Was a really good series of videos of you playing with your Johnson. I've worked on my Johnson quite a lot too, and feel bad for folks that don't have a Johnson.
I had similar fun, a few years back, with a 1980 vespa scooter. I tore it down to the last nut, bolt and screw, and refurbished / rebuilt it. It was super satisfying! Brrrrring-ding-ding-ding-ding....
My Dad had that exact 5 HP Johnson OB motor. As a family we rented a cabin every summer for a week. I have many fond memories of him and I taking the old Johnson out fishing. He never had a boat, the cabin we rented came with that. He was not very mechanical, but it never failed us! Thanks for bringing the old girl back to life, and bringing lots of memories back to me too! Cheers!
I grew up and still live no Pickwick Lake (Tenn. River) My grand dad and I used this motor too. As my granddad was a small 5'4" 130 lb. guy, he and I would double team that heavy beast and mount it on the back of his 14' Alumacraft and away we would go!
We had a 3 horsepower Johnson outboard motor like that and had to carry a small box of cotter pins with us to replace when we would accidentally hit an underwater tree stump or log. The votech school in Natchitoches, Louisiana would work on it and fix it every time it broke down. We fished the marshland in south Louisiana with gators for years, then fished Sam Rayburn Lake with it, and then several years on Toledo Bend Lake. It used to sound like a 150 Horsepower Mercury Black Max going down the lake and then we pop up around the bend puttin about 3 mile per hour wide open. LOL
Very interesting video, with good fast motion pacing through the detailed steps. The amount of work involved in rebuilding an old outboard motor convinced me that I don't want to invest that much time in rebuilding my old Johnson.
I work at the Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden), your ending depictions reminds me a lot of many of the professors I meet on a daily basis in a so called professional life. I enjoy your endeavors at your homestead.
I liked this series, not for the jokes (definitely a plus) but because it teaches that just because something is old, and seemingly broken, doesn't mean you cant fix it if you have the skills and tools
Enjoyed your video. I started to work at Johnson Motors OMC in Feb of 76' in Waukegan ILL to March of 1986. Their Hay Day was beginning to come to an end. Our fine Federal Government EPA was trying to shut them down for pollution leaked into Lake Michigan. That cost about 5K people their livelihood's including mine. Also , thank Senator Edward Kennedy for open trade policies letting the Japanese flood their products into our country without any trade tariffs. That was the last offensive blow. Johnson Outboards / Evinrude does not exist any more! I have a 1957' 5 1/2 horse Johnson with a pressurized auxiliary 6 gallon gas tank. Acquired the motor in 1997 being 40 years old, (same as me). I still run it and works great. I am now 64. I guess it will go to someone else in my estate sale after I die. Remember the gas/oil ratio is 24 to 1 and don't try to go leaner or you will be sorry.
I must say that I've truly enjoyed watching you work on your johnson for months! It's been extremely satisfying to see your Johnson spring to life, gain strength and durability, and come to fruition in the end. It was a bit deflating to find at the end I wasn't able to see your Johnson in the water, but perhaps, in the future, we can all see your Johnson as it slides into the water. I'm certain it will build up to a very moving and emotional moment when it happens... Especially when we can see your Dad enjoying your Johnson, too.
Not seeing the spark on the video is the same as not seeing a muzzle flash sometimes, it's because exposure time x frame rate doesn't capture every millisecond. It's just a video quirk. It's great to see you have a working Johnson again, I bet you're going to be playing with it every weekend now :)
Yep! That’s what I thought too. It’s the same reason helicopters sometimes look like the blades are even spinning on camera, or LED lights flicker on camera.
Yep. On some video cameras you can change the shutter to 360 degrees, and then it'll show up every time, but on most consumer cameras that's not an option. Same reason why it's so hard to capture muzzle flash.
Well done, sir! I really appreciate the effort you went to in order to bring the ol' Johnson back to life and give it a chance at lasting another 30+ years.
