{"id":2157,"date":"2013-05-06T13:34:57","date_gmt":"2013-05-06T17:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/192.168.50.23\/wordpress\/blog\/?p=2157"},"modified":"2018-04-07T16:34:38","modified_gmt":"2018-04-07T20:34:38","slug":"ted-williams-baseball-star-and-expert-fisherman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forths.com\/index.php\/2013\/05\/06\/ted-williams-baseball-star-and-expert-fisherman\/","title":{"rendered":"Ted Williams – Hall of Fame … Fisherman?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A coworker of mine clearly recognized that I needed another project to work on, so he asked me if I’d refurbish a 1979 Puch moped that’s been sitting in his garden shed for 20 years. \u00a0His grandson wanted to ride it when visiting. \u00a0How could I say no to a 12 year old? \u00a0I took the motorcycle trailer to work last Friday to pick up the patient. \u00a0After loading the bike on the trailer, I was given an old outboard motor as payment for my services yet to be rendered. \u00a0The motor was a 5.5 HP “Ted Williams” brand outboard. \u00a0Ted Williams – wasn’t he a baseball player?<\/p>\n

Thank goodness for the Internet, otherwise these sorts of mysteries would never be solved. \u00a0A quick check on Wikipedia revealed that Ted Williams was not only a Hall of Fame member of the Boston Red Sox, but was also an inductee of the\u00a0International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame. \u00a0Who knew? \u00a0Anyway, Williams cut a lucrative endorsement deal with Sears, which put the “Ted Williams” name on a full line of fishing, hunting, and baseball equipment. \u00a0The manufacturer of my outboard motor was a company named ESKA, which built outboard motors using Tecumseh engines from 1961 until 1987. \u00a0Using ESKA’s serial number cross reference, I was able to confirm that my motor is a 1973 model.<\/p>\n

I was told that the motor was hard to start. \u00a0I pulled the spark plug, which appeared almost new, and tugged the starter rope to check for a spark. \u00a0Nothing. \u00a0I then proceeded with the autopsy, removing the recoil starter, engine shroud, and flywheel. \u00a0The fuel lines were rock-hard from age, so I cut them away and replaced them. \u00a0The carburetor was disassembled and cleaned, washing away 40 years of grime from the parts. \u00a0I noticed that the ignition points barely moved on their pivot – likely the cause of the spark problem. \u00a0I lubricated the points and they moved nicely. \u00a0Electrical connections were cleaned of oxidation, and everything was reassembled. \u00a0Another tug of the starter rope produced a strong spark, so that issue was fixed.<\/p>\n

I added the 24:1 premix that this engine called for, pulled the choke, and tugged the rope. \u00a0On the second pull, the engine popped to life and settled into a nice idle. \u00a0This motor is not hard to start! \u00a0I put it on Grandpa’s old aluminum boat and took Enzo for a ride around Thayer Lake. \u00a0Ted Williams would be pleased.<\/p>\n