Evinrude Fleetwin Model 4443

[Buccaneer]

I got the Fleetwin running today. Started up on three pulls,
and it sounds "solid". No rods a knocking or other parts
crying for help. Now that I know it’s "viable", I’ll need to
get an impeller for it. It does pump, and squirts water
out it’s back side, but evidently not fast enough, as
the water is HOT.
My "screw driver" tiller handle is in sad shape.
I have a better one, that won’t unscrew, in a Sportwin.
They look the same from the outside, but not sure.
Tried heating the tiller handle where the screw driver
screws in, with a bottle torch, but the only thing I managed
to do was make the rubber handle slip. 🙁
Anyone ever use a normal tiller grip, insert the "bare" screw driver
in it, and epoxy it together?

https://youtu.be/jxNPs2eucZ0

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Prepare to be boarded!

[garry-in-michigan]

I have destroyed a few screw drivers getting them apart. (A touch of grease at tune up time and they will last forever.) In these cases I have repaired them with JB Weld and disguised the repair with black tool handle dip. Yes, the 3.3 horse Sportwin and neutral clutch Fleetwin use the same 276420 screw driver handle. . . 😀

[Buccaneer]

Garry, good to know that the screw driver portion of the tiller handle
are the same between the Sportwin and Fleetwin. I was thinking
about swapping the whole tiller handle, but …… #1, the Fleetwin
tiller is 2" longer, and #2, what good is a tiller handle with a good
screwdriver grip if you can’t unscrew it!

Your diagrams reminded me of the ball bearings in the tiller handle
swivel joint…….. and that it’s hard keeping track of three ball
bearings bouncing on the cement floor at once, all going different
directions ….. but I found them all 😉

Just watched someone else’s like Fleetwin on YouTube,
and they must have drilled a hole in the Welch plug
on the starboard side of the power head. It sure would
be easier to see water flow by doing so, but any chance it
would "starve" portions of the power head of cooling water?
Guess I need to locate a new impeller before I worry about it!
https://youtu.be/UvxasSlsRFc

Prepare to be boarded!

[garry-in-michigan]

The only thing I see is the flush plug on the front of the upper pump body and drive shaft housing. It covers a transfer port from the water pump and a hole their would divert some of the cooling water. I have seen some tell tail holes put in the water outlet, but all squirt warm water into the boat when the outboard is turned. . . 😆

[Goman]

My screw driver handle was bent and cracked just about as yours but it wasn’t missing that big of a chunk.. but some. I used an epoxy putty for plastic to fill in the big chunks to around a 1/16th or less and then used Marine grade JB weld (it sets up slower and easier to sand and feather) to fill in the rest.I used this bumper coat to paint it.

[Buccaneer]

Goman, your screw driver turned out pretty nice.
I’ll probably try to get the screw driver out of the
Sportwin tiller again. Perhaps it’s time for the
torch set instead of the little bottle torch!
Or I could sacrifice the tiller arm, cutting
it off just past the threads (hopefully without
cutting off the screwdriver blade), then
put the blade in the vise and try to turn
the frozen piece of tiller with a vise grips.

I ordered the recommended OMC impeller to
"fit" to size for the Fastwin. Looks like it would
need to be sanded down about 1/8" or so.
I think my dad had a little workbench belt sander,
will have to see if I can find that.
I have a little portable belt sander, but it must
turn up 10 zillion rpms, and would be hard to mount
in a vise.
I’ve never tried sanding down a rubber impeller, so
I’m a little skeptical about it working, lol.

The prop shaft seal is an oddball size, of .594 or 19/32"
shaft size, and the OD is .875, or 7/8".
There’s a few NOS seals out there, but it’s against my
nature to pay $20 bucks for a sixty year old seal.
There appears to be no modern replacement though.
The drive shaft seal has me more optimistic.
Would be interested in hearing if anyone found a replacement
for the prop shaft seal !

Prepare to be boarded!

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