I acquired a 6 hp Lauson outboard when i was a young teenager. It was 2 cylinder opposed air cooled 4 cycle .The cylinders were cast iron, The top of the drive leg was the crankcase and was pressure lubricated with an oil pressure gauge. The oil pump relief valve was adjustable when the engine was off the lower unit. The flywheel had cooling fins on the perimeter and was under the fuel tank. It used an updraft Tillotson carb on a split manifold. Lauson was not selling outboards when i acquired it but Hart Carter Co in Peoria, Illinois had parts. It also had a neutral clutch which was a flat sided spring that wrapped around a drum. It didn't need water to initially test run but I did test it in a galvanized trash barrel and went fishing with my father a few times. Ran Ok but would run hot when towing a second boat that was in trouble. The cooling fan roared and it was large for it's power . My Lauson was much heavier then your Johnson!
Hey all you beautiful people! I hope you enjoy the video, and have a great weekend! Want to support the channel for free? Check out my Amazon store: www.amazon.com/shop/farmcraft101. If you buy anything, even something not listed in my store, I get a small percentage from Amazon, and the cost to you does not change! Thank you for all the support!
I generally don't like telling other people what to do with their Johnson, but was really happy to see my 2 cents on air leaks & coil gap pay off for you! When the pond thaws, just 1, maybe 2 tugs on the ol Johnson she'll start right up. Don't forget to put a little sta-bil in the gas before putting her away wet!
A long long time ago when I was a boy living on Greenwood Lake NY/NJ, I salvaged two outboard engines: one a two-cylinder Elgine I think it was 15 HP, and the other was a two cylinder 25 HP Evinrude. My stepfather did most of the repairs and rework on the Elgine with me helping but the Evinrude was my project. I tore that engine down and rebuilt it from new parts. I had a lot of fun with those projects and learned a lot about how engines work. Great video John thumbs up. And thanks for bringing back those memories.
Glad to see that you fixed your junk. It took a bunch of subtle and not so subtle adjustments, but it looks like you finally got your Johnson straightened out. Now don't let it go again! 😉👍✌
The magic of working on a Johnson left me as a boy when taking my stepdad's Johnson powered McKee craft out on the local lake. Its favorite trick was to throw a coolant line inside the motor, which would then flood the entire thing with lake water. OMC and I haven't really seen eye to eye since about the third time that a buddy towed us home with a jet-ski.
I have watched I believe every episode. I've enjoyed each one. This is a nice retrospect and look back at the entire project. I must say Sir, you've done an excellent job of handling your Johnson.
I have an old Johnson which I need to get working. A friend gave it to me about 30 years ago. I soon got it running but I quickly I discovered the water pump wasn't pumping and when I went looking there was no impellor and no impellor housing so I stuck the Johnson in the shed where it has sat ever since. Thanks for your series. It's been very instructional.
Watching these videos brought so many memories with my dad back, we had one just like it we worked on it every spring to get it going for the summer but once she fired she was good for the summer, awesome videos truly enjoyed watching thank you
Great video series. Enjoyed all parts. I actually have one of these motors that my father in law gave my wife for me. I've had it 15 years now. I did get it running back then after some tinkering. I feel every bit of pain you endured. Funny story, one night I woke up to the smell of raw gasoline. I went down in the basement to find a big pool of gasoline under this motor on its stand. It all leaked out through that vent in the float chamber. It was soon after that that I found out that the rebuild gaskets are no longer available. It hasn't run since. After viewing your videos I've now decided that this motor will forever be a non running artifact in my Johnson collection (all of the 1957 Johnson fleet on hand). This has to be one of the most complex 5 hp outboards of all time. Just the carburetor alone is a nightmare. I much prefer the simplicity of the design on its successor the CD 5.5 hp. I'm currently rebuilding a 1957 Evinrude 3 HP. These little 3s are my favoring toys. The run like sewing machines (2 cylinder). Again, Thank you for telling your story.
It's crazy cool to think that all of that watch-time (never mind REAL time) could be so compelling, and also distill down to this excellent sub-30 summary. This is an eddy of stick-to-it-ed-ness.
