OMC service bulletins

[adam1961]

Over the last few years I have acquired service bulletins from various dealers, members and who knows where else. At this point I would like to organize them and assemble a complete set and make the rest available to others. I find thi information in these priceless when you need it, but need to better organize them.

Does anyone have an index of the bulletins? I have some indexes that go up into the 1200 range, but the bulletins go up to around #2000.

Also, when did they switch to OMC bulletins from Johnson or Evinrude specific? Does anyone know if the numbering scheme between OMC and OMC Canada were the same?

Adam

[dan-in-tn]

I was a Johnson Service rep until 1980. It became corp service after that & I became an OMC service rep so I think you will find the Service Bulletins became corporate in 1980 also.

Dan in TN

[adam1961]

Dan,
The bulletins that I have here are on Johnson masthead until about 1957 From there on, they seem to all say outboard marine corporation.
I have US Johnson bulletins up to #570. My OMC Canada stuff starts around #340 and are dated 1953.

Interesting overlap

[PugetSoundBoater]

I googled" johnson evinrude service bulletins" Fiberglassics.com. Has a list of the bulletins ,some gaps in the numbers.

"Some people want to know how a watch works, others just want to know what time it is"
Robbie Robertson

[dan-in-tn]

I don’t think I still have my service bulletin set from OMC. I have no idea what Canada did, but would think it would be the same later (1980) on. I do have a early set of Evinrude bulletins with notes from a factory office worker. They are on loan for copying at the moment. Bulletins became odd things later on at OMC. Lawyers got involved with them (as with everything). They took forever to get out (some never did)! Most were so watered down that they never told you what was really the problem. The standard procedure was to run you around in circles having you check all of the usual standard stuff and then hint at the actual problem in the last sentence or two. Never really admitting their was a problem in the first place. Meanwhile in the field dealers & customers were dying for information as to how to repair their engines or get a better/improved part. It became our job to pass this information on. Most of the reps had around 300 dealers to see in their territories. The early bulletins were not this way!

Dan in TN

[PugetSoundBoater]

Dan- that is truly sad that corporate had the answers and didn’t share them in a timely and effective manner,leaving the dealers repair shops in a bind,and ultimatly the customers boat on a trailer. That’s horrible! Doesn’t do much for customers returning for a new motor in the future does it? That’s the big picture, a happy customer for life.

"Some people want to know how a watch works, others just want to know what time it is"
Robbie Robertson

[adam1961]

I have been reviewing and sorting these for a few days.
It seems that the system with indexes for each section ( carb, gearcase, magneto, etc) started around bulletin number 700. Before that, it looks like the dealers stored them in numerical order, not by section. Does anyone know of an index for the earlier bulletins. It would be more practical to have them by section so that you can find relevant info for what you are working on.

Dan,
My bulletin stop around 1970. That’s when both of the dealers that they came from closed up shop. In both cases, the contents of the shops were left alone until I acquired them within the last few years. Seems hard to believe that that everything was left alone for 30+ years.

[chris-p]

Adam,

I have some bulletins as well from mechanics I have bought out. Ill list the numbers and send to you perhaps there are some gaps in yours I may be able to fill.

[adam1961]

Chris,
I have a pretty good list from 700 to 2000. I would be interested to know if you have any kind of index or listing for the <700 numbers.

Adam

[hans]

This topic may be old, but I just found it. The topic of paper communications from Johnson/Evinrude/OMC has interested me too.

1. Johnson Service Promotion ( with a Yellow header bar ) to be very informative. Dates 1958 to 1966. many w/ advise of repairs or other changes. these are numbered sequentially with prefix of a # sign.

2.There are Dealer Letters (with a Red header bar) apparently sent to "principals at dealers" to advise them of issues. Numbered with a # prefix.

3. Evinrude Service bulletins on ( BLUE paper ) have been issued from the early 1930’s to late 1960’s.
3.A. The 1930 to 1940 Erude Blue paper bulletins are numbered by year. example, ( 1933 have numbers up to 75 which is dated Aug 17, 1933 . Numbers for following years all start from number 1 again.
3.B. from early 1950’s they apparently started sequencing bulletins with a Prefix of a letter M, example M-1.

I have not found an index of any of the forms of communication in my files.

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