it.

I really like the lines of these Northwest built boats I'm seeing on this website.
The designs seem to fit the aesthetics of the area where they were built. Am enjoying looking at all the photos. Thanks for the replys

[halffast32]

Welcome! Cool looking boat. I too like that scoop. Is it functional? I've seen a few over the engine house before but never on a fore deck. Another unique example to add to our little fleet!

[Steve_Kiesel]

Welcome to the group Mark. Sweet little boat, I like it. Ditto on the scoop. Have a good one.

Hey Mark,
Welcome to the group! A neat boat you've got there can't wait to see it on the water. Hope you can make it to a few events so we could all meet you.

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

35 Lark II

A 35 horsepower should be plenty of power for your boat. Those early Johnson /Evinrude 35's were very torquey. I could pull a slalom skier out of the water with my dad's 35. A merc 50 couldn't.

Nice boat!

Tim

[mark_61]

When I first saw the boat I thought the scoop might be an add-on but after a closer look am sure it's original. There are openings in it so air can get under the fore deck but I think it's mostly just for looks.

Hope to have it on the water by early summer if time & finances allow. Spent some time camping with the family around Olympic N. Park two years ago & have wanted to return ever since. What a beautiful & fun area to explore!
Even better with a boat I'm sure! We shall see.

BTW -I ended up not getting the motor because it was a long shaft so will just continue to keep an eye out for one. Thanks for the the greetings & info everyone!

see ya, Mark

[Tim_Mattson]

Motor power basics + Welcome!

Welcome to the Group,
When powering up ,keep these basics in mind.
The amt of power should be enough so you don`t run WOT to keep on plane.
The more HP ,the more Gas needed.
The more weight of Motor and Fuel,the less Capacity for the boat, ie:fewer friends + room specifically.
More motor weight means more stress on hull,moreso on the road hitting bumps.Keep tongue weight at 10-20% of package weight.
The heavier the rig,the more gas you burn on the road and the harder to push by hand in the driveway.
Figure 10% of Hp will be needed to fuel it up ,or plunk down your $ for the 4 stroke and you won`t need as much fuel per trip.
If you like speed and wind in your face ,a 2 stroke most often will be the motor of choice.
Electric start is always great,but adds to motor weight and will need a battery for sure.Having rope start recoil for back-up is a plus.
Power to weight is important on smaller hulls as they sink deeper and lean more at holeshot.Same motor on a 2` longer hull@ same width usually always outperforms similar motor on a shorter hull.
The best power to weight would be a 40D Tohatsu/Nissan and that 3 cyl will be very smooth.Yamaha 25-30 hp,3 cyl,2 stroke is similar in power but a little more weight.Great resale on the Honda and Yamaha,hard to find cheap but do "hold" their value if cared for.
The 2 cyl OMCs are very common and parts are available,but rising in cost as of late,like most parts.
Finally ,use good oil,mid -octane gas and de-carbonize engine with Engine Tuner for a longer life and better running.
Look for a buyer upgrading a cared for engine,stay clear of unk. motors unless very cheap.
I`d look for a 25hp Tohatsu and hope it has the Carb restrictor that can be pulled and with a couple tweaks,you`d have 30hp in disguise.
Jim Brooks has a sweet 50 hp that pushes his 17` great and it looks good with the RED!
If Skiing,then go for a 40D model.The short may be rarer so be prepared to look hard.
Even if you don`t get powered or re-floored ,plan on joining us sometime.
Tim M

[mark_61]

Hey thanks for all the info Tim. I think you just about covered everything! Will be looking for a 30-40hp 2-stroke short shaft with electric start.Can't afford a newer one so it will have to be a project motor or an older (60-80s)one. Thanks again, Mark

Hi, Mark

I just joined and haven't yet posted a big ol' howdy, but I saw your boat and your question and thought I'd reply.

Very cool boat - I too love the scoop. Looks like it's in very good condition.

I don't like the look of modern engines on classic boats. It just looks wrong. It's like putting a Lamborghini wing on a Model A - it's as out of place as a Continental spare-tire kit would be on a Prius.

About that Lark you found -

From 1957 to 1971, the biggest twin (35 hp through 1959; then 40 hp) was available as the "Big Twin" and the "Lark." While the same under the powerhead, the early Lark was visually upgraded (more chrome, unique paint). Later, the name designated uprated equipment (standard electric start, generator or alternator, electric shift). In 1972, with the first major mechanical redesign in almost two decades, the 40 hp was called the Norseman.

