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A few of them have been known to catch fire, but there’s a reason for that. Clean the carb, fuel pipe, and tank thoroughly before trying to run it. The carb especially is finicky when it comes to being cleaned out properly. It can flood if there’s any dirt left in it that interferes with the inlet needle and seat and that flooding can cause it to back fire out through the carb, or it gets ignited by the spark plug wires which usually didn’t have insulating boots on them… at any rate, it reaches the point the motor now becomes a big gas-powered torch that is not easy to extinguish. But if you prep it correctly, you don’t have to worry about that.
There’s also a vent tube in the gas tank that needs to be clear, you can usually see it in the filler neck with the cap off. Otherwise, they’re about the same as any other motor. Do the basic mechanical work as on any other old outboard. They do run very smooth and will idle down to nothing. Parts availability? They made a pezillion of the damned things so finding a parts motor shouldn’t be too hard if you get out to club events or get to know other collectors in your area. Model 4404 is one of the most common ones I’ve seen around FWIW.
Hope this helps.
Best,
PM T2He's livin' in his own private Idaho..... I hope to go out quietly in my sleep, like my grand-dad did..... and not screaming, like the passengers in his car...
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What T2 said … be sure that there is absolutely no fuel leakage under that front cover. A word on spark plugs and wires… stray sparks are how fires start., ensure that the wire insulation is in good shape and ring terminals secure. A word about spark plugs… Zephyr takes a Champion J6. Now the modern version of these plugs have a bit longer porcline body than the older ones. This puts the exposed wire terminal closer to the front cover, a problem? maybe. But just to be safe I run an equlivant heat range plug with a short body. Champion makes such but I have had good luck running NGK BM7A’s. Just be sure that the plugs that you buy have threaded studs to accept the spark plug rings terminals.
Forge ahead, no fear! Zephyr’s are fun motors and good runners.
Joe B
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I’m not exactly sure how it works… but I LOVE it.
I also can’t even begin to imagine how loud it is.
Theres a few others laying around in that photo, someone likes the 4-cylinders!
Here are some photos of what I am working with.
I need a parts list that has the synchro under the mag plate for the throttle advance, which is model #4404.
"Shells sink, dreams float. Life's good on our boat."
1931 Johnson A-50
1950 Mercury KF-7
1951 Mercury KG-7
1956 Johnson JW-12R
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