TOPIC: Evinrude Water Intake Question

I'm restoring a 1961 Evinrude Starflite III The water intake plate is mounted on port side of shaft housing just above the cavitation plate. The plate that came with the engine was altered so I hunted up a used one. When it came in the mail, I saw that the intake slot and screen were about 10% of the area of the plate on the engine when U bought it. I looked a little closer at the plate and realized that was substantially altered apparently to allow more water into the shaft housing. (see attached photo. The grey plate is what came on the engine and the white one(probably from a Johnson of the same vintage) is the replacement part.

I'd like to use the new plate I bought, but now I'm wondering if there was a cooling issue with this engine that necessitated allowing more water into the shaft housing. Any ideas out there?

No worries with the white one it is correct. The motor only draws a small portion of it's cooling water from the upper inlet, 95% of the cooling water comes from the front of the exhaust outlet just behind the prop. The upper intake allows water to quickly reach the impeller upon start up.

Al is correct, also to add to that, the upper intake is for when the engine is in reverse, per the old Evinrude manual.

Bob

interesting, I was at school ya, seahorse dr in wi. and talking to an older teacher I happened to make fun of a guy using a late model dbbl cup hose attachment on an old 35hp, he just looked at me and said, That is there to help cool in reverse gear, as the prop takes most of the water away from the bigger intake behind the prop.......boy did feel silly.

Thanks for the info everybody. The new plate is painted and ready for installation.

I suspected the threaded hole indicated the old plate was some sort of flush appliance. I would not have thought about the need for increased water flow when in reverse, though. Who goes that long in reverse? I'm more of a hit it and git kind of boater; I appreciate reverse but as a convenience not a necessity. Thanks again, everybody.

This is to give proper water flow in reverse and NOT an " increase " in waterflow for reverse.