Hello
This is my first time to this site, I have been picking up small displacement motors of all types as I hate to see them go to waste. Today I picked up a Wizard model WG4 serial # 728312. My questions are 1 Is it better to clean them up or leave them as found? 2 The motor I got today is complete but has a broken tiller handle and one leg of the motor mount is broken. Other than that It doesn't appear too bad. It pulls over with the roap starter but I haven't actually tried to start it. the cover has been painted with what looks like latex paint but physically It looks fairly good. Oh the prop is a little chewed up. 3 Is it worth saving?
Bob
Welcome to the sickness of Wizard outboard ownership.
I have about 4 Wizard outboards myself and I like the attention they draw at the boat landing.
It's a matter of personal choice to clean up or leave as found. I like the cleaned up "old" look myself, and usually clean mine up with a degreaser and leave the original patina. It's real hard to match the wizard green out of a paint can off the shelf. I hear there's a guy in Canada who is selling green paint that is supposed to be a match to the Wizard green. Wizards aren't worth a lot , but they are sure fun to play with. Yours was made by Mercury around 1951 to 53 and is 6 hp. Don't try to get parts from the local mercury dealer...He'll just make you angry and send you packing as their catalogs don't go back past 1969??? I think.
The mercury/Wizard lower units are the weakest link to the motor so baby it as well as the water pump impeller. Use lubriplate #105 from Napa in the lower gear case. I've heard of others using corn head grease as a substitute. lower unit gears are next to impossible to find so treat them well.
E-bay is a good place to get some parts. do a search for "Wizard outboard". The wg4 shares many parts with the Mercury KD4.
Be sure to do a search for all the threads on this forum for the WG4 or wg-4. Many beginner questions have already been answered many times before on this forum, but don't be afraid to ask.
You might start here: http://pub9.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=737212788&frmid=52&msgid=749272&cmd=show.
Have fun with it.
Bryan Smith
Summerville, SC
It depends upon what you want to do with motor. A parts missing/broken outboard that has been repainted
poorly would be difficult and expensive to restore to factory new. Generally outward appearance is a good
guide to overall condition of things you can not see.
My vote is you have a source of (some) parts that might help restore a better candidate for restoration.
If you intend to sell by all means clean it up so it
takes a better picture.
Louis
They're such a simple great little engine, I vote keep it as the joy you'll get out of restoring it will for sure make it worth the money. I love tinkering with mine. It's as if you can feel the craftsmanship and pride of the era it was built.