I don't know, were those bad puns or dad jokes? Both probably. Definite difference between 1 cylinder and 2 cylinder running. Doing a complete engine overhaul, while a pain, sure did a number on how well the engine worked and the engine's compression. UNGH... more puns... My dad (may he rest in piece) swore by that particular brand of gasket seal, he never had a problem with gaskets sealing after using it. I've restored 3 wheelbarrows, several tools cleaned up that dad left behind, cleaned up a 50 yr old screwdriver and made a new handle for it (not professional looking), made a new handle for a hammer head by using old wheelbarrow handle, some field found tools (hammer buried and rusted, got it cleaned up). It's very satisfying to take something that isn't working and getting it back to working order. Still have 1 wheelbarrow I am working on, but got cold, and will be working on a barn find 1950's to 1960's all metal wheelbarrow with hard rubber wheel sometime this year. Worn out areas around the screws where they come through the barrow so I will have to get someone to weld them for me since I don't have that skill set. Ah, the life of living on a farm.
It was great that you condensed the series. There is so much that I forgot about. It's almost like watching for the first time. It's pretty fun! Your Johnson is pretty cool! Yeah, bc I don't remember you carrying your Johnson around like that in the series! You're crazy funny! 😂😆🤭
YES👍 I really like your videos especially "the green horse johnson" entertaining and the wisdom never give up. Because along the way, you always learn something regardless of the end result.🇸🇪
I love seeing a man working on his Johnson. Er um not like that. You did motivate me to trade some firewood for a 1984 Cleveland mill. I picked brass off the ground, made a forge, did a few sand casts, and recycled it. I didn't have a lathe at the time, so I had to buy a tap. Love the videos and I can't wait to see you whip out your Johnson in the spring.
I hope you decide to restore the outside of that motor. Paint and decals would make such a difference. There is Johnson paint that can be had that is identical to the paint on that motor. Those dents would also be no problem to fix I have done it before to my 1947 and 1948 Martin outboards!! Thanks for the video!!!!
I have a variant of the same engine: it's a 1947 Johnson 2.5 hp; they made zillions of these after WW2, and mine was my grandfather's as well. About 25 years ago I found a little gumption and fixed the recoil rope, fired her up for a short time, and then put it aside without doing anything else. It sits there in my garage still. And seeing what it took to get this one going (especially fabricating parts on a lathe, etc.), I'm uncertain it will ever be started again. Maybe...
That was an interesting series. I have worked on older outboard motors, like a 28 Evinrude and a 30’s Elto quad, but never anything as new as a 52. My most enduring memory was needing to urinate every time I would test the motor running in the water and splashing. That made progress slow.
Fix it or build it. Even if you take something apart and can't get it back together, you learn something. The first engine I ever worked on; a 1958 Alfa Romeo, I had numerous parts left over the first time I took just the head off. The second time I took it apart, I completely rebuilt it from the ground up, then jumped into it and drove it to California and back from Florida. 1976....
I really did like this video even though I have watched all the episodes of you fixing your Grandpa's Johnson. A very good synopsis of your work on the Johnson. Now you will have many years of enjoyment I am sure. Thanks for the video.
Honnestly ! I think I chuckled more on this series than any you've made but in this video you edited out most of the Johnson jokes ! what'a bummer ! anyway you know a man wants to get his Johnson going when his water bucket is completely frozen over ! that is dedication! in the end.... a job well done..... and no extra parts left over ! that is definitely a win !
We had a 30 h.p. Johnson, maroon in color, Johnson changed colors in later years and you could get an estimated year by the color. It to was a little rough to get running right when rebuilt. After about fifteen hours of run time the need to adjust everything went away. It started and ran better and didn't require continued adjustments. So you will be fighting it for awhile but that's going to get better.
All the work you put into it all the effort and energy the biggest payday of it all is being able to take your old man out on a boat propelled by his fathers engine..... that is priceless my boy........I WOULD GIVE BOTH ARMS TO GO FISHING WITH MY DAD AGAIN....... that's cool we would love to see your father's reaction
Great job on the recap; glad you found that leaky carb gasket; your Johnson's a keeper! I had a 1927 1-1/2hp Johnson and a 1956 7-1/2 HP Johnson; both great motors.
Am proud of you! Well done on the engine! I get the same satisfaction when I bring back an antique or vintage outboard. If they could only speak and tell us where they have been .......
