surfjetjoe said:
hello everyone im looking at an eska motor the year is like an 89 and its been used like ten times its been in storage for years it runs great the guy said. its a 9.9 can u get parts for theses engines are they good here are some pics he wants 250 for it what you think it looks great
Eska pulled the plug in 1986 so while it may well have been sold 3 years after the end of production it is NOT an 1989 model.
Most parts are still available from various sources----except for the *&^%$#@ electronic ignition parts. Occasionally NOS electronic ignition parts appear on auction sites at prices often more that the market value of the motor they fit. Failure of these parts seems predicated more on time elapsed since production than hours of use so even highly over-priced NOS parts may fail almost as soon as installed.
The question with electronic ignition of the Tecumseh powerheads used on Eskas isn't 'if' they will fail but 'when'. IIRC both of the watercooled models---the 9.9 & the 15 horse WERE electronic ignition models as well as many others starting at some point in the '70s and sold under many brandnames other than Eska such as Sears & Montgomery Ward.
Air-cooled? Well----yes. The cylinder is air-cooled. BUT the rubber lower crankshaft seal MUST be cooled if it isn't to fail prematurely. Directing cooling water onto the area of that seal has the additional benefit of cooling the exhaust leg also, but it is NOT the part that MUST be cooled.
Many of the smaller horsepower models used no waterpump----only a 5/16" copper tube pointing upstream out of the exhaust outlet so that forward motion of the boat and the stream of high speed water from the propeller forces water up the tube to the needed areas. All others use a waterpump. It should be readily obvious that running the models without a waterpump in a testank or barrel is a bad idea! Without forward motion in the turbulent water of a testank environment they will NOT cool properly. NEVER run any outboard out of the water! If you don't damage the motor itself in a short run you WILL damage the rubber waterpump impeller! And a damaged impeller WILL cause harm to the motor down the road.
It's NOT rocket science! Outboards are designed to operate and cool properly in WATER! Use them intelligently in their environment and they will outlast you with modest maintenance
The vast majority of Eska production was 'customer engines' such as those mentioned in a paragraph above and many others. Most were in the 3 to 7 1/2 horsepower range and AFAIR all used Tecumseh/Power Products powerheads. The engines themselves are about as bulletproof as can be readily imagined and will last for many years with only marginal maintenance so long as they are fed the proper fuel/oil mix. If in doubt about the mix originally recommended by the Tecumseh engineering staff who designed them erring on the 'more oil' side is the ONLY way to go. Remember----oil is a Heckuva lot cheaper and easier to find than obsolete parts!!!!! An additional fact often ignored or unknown is that normal TCW-3 oil designed for standard water-cooled outboards was most often suggested by Eska---and presumably----the engine designers.
BUT---I cannot imagine that the use of oil designed for aircooled engines such as chainsaws and weedeaters could do any harm since oil for air-cooled engines must be of a higher quality in order to withstand the higher temperatures and resulting stresses of aircooled engines that demand superior lubrication properties. If in doubt about fuel/oil ratios 24/1 will be entirely satisfactory on any except the very earliest production and even if 16/1 is the preferred mix operating the engine at a wee bit less than maximum output for lengthy periods of time even 24/1 should be OK.
The 'lawnmower-on-a-stick' motors such as Clinton & Eska are looked down on by the traditional outboarders with some reason. While the powerheads themselves are long-lived with little maintenance the ubiquitous Clinton/Eska lower unit seems to have been the weak link in the chain. The seals often fail prematurely. Owners too seldom check them. (more on the PROPER method of draining and refilling these L/Us in a moment) And often the used air-cooled motor you bought for a song will suffer from sour notes when you discover that your L/U is trashed.
From browsing the posts here concerning Eskas and their clones I ran across 3 threads telling how to drain and refill the Clinton/Eska L/Us. ALL were wrong! Which is the reason I registered so I could post.
All of the advice on these L/Us described the proper method for draining OTHER makers' L/Us! On these motors you must lay the motor on its' side to drain it properly! It so states in the Owners Manuals! If ANYTHING except clear amber 90W gear lube drains out then it is time to remove the 4 screws holding on the lower skeg and inspect the prop shaft, gears and bushings for damage!
If you do so then by all means make a NEW gasket for that skeg/L/U junction! And replace both the driveshaft and propshaft seals without fail! Both are common across-the-counter seals available at any distributor or dealer in bearings and seals as well as on the internet from myriad sources.
The air-cooled motors were 'blue collar' tools for the working stiff. Anyone capable of keeping a piece of lawn equipment running into a useful old age can maintain them-----IF they will! But since they were built to a price they MUST be maintained. Especially the chinzy L/Us!
I hope I clarified some obvious areas of ignorance concerning the aircooled outboards. I'm no expert! But I have recently acquired a LOT of experience in 'messing about' with them. If you can keep your lawnmower going then you can keep the aircooled motors going----IF you use your head.
The 3 basics to remember:
#1 Avoid the electronic ignition models like the plague!
#2 Don't scrimp on the oil!!!!
#3 Service that L/U regularly and if leakage appears fix it NOW---not after the next fishing trip or the end of the season!
HTH, Tom @ Buzzard Bluff