As to the Lark II, I believe that would make it a 1960 model. The name "Lark" by itself was used from '57 to '59. Afterwards, to some point in the mid-60's, the Roman numeral advanced each year.

I just love the old OMC twins. They have a well-deserved reputation for robustness. They may not be as flashy or quite as fast as equivalent Mercs, but they're lighter, more reliable, and easier to fix.

The only weak point on your motor will be the original ignition coils. They're infamous for cracking (and then all the electricity leaks out).

There's a Web site that offers high-quality German made replacement coils as part of a complete tune-up kit (points, condensers, plug wires, coils). The whole kit costs about $70. This would be the first thing I'd do on that motor. You'll need a steering wheel puller or equivalent to get the flywheel off to get at the ignition parts. I would almost bet the rough running is because the ignition system hasn't been dealt with for years.

Next thing I would do would be to replace the entire water pump, not just the impeller. The housings and lower plate get scored and you lose pressure. At the same time, I would replace the thermostat located under the cover at the rear of the powerhead. These usually fail in the open position, causing the engine to run too cold, leading to accelerated cylinder wear and poor running since the fuel/air ratio isn't suited for cold cylinders.

On that motor, mix fuel 24:1 with TCW-3 oil. Don't be tempted to thin it out, these engines were designed for 24:1 mix. OMC went to a 50:1 mix in 1964. I have a book with copies of the service bulletins from the early '60's, and there are a number of bulletins warning, in dire terms, not to use a leaner mixture in any engine that wasn't designed for it. Anything leaner will wash the lubricating oil off the needle bearings on the connecting rods and score the crankshaft.

Mixed fuel should be used within a couple of weeks of mixing or it will go bad. If you do have old fuel in the tank (I don't mean crusty old that smells like bad varnish, I just mean 3 or 4 months old), siphon it into your car's tank when it's nearly full. Same thing if you have fuel left over at the end of the season. It won't do any harm.

I have an iron-clad rule: if it's in an outboard fuel tank, it's mixed. Period. You forget this rule, you'll run a tank of straight gas through your motor some day, and it will be off to Rebuild City for you. I have six 5-gallon gas cans in my shed (for boats and lawn mowers), and these have straight gas in them. I don't transfer from the gas cans to the outboard tank until I'm ready to take the boat out, and it gets mixed when I transfer it. Don't be tempted to carry unmixed gas in a spare outboard fuel tank, thinking you'll mix it when you hook it up. If you're going to carry spare fuel, do so in a separate jerry can, and carefully (and in a well-vented area like your foredeck) pour it into the outboard tank.

The corollary to the rule about fuel in the outboard tank always being mixed is that fuel in gas cans is never mixed. Otherwise, you'll decant it from the gas can to the outboard tank, and go, "Did I mix this already? I don't know. I'll just be safe and mix it." While you won't ruin your engine, until you run through the tank your 35 hp will look like my old 2-1/2 hp British Seagull, affectionately known as The Smoke Monster (uses 10:1 mix). My British Seagull motto? "British Seagull: Converting Gas and Oil to Noise and Smoke Without the Benefit of Power Since 1935!"

If you're in the Seattle area, Sea-Way Marine on Avalon Way (near Alki) is a great source for parts for old OMC's. They have or can get their hands on almost anything. Brad, their service tech, is very pleasant and always willing with helpful suggestions.

Good luck!

Mark, too.

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Welcome Aboard...

Mark -

Great looking boat--welcome to the group.

If you post an Engine Wanted ad in our classified section, some kind of appropriate short-shaft outboard will probably turn up, now that you've passed on the Evinrude.

Now that you're on the forum, I hope you will join the club as a paid member. (See details elsewhere on the website, using links back on the Home Page.)

Look forward to seeing you at future gatherings...

- Marty

[Tim_Mattson]

Welcoming another Mark!

Hey Mark and Mark and All,
Mark #2,Waterguy, called for some Merc cables I had listed on C-list.After a conversation led to old motors,this brought up a need for a shortshaft transomed hull.One thing lead to another and now we have one more member in the Club.
Maybe one of us will soon have one less hull in the yard,oops,it is still in "the Family" so the law of numbers prevails yet again.
Time to go fix another.......And Welcome to the Club Mark.
TimM