I’ve got an Evinrude 3hp that I’ve been tinkering for a few years now. These videos have gave me some motivation plus so insight on what I need to do to get mine running again! Thanks for the content!
My neighbor gave me a 70's model Mercury 4.5hp. I'm waiting to find the "right" boat to put it on before I get too into it. Everything looks REALLY clean but there are obvious problems like the ground wire corroded and the plug wires look dry rotted. I look forward to it after this series. Plus I have two lakes nearby with a 9.9hp limit... and my main ride is quite a bit above that.
I truly appreciate you and agree with what you said bout the world is so disposable now days!! That’s why I have watched all your videos more than once!! You’re very knowledgeable and great at showing how something works. Great videos!! Can’t wait till the next one!! Be safe on the farm!!
I watched this whole series and it was great! I have 3hp Johnson JW-10 that I used when I was a kid, but it hasn't been started in close to 30 years. My dad thinks he left gas in the tank and carb too, so they'll certainly need a good cleaning. I'm not sure if I'll tear down the block or not but I'll definitely rebuild the carb and replace coils/points/condensers.
I don't know if this was dumb luck, but I also have a Johnson outboard I'm planning to return to service and happen to be watching your video series before realizing you had nearly the same motor I have! Mine's a 3hp Johnson, so your Johnson is bigger than mine 😉, but it's a 2 cylinder and the same color too. I'll be referencing your videos when rebuilding mine. Good work with all you've done! If I could post picture here I would.
Would be cool if you just replaced the johnson decals. Have repro stickers made. I know it would mess with the originality, but i really think it would look better than to leave it alone. Job very well done. Thanks for the video.
Listen. My desire to see more of your cannon and firing it is stronger than your fear if losing your TH-cam channel. So I'm gunna need you to make that happen. Thanks Chief
In the end it sounds pretty good. I wondered a little bit that you never checked the timing of the ignition. May be there is an other little bit of improvement 🙂
Seen from the start and enjoyed the rebuild of your Johnson. Hope it did not do any undue harm to your person. I don't have a big Johnson any longer. Age. Hope you get help dragging yours' around but hope you get a cart or something for it.
I'm looking to pick one of these babes, the fella that's selling it says it might need new oil seals. I've looked on Evinrude/Johnson part website but their listing dose not go back that far. Where other year models fit this year (Johnson 46-49 TD20) motor. It's great to see these motors bring back to life, thanks.
I hate to mention this at such a late date, but your pistons were installed upside down. The flange on the piston is to direct the incoming fuel/air mix up to the cylinder head in order to efficiently scavenge the burned fuel/air out of the combustion chamber. It's a bit of a PITA to have to pull the crankcase apart again, but you'll get more power out of it and your idle will improve after it's done.
They aren't upside down. Installed them the same way they were, and the same way all 2 strokes are. Maybe you are thinking the intake and exhaust are opposite of what they actually are?
A strip of paper is how I used to space the coils from the flywheel magnets. Idle is the most difficult phase to get an engine running well; the air/fuel mix is stratified and hard to ignite reliably
It takes ~3,000,000 volts to ionize 1 meter of dry air at sea level, or about 2,667v for 0.035" -- but if you're running 90-95lbs of compression, you'll need a bit over 20,000v to ionize that same gap!
Didn't think I would enjoy a man tinkering with his Johnson for 7 videos but here we are and the experience was outstanding!
This series was simply awesome!
As a non-native english speaker, I wasn't familiar with Johnson jokes, but I wasn't disappointed
Its going to be really rewarding to watch the climax as you show your father what you are able to do now with his old Johnson.
Was a really good series of videos of you playing with your Johnson. I've worked on my Johnson quite a lot too, and feel bad for folks that don't have a Johnson.
I had similar fun, a few years back, with a 1980 vespa scooter. I tore it down to the last nut, bolt and screw, and refurbished / rebuilt it. It was super satisfying! Brrrrring-ding-ding-ding-ding....
For as old as it is you're lucky to have a working Johnson. All joking aside you do some mighty fine work.
Watched the playlist, ended up here, watched the recap for the extra footage. Don't worry, your Johnson clearly gets the job done.
