Help with ancient Yamaha o/b

[penfold]

I have been awarded the prestigious task of reviving an ancient aircooled Yam outboard, a 3.5AC; the only obvious problem is a knackered contact breaker. A quick googling reveals a pdf partslist but no manual, anyone got any pointers about running, oil mix, breaker/sparkplug gap etc? Also a good source of the aforementioned contact breaker would be helpful.

 

[Lakesailor]

Bill Higham is your man.
The link is his ebay shop but if you phone they are very helpful.

Bill Higham Marine, 8A & THE CHAPEL, CITY ROAD, MOSLEY COMMON, WORSLEY Manchester, Lancs M28 1BD,
Telephone: 0161 790 7678, Fax: 0161 703 9014
info@billhighammarine.co.uk

Be careful about buying a workshop manual. Most of the links in a Google search showed it to be a Service Manual which will tell you just about nothing

 

[penfold]

I tried them and a google for the part numbers but suffered palpitations when I was asked to part with £35 for a set of points and £30 for a condenser. Using my ninja lateral thinking skills I reasoned that no company would create unique ignition parts for just one engine; that would be stupid and wasteful. I looked for similarly numbered Yamaha parts of the same era and came up trumps; identical but differently numbered points and condensers were fitted to snowmobiles, and I ordered one of each from a snowmobile specialist in the US for £11 including postage. Visually they are indeed identical; once I've fitted them and had it running I will post the part numbers so other people trying to maintain ancient Yam aircooled O/Bs can avoid being ripped off.

 

[Seajet]

Japanese parts

When I was young and had a motorcyle, I and chums used to visit Cranleigh Motorcycles.

This will probably only make sense to Lakesailor and owners of Japanese bikes, knowing the make of some electrical parts like capacitors & condensors...

They had a Japanese assistant who didn't strike one as the sharpest tool in the box; known to everyone far and wide as Nippon Denso.

 

[DownWest]

I've got one of those 3.5 ACs. Got it in a swop as a non-runner. Cleaned out the fuel system and it has been great ever since. Starts 1st or 2nd after a winter lay off (on the old fuel) No impeller to worry about. Just a bit louder than my other watercooled one.
Didn't realise it had points, made in 1980. Must look under the flywheel.