Elgin Outboard Boat Motor Manuals

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Elgin Outboard Boat Motor Model Identification

Sears & Roebuck Elgin Outboard Model ID Guide - 1946 thru 1963+-

Most of the early Elgin's had the model numbers on the “Starting & Oiling” instructions decal, which are generally unreadable today. The good news is that a second number was stamped into the crankcase using only the last digits of the model code followed by the serial number. Examples are seen in image here.

• West Bend made Elgin model numbers are always 571.58XXX or 571.59XXX
• McCulloch and Scott made Elgin model numbers start with 574.XXXXXX

Top image shows id number stamped into the front of the crankcase number 501.5186, this would be a model 571.58501 and serial number 5186. The number 501 is the key and based on the ID chart for 1946-1954 it would be a 3.5hp from 1947. Second number shows id stamped on the side/bottom of the crankcase. A few of the small air-cooled Elgin's have a small tag affixed up under the tank ring. Starting in the early 1950’s Sears and West Bend started placing the ID tag on the inside of the steering (tiller) handle. When Sears shifted outboard suppliers to Scott McCulloch in 1959/60, the location of the Model ID plate shifted to the transom bracket.

Deciphering Post 1961 Model #'s

Beginning in the 1961 model year, a change was made in the numbering system, to identify the various models by year of manufacture, brand name, horsepower, etc. For this purpose eight digit numbers were adopted.

Example: Model # "63604532" - breakdown this number as follows:

63-6-045-3-2

• 63 = Year of Manufacture
  • 63 = 1963 - etc.
• 6 = Brand Name - codes below
  • 3 = Scott
  • 4 = Hiawatha
  • 6 = Elgin (Sears)
  • 7 = Wizard
• 045 = Horsepower (Approximate)
  • 045 = 45hp
• 3 = Type - codes below
  • 1 - Manual start
  • 2 - Manual start, long shaft
  • 3 - Electric start
  • 4 - Electric start, long shaft
  • 5 - Special - etc.
• 2 = Production Run - codes below
  • 0 - First production run
  • 1 - Second production run
  • 2 - Third production run - etc.

Example Model 63604532 may thus be read as a 1963 Elgin 45 Horsepower motor with an electric starter. It is a third production run with design modifications that may not be interchangeable with Models 63604530-first run or 63604531-second run

About: Sears & Roebuck Elgin Outboards

The Elgin outboard brand sold through Sears & Roebuck from 1946 thru early 1960's.

Two companies provided outboards to Sears bearing the Elgin name; West Bend and Scott McCulloch. From 1946 to 1961 the lion's share of Elgin's came from the West Bend Aluminum Co. who purchased the old Kissel Car plant in 1942, (Kissel being the manufacturer of pre-war Sears Waterwich outboards beginning in 1935).

In 1959 Sears started transitioning the Elgin name to outboards made by Scott-McCulloch as their new major supplier. However, quite a few West Bend made outboards of 2 through 40hp were sold by Sears well after 1959, especially in Canada, The 2hp West Bend motors remained on sale the longest being offered through 1961.

When Sears started selling Elgin's in 1946, they began with the 1.25 hp air cooled single model. Then in 1947 a water cooled 2.5 hp single was added along with 3.5 hp and 5.5 hp water cooled twins. By 1951 the 5 hp and 7.5 hp models were being offered in place of the 3.5 and 5.5 models.

Elgin Outboard Boat Motor Resources

• Elgin Outboard Boat Motor Parts - on ebay
• elginoutboard.com
• precisionservoutboard.com online-store books elgin-books

Elgin Outboard Manual Directory

Warning: Elgin manuals found elsewhere labeled condensed service data are simply a few pages from the "Intertec" Old Outboards Manual (buyer beware!)

Sorted by Model Year: 1946-1963

Service Manual Selection Guide

Elgin Service and Repair Manuals

Elgin Outboard Boat Motor Service Manuals

Year | HP = Horsepower | Model # | Manual ID | Manufacturer

Elgin Owner Operating Instructions / Parts Lists

Elgin Outboard Boat Motor Owner/Parts Manuals

Year | HP = Horsepower | Model # | Manual ID | Manufacturer

• P.N. = Part Number
• oi = Owner Operating Instructions
• pl = Parts List
• oipl = Operating Instructions and Parts List