My Dad had that exact 5 HP Johnson OB motor. As a family we rented a cabin every summer for a week. I have many fond memories of him and I taking the old Johnson out fishing. He never had a boat, the cabin we rented came with that. He was not very mechanical, but it never failed us! Thanks for bringing the old girl back to life, and bringing lots of memories back to me too! Cheers!
Mine,too. A 1951 model.
I grew up and still live no Pickwick Lake (Tenn. River) My grand dad and I used this motor too. As my granddad was a small 5'4" 130 lb. guy, he and I would double team that heavy beast and mount it on the back of his 14' Alumacraft and away we would go!
My grandfather had this very same old Johnson. I remember he'd take it out and show us whenever we asked!
Exceptional camera work and editing.
Dragging ur Johnson through the dirt was a good one. Keeps a smile on ur face no matter what.
After reading some of the comments, you fixed grand pa's johnson!!. what a man
I came in late to your escapades with your Johnson but I was thoroughly entertained.
We had a 3 horsepower Johnson outboard motor like that and had to carry a small box of cotter pins with us to replace when we would accidentally hit an underwater tree stump or log. The votech school in Natchitoches, Louisiana would work on it and fix it every time it broke down. We fished the marshland in south Louisiana with gators for years, then fished Sam Rayburn Lake with it, and then several years on Toledo Bend Lake. It used to sound like a 150 Horsepower Mercury Black Max going down the lake and then we pop up around the bend puttin about 3 mile per hour wide open. LOL
My 9.9 J&E 1968 still runs. Two pulls and you better be seated.....It pushes a 13.11 feather craft deep v... great combo....you sir have a great day..
Neat little outboard. Thanks for showing us how you fixed it.
Very interesting video, with good fast motion pacing through the detailed steps. The amount of work involved in rebuilding an old outboard motor convinced me that I don't want to invest that much time in rebuilding my old Johnson.
I have a '46 Martin 60 that was my Dad's. It last ran in the Keys before I was born. I'll be getting into it soon.
I work at the Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden), your ending depictions reminds me a lot of many of the professors I meet on a daily basis in a so called professional life. I enjoy your endeavors at your homestead.
It’s amazing that you can still find parts for your vintage Johnson outboard!
Awe, man! One of those “best of” cut scene episodes. 🤣
I liked this series, not for the jokes (definitely a plus) but because it teaches that just because something is old, and seemingly broken, doesn't mean you cant fix it if you have the skills and tools
There is a joke in your comment...
Funny...
Fixing something old and building something are 2 of my favorite things as well. Thanks for the video.
Enjoyed your video. I started to work at Johnson Motors OMC in Feb of 76' in Waukegan ILL to March of 1986. Their Hay Day was beginning to come to an end. Our fine Federal Government EPA was trying to shut them down for pollution leaked into Lake Michigan. That cost about 5K people their livelihood's including mine. Also , thank Senator Edward Kennedy for open trade policies letting the Japanese flood their products into our country without any trade tariffs. That was the last offensive blow. Johnson Outboards / Evinrude does not exist any more!
I have a 1957' 5 1/2 horse Johnson with a pressurized auxiliary 6 gallon gas tank. Acquired the motor in 1997 being 40 years old, (same as me). I still run it and works great. I am now 64. I guess it will go to someone else in my estate sale after I die. Remember the gas/oil ratio is 24 to 1 and don't try to go leaner or you will be sorry.
I must say that I've truly enjoyed watching you work on your johnson for months! It's been extremely satisfying to see your Johnson spring to life, gain strength and durability, and come to fruition in the end. It was a bit deflating to find at the end I wasn't able to see your Johnson in the water, but perhaps, in the future, we can all see your Johnson as it slides into the water. I'm certain it will build up to a very moving and emotional moment when it happens... Especially when we can see your Dad enjoying your Johnson, too.
Not seeing the spark on the video is the same as not seeing a muzzle flash sometimes, it's because exposure time x frame rate doesn't capture every millisecond. It's just a video quirk.
It's great to see you have a working Johnson again, I bet you're going to be playing with it every weekend now :)
Yep! That’s what I thought too. It’s the same reason helicopters sometimes look like the blades are even spinning on camera, or LED lights flicker on camera.
