WIZARD WG4 No Spark-Parts Available?

[dougbok]

Howdy Folks

A while ago I picked up a nice original Wizard WG4 at a local flea market. Although I like the Mercury products I’ve been hesitant to tear into them because I find them counter intuitive and requiring knowledge and tools I don’t possess. That said, I like this little motor and I thought I’d give it a shot knowing I have the expertise of the Club to fall back on.
The first thing I thought I would try is to check for spark. To do this I had to remove the neat louvered lower cowl which was held on by 6 (count ’em) Philips head machine screws which hadn’t been touched in years, maybe decades. Of course the head of the last one stripped out and had to be drilled and “easy outed”.
I got a nice hot spark from the lower plug wire but nothing from the top one. I figure it could be something simple like dirty points, but after spending an hour or two getting the cowl off and finding a new screw to get it back together I’m not real hopeful.
Now if this was an OMC of the same era getting new parts cheap would be a piece of cake. I understand Mercury KD4 parts are the same, at least that’s what I’ve read, but I’m not seeing the same availability as Johnson and Evinrude stuff.
I found some NOS coils on eBay, a bit pricey at $50 each and looking a little crusty. Before I tear into this are parts available at a reasonable price somewhere? Would this be a fairly reliable and fun motor if I decided to give it a new lease on life, or at least try to do so? Is there a coil conversion procedure using OMC parts like there is for some other motors?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts or guidance you can give.
I did a search for previous forum topics which may have touched on this subject and didn’t come up with any. I apologize if I missed something.

• This topic was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by dougbok.

[dougbok]

[kirkp]

Hey doug. Cool motor to have in your inventory. Mercs/Wizards can be a bit more challenging to work on but it’s not impossible. Original phelon coils can be expensive but there are options such as substituting OMC coils on the original laminates. Do a forum search using phelon and you’ll get a lot of posts. You’ll have to filter through them but you’ll find many that are relevant to your project. There’s also a lot of info here regarding checking your coils and condensers which you need to do before you think about replacements. Other parts may not be as available as OMC parts but they are out there and you’ll also find potential work arounds if you get in a pinch. If it were me I’d also check compression as I feel it gives a good idea of how far you may have to get into having a serviceable outboard.

As you have probably noticed there are a lot of smart folks (not me) on this forum that will really be able to help you out.

In the meantime, if you pm me or post your email, I have a parts list that I can send you.

Kirk

[green-thumbs]

You are fortunate to have the cowl as they are often missing. Keep in mind that Wizards are similar to Mercury not all parts are the same.
Cost and availability of the cosmetic items is more of a concern than
the mechanical items.
Upper crankshaft seal and water pump propshaft seal are stock items
as are the crankshaft bearings. Piston rings are still available.
If you plan to take powerhead apart be aware there is a set procedure
to follow and a few special precautions. All gaskets are available or
you can make the easy ones and buy the toughies.
A KD,WD,WF or WG parts motor may be needed if things are not as
they should be within powerhead.
As you have discovered corrosion and long period of storage can
make disassembly a problem.
Water pump impeller can be bought or adapted.
Yes, Kiekhaefer did things their way. Once you understand them
you will find working on them straighforeward.
If you post questions with photos, the REAL experts will respond,
Welcome to the Dark Side
Good Luck
Louis

[dougbok]

Thanks for the replies and the info. It has been an encouragement and I’m leaning towards getting it going. I’ve yet to test the compression but I tell you that the “Armstrong” seat of the pants compression tester indicates that compression is not an issue. After it pulls with a lot of resistance in a strong chugging manner with lots of lubricant squirted in the cylinders. This was quite obviously a fresh water motor with very little use. The cowl screw stripped because it was a philips head, not that it was rusted in. It was buggered up to begin with and I just couldn’t get any torque on it.
I have a little MFG/Crestliner Car Top Fisherman 12 foot boat that I hope to restore that would be a nice match for this and some of my other motors like The Johnson K40, a ‘58 Johnson 7 1/2, a Johnson A-35, a slew of Johnson and Evinrude 3 hp’s, a Evinrude Zephyr (I really like it but not a sentiment shared by everyone), and a gaggle of others in the 10 and under hp range which is the rating of the MFG/Crestliner. MFG had just bought Crestliner so they were a little confused how to market it in 1964 and put both manufacturers tags on it.
Sorry for the rambling, not much to do with all my favorite haunts shut down or manned by zombies in face masks.

[fifty20ne]

Hi Doug,

For difficult fasteners I always use a hand impact screwdriver. I bought the cheap Craftsman one $19.99 from LOWES.
It has saved me many times now and works well with a lifetime warranty at any LOWES store.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-Automotive-Tool-Set/1000594839?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-tol-_-google-_-lia-_–_-mechanicstools-_-1000594839-_-0&store_code=1659&placeholder=null&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3tTP6tPD6QIVTr7ACh2tBAFMEAQYASABEgJsV_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by fifty20ne.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by fifty20ne.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by fifty20ne.

[fifty20ne]

Some parts diagrams from the WIZARD outboard site. “JASON BAXTERS” Great Site!

http://www.wizardoutboardforum.com/ “Check it out!”

http://pub9.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=737212788&frmid=52&msgid=772164&cmd=show

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by fifty20ne.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by fifty20ne.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by fifty20ne.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by fifty20ne.

[billw]

When I was a kid, a friend had one of those MFGs. He ran a 15 Gale on it. It was a great boat!! Nice find, there!

Long live American manufacturing!

[dougbok]

Thanks guys

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by dougbok.

[dougbok]

Thanks
I did use an impact screwdriver, it is an antique one nearly as old as the Wizard I’d guess. Problem is by the time I dug it out the screw head was pretty chewed up. Next time I’ll try it first. The motor has a lot of Philips screws on it but most of them appear never to have been removed. That could be good and bad.
Those illustrations are great, almost as good as having a workshop manual.
I would think a 15 hp Gale on that little 12 foot boat would be a blast. It’s rated for 10 hp but things were over built then. I have a Mark 15 Mercury which would interesting on the MFG. That’s another one that’s a little intimidating. First things first.
Thanks for the replies and information. I belong to a bunch of other clubs, Early Ford V8, Porsche 356 Registry, National Woodie Club, and a couple of British car clubs. I’ve found the members of the AOMCI the most willing to share information and help out. I really appreciate it.

[Author]

Posts