Topic: 1932 Johnaon K-50 Paint? & Horse Power – Antique Outboard Motor Club,Inc

This topic has 18 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 12 months ago by Buccaneer.

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April 24, 2018 at 9:51 pm #9732
Buccaneer
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Was anything originally painted on the subject motor, when new?
I’m sand blasting a lot of the parts as it seems to be the best way
to get the "soaked in" grime out of the castings. This is the dirtiest
engine I worked on all winter…… it sure wasn’t starved for oil!
There’s a nice looking, restored K-50 on YouTube that has the
power head painted up nice.
If the power heads (cast iron cylinder) were not painted at the factory, did
Johnson treat them so they weren’t rusty on the show room floor?

Also I have some confusion regarding the horsepower of the K-50.
The 3rd Edition Johnson repair manual list it as 8 hp.
The aforementioned K-50 on YouTube has a (new) decal on the
tank that says "12 hp". Also, a member has a manual for sale
on the "Classifieds" that says "K-50" and 12 hp on the cover.
The 3rd Edition manual does show a 12 hp the same era, but
it’s a KR-55.
Any enlightenment welcomed!

Attachments:

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April 25, 2018 at 1:48 am #74700
Anonymous
The service motor K50 was 8hp and the racing model KR was 12hp. Non polished parts were painted silver. Polished parts were the tank and flywheel.
April 25, 2018 at 2:49 am #74710
Buccaneer
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Strange that the pictured repair manual says "K-50 12 hp" and
not KR-55 12 hp.
Sounds like I’ll paint the cast iron cylinder sure. Wish I had
some buffing equipment for the rest!
Thanks.

quote XR55:

The service motor K50 was 8hp and the racing model KR was 12hp. Non polished parts were painted silver. Polished parts were the tank and flywheel.

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April 25, 2018 at 4:50 am #74715
Anonymous
The decal for either K50 or KR also showed 12hp on both. The K50 was a plain bearing(bushing) low compression higher restriction below water exhaust lower rpm motor, while the KR motors were a bearing high compression lower restriction above water exhaust, higher rpm motor.
April 25, 2018 at 12:13 pm #74727
Buccaneer
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Thanks again. By your knowledge and your moniker
I presume a XR-55 is a Johnson racing engine?

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April 25, 2018 at 12:15 pm #74728
george-emmanuel
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Johnson used the higher horsepower number on all their decals back then. For example, the S-45 decal says Seahorse 16, but it is 13hp except in "racing" trim. Same with the V-45, Seahorse 32 @ 26hp. And there are others.

George
April 25, 2018 at 12:38 pm #74730
Buccaneer
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George, I’m surprised it was "Johnson" itself that was the culprit
in the false advertising in their decals, and not a "goof up" with
the modern day decal vendors!
I can see Elmer’s thinking on "underrating" your Mercury’s HP,
as it’s good advertisement for people to see your 10 HP Mercury
kick butt on the competition’s 15 HP rig, but fail to see
Johnson’s long term benefit in "over rating" their horse power, lol.
Thanks.

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April 25, 2018 at 7:33 pm #74759
garry-in-michigan
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Lifetime Member
That was done by virtually everyone when it was discovered in the late ’20s that horse power sold motors. The buyers complaints lead to the formation of NOA to rate the motors horse power. At that time some outboards lost as much as five horsepower, The 25 horse Speeditwin became 21.1 – the 11 HP Fleetwin became 8.5 – – – 😆
April 25, 2018 at 8:12 pm #74762
squierka39
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I have an unrestored K-50, on mine paint appears to be on everything except the flywheel and tank. The paint was a silver, close to the dull aluminum we use today. Some of the later K motors polished the LU but the K-50 appears to have been painted. The decal you have sounds correct, I think they dropped the number 12 with the K-70.
April 26, 2018 at 12:43 am #74791
Buccaneer
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I really have to look hard to see any signs of paint on mine at all, but guessing
most of it fell off long ago!
I don’t have any decals yet. Mostly was just curious why there was a 12 hp
decal on an 8 hp motor!
I emailed Discount Marine? as they listed a decal, but showed no photo.
They said, "at the time of printing the decals, it was unclear what
hp the decal should say, so they left the "HP" off the decal, and will
send you an "8" or "12" to put on, your choice!

quote SquierKA39:

I have an unrestored K-50, on mine paint appears to be on everything except the flywheel and tank. The paint was a silver, close to the dull aluminum we use today. Some of the later K motors polished the LU but the K-50 appears to have been painted. The decal you have sounds correct, I think they dropped the number 12 with the K-70.

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