WHAT NOW

TODAY I WAS GIVIN A 1969 18 HP EVINRUDE MOTOR WITH PULL START AND ELECTRIC START.IT HAS NOT RAN IN 4-5 YR'S.HE HAD THE TITLE BUT NEVER CHANGED IT OVER FROM WHOM HE BOUGHT IT FROM,YOU GUESSED IT,HE HAS LOST THE TITLE,HE SAID HE BOUGHT THE RIG FOR THE BOAT AND TRAILER HUNG THE MOTOR IN THE BARN,THAT IS WHERE IT HAS BEEN EVER SINCE.HE DID GIVE ME A LIKE BILL OF SALE SAYING WHERE I GOT THE MOTOR IN HIS HAND WRITTING DATED & SIGNED,NOW CAN I GET IT TITLED WITH THIS,THIS OLD DO I EVEN HAVE TO TITLE IT.OR JUST GIVE IT BACK,PUT IT IN THE SHOP AND GET IT FIXED,OR WHAT NOW.
THANK'S FOR ANY INFO.

If you need the motor, get it running and put it on your boat and go fishing, many many people on the lake don;t have thier motors titled even tho you are suppose to,
happy fishing and good luck

Nothing is illegal...unless you get caught!!!

nearly as I can tell, not having the motor title is only a problem in two cases -
1. if you want to sell it, and
2. if somebody shows up title in hand, your bill of sale will be useless.

before you try to crank it......put a couple ounces tcw-3 oil in the spark plug holes and rotate the motor around to lubricate the cylinders, then turn the flywheel by hand a few times.

use fresh 87-octane fuel mixed 50:1 with tcw-3 oil and champion QL77JC4 plugs gapped at .030

the water pump impeller should be replaced, and I expect the carb will need rebuilding.

Don't do ANYTHING until you change the water pump assembly, and have the carbs gone through. Plus lube the powerhead as mentioned above.

mikiedon, I would not even worry about a title on a motor that old!! If it was a late, late model, I'd be more interested in titling it, but that old, I would not fool with it!! Just do what was mentioned above before you even try to light it off! Those old 18 hp motors are good ones too, you lucked out by that one free, almost as lucky as I was getting a super nice bass boat & trailer given to me!