Home › Forum › Ask A Member › 1959 Johnson 35hp needs help!
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Mumbles.
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November 10, 2015 at 10:11 pm #2947
Hello everyone. This is my first post here. A couple of years ago I inherited the old boat, truck and boat motor, a 1959 Johnson 35 hp. We recently moved back home to WA State from MT and I would like to get the motor up and running so I can take the kids out on the water. While in MT I had a gentlemen look at the motor. He said, "might as well buy a new one". It seems to be seized. Understand it has not seen water in 25 years. Rather than purchasing a new motor, which I really can’t afford, I would like to get the old one restored if possible. It is the motor that was attached to the fishing boat that the old truck pulled when I was a kid.
We are now in Bellingham, Washington and have been unable to find someone who will work on something so old. I would think with so much water around here it wouldn’t be a problem…. guess I was wrong. Does anyone know of someone who works on these old motors, is reasonable priced and in the Pacific Northwest, or the West Coast for that matter? I really hate to see the thing never be used again, there are a lot of good memories attached to it.
Thanks for your time and any help.
Elliot
P.S. The truck is a 1965 Dodge D100 and the boat is a 14′ 1962 Aluma Craft.
November 10, 2015 at 10:39 pm #26881I just took a quick look at the aomci membership directory and found no less than 103 members in Washington state, including some in Bellingham. I guess it wouldn’t be proper to name them in public. Perhaps one of them will see this and contact you.
BTW, consider joining aomci. Then you would get full membership rights including the directory, news, local meet information, and a GREAT publication.
November 10, 2015 at 11:05 pm #26883Elliot, why can’t you fix your motor??? That is exactly how alot of us started off. We have a good number of members that are very familiar your make and year motor. Buddy, if you can turn a wrench and screw driver, you are half way there.
If your motor is stuck, then we can help you out. Once your motor is unstuck, then we will help you investigate your compression, magneto system to check for spark, and help you clean and set your carburetor. Your motor may be stuck just from sitting all these years. The rings and internals could be stiff from lack of oil or old fuel mix that has hardened into coke.
November 10, 2015 at 11:46 pm #26889Elliot
I surely understand your desire to rejuvenate the engine/boat/truck that provided so much joy when you were younger. Hopefully, a local member will respond to your post. for now, perhaps you can try to free the engine up, like Cajun says. I’m not sure how much mechanical experience you have, but I think we can help you at least get the engine freed up and drain the gear lube to inspect it. If the engine is still on the boat, try to tilt it up to the most horizontal position possible. Now, remove the spark plugs and fill those cylinders with some sort of penetrating oil/auto tranny fluid, pour plenty of it into each plug hole, then reinstall the spark plugs.
While the cylinders are soaking, it would be a good idea to drain the gearcase lube. You will find two large drain/vent screws, both must be removed. DO NOT remove that Philips head screw that is on the lower skeg, that is the shift linkage pivot screw, removing it will cause the linkage to come apart inside the gearcase! One of the fill/vent screws is right above the horizontal plate just above the propeller, the other one is hidden on the bottom of the leading edge of the gearcase bullet. Remove both of the fill/vent screws and watch what drains into the pan.
Dark/black looking fluid is just old, but probably OK
Milky colored thick goo usually indicates a water leak into the gearcase
Raw water indicates definite water leaks and internal problems from rusted parts
If nothing comes out when both plugs are removed, somehow all the fluid has leaked out indicating bad seals/orings (unless someone drained the fluid intentionally as some sort of mis guided storage procedure.
Once the cylinders have soaked for a few days, you can attempt to rock that flywheel back and forth slightly with a large screwdriver against the flywheel ring gear. Report back to us with your progress, so we can get a better idea if the engine can be brought back to life without too much expense/trouble.
Unfortunately, you will be hard pressed to find a professional mechanic/boatyard willing to look at your engine, most of the guys probably have never worked on an older engine like yours anyway. Most labor rates are closing in on $100/hr these days, so spending a couple of hours on your engine would exceed its value.November 11, 2015 at 12:22 am #26892Thanks for the reply everyone. I have reached out to the Puget Sounders, the antique outboard motor club, with no luck so far. Is this a chapter of you all? Also, usually have been handy and would give this a try, unfortunately, since we moved back from MT we are in a smaller home (renting -yuck) until we purchase again, which likely won’t be for a year. We just don’t have the room for me to tinker right now. That was the reason in attempting to find someone. As for the Puget Sounders, they are having an event in this area near the end of the month, which I was hoping to attend.
Thanks everyone.
Elliot
November 11, 2015 at 12:27 am #26893Anonymous
Here is an index to the series of web articles that convinced me that even I could work on old outboards:
http://www.omc-boats.org/maxw.htmlNovember 11, 2015 at 10:35 am #26909quote Elliot:Thanks for the reply everyone. I have reached out to the Puget Sounders, the antique outboard motor club, with no luck so far. Is this a chapter of you all? Also, usually have been handy and would give this a try, unfortunately, since we moved back from MT we are in a smaller home (renting -yuck) until we purchase again, which likely won’t be for a year. We just don’t have the room for me to tinker right now. That was the reason in attempting to find someone. As for the Puget Sounders, they are having an event in this area near the end of the month, which I was hoping to attend.
ElliotYes Puget Sounders is a local chapter of this club. Here are some contact informationL
http://www.pugetsoundersaomc.com/7885.htmlNovember 11, 2015 at 9:52 pm #26926I actually own one of those motors now and they are easy to work on. Very good motors too. I would just start with a small cup of ATF and acetone (50/50) and pour some in each cylinder. I would tilt the motor up, so it gets all the way around the rings better. Let it sit for a week and then check it and see if it’s starting to free up.
After a week, take a torque wrench set to the correct torque and try it on the flywheel nut. That could be enough to break it free. If not, wait another week. A motor stuck from sitting, generally breaks free pretty easily. If it had water intrusion?….well that’s another story.November 11, 2015 at 11:58 pm #26934As some one has already posted, the gear case could have had water in it. I have a 1959 35hp Johnson that had that problem. Parts are easy to find for this motor so hopefully you will have this motor up and running soon. You will have to drop the lower to replace the impeller so that would be a good time to see if its the powerhead that’s stuck.
November 12, 2015 at 12:02 am #26935I think 90% of stuck motors are ones that the bottom cylinder has the piston at the bottom of it’s stroke (exhaust ports open), letting no telling what in to ruin it.
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