Yep. On some video cameras you can change the shutter to 360 degrees, and then it'll show up every time, but on most consumer cameras that's not an option. Same reason why it's so hard to capture muzzle flash.
Well done, sir! I really appreciate the effort you went to in order to bring the ol' Johnson back to life and give it a chance at lasting another 30+ years.
Awesome recap. This whole Johnson project was strangely fun to watch. Not sure what that says about me.
I acquired a 6 hp Lauson outboard when i was a young teenager. It was 2 cylinder opposed air cooled 4 cycle .The cylinders were cast iron, The top of the drive leg was the crankcase and was pressure lubricated with an oil pressure gauge. The oil pump relief valve was adjustable when the engine was off the lower unit. The flywheel had cooling fins on the perimeter and was under the fuel tank. It used an updraft Tillotson carb on a split manifold.
Lauson was not selling outboards when i acquired it but Hart Carter Co in Peoria, Illinois had parts. It also had a neutral clutch which was a flat sided spring that wrapped around a drum. It didn't need water to initially test run but I did test it in a galvanized trash barrel and went fishing with my father a few times. Ran Ok but would run hot when towing a second boat that was in trouble. The cooling fan roared and it was large for it's power . My Lauson was much heavier then your Johnson!
I bet that motor is running better now than it did brand new. 100 % agree it's worth playing with Johnson's, and restoring old tools.
Hey all you beautiful people! I hope you enjoy the video, and have a great weekend! Want to support the channel for free? Check out my Amazon store: www.amazon.com/shop/farmcraft101. If you buy anything, even something not listed in my store, I get a small percentage from Amazon, and the cost to you does not change! Thank you for all the support!
I generally don't like telling other people what to do with their Johnson, but was really happy to see my 2 cents on air leaks & coil gap pay off for you! When the pond thaws, just 1, maybe 2 tugs on the ol Johnson she'll start right up. Don't forget to put a little sta-bil in the gas before putting her away wet!
A long long time ago when I was a boy living on Greenwood Lake NY/NJ, I salvaged two outboard engines: one a two-cylinder Elgine I think it was 15 HP, and the other was a two cylinder 25 HP Evinrude. My stepfather did most of the repairs and rework on the Elgine with me helping but the Evinrude was my project. I tore that engine down and rebuilt it from new parts. I had a lot of fun with those projects and learned a lot about how engines work. Great video John thumbs up. And thanks for bringing back those memories.
Glad to see that you fixed your junk. It took a bunch of subtle and not so subtle adjustments, but it looks like you finally got your Johnson straightened out. Now don't let it go again! 😉👍✌
Your dad is going to love it. I want to see his smile. Thanks for all your wonderful FarmCraft101 projects and videos.
The magic of working on a Johnson left me as a boy when taking my stepdad's Johnson powered McKee craft out on the local lake. Its favorite trick was to throw a coolant line inside the motor, which would then flood the entire thing with lake water. OMC and I haven't really seen eye to eye since about the third time that a buddy towed us home with a jet-ski.
I have watched I believe every episode. I've enjoyed each one. This is a nice retrospect and look back at the entire project. I must say Sir, you've done an excellent job of handling your Johnson.
I have an old Johnson which I need to get working. A friend gave it to me about 30 years ago. I soon got it running but I quickly I discovered the water pump wasn't pumping and when I went looking there was no impellor and no impellor housing so I stuck the Johnson in the shed where it has sat ever since.
Thanks for your series. It's been very instructional.
Enjoyed the video and entire series. The ending about fixing old things at the end really resonated.
Found one on the side of the road yesterday, doesn't look to be in too bad of shape so hopefull this'll help!
Needs hotter spark and probably go through the carb ! Had one like that and ran like a million bucks ! Excellent motor !
Your father will love the tour. You did an excellent job on the engine.
@22:18 I imagine that some of the spark was blocked by the "shutter?" or more accurately between frames
Just like my grandpa’s old motor! I loved his old shop and how it smelled. Reliable old technology!
Watching these videos brought so many memories with my dad back, we had one just like it we worked on it every spring to get it going for the summer but once she fired she was good for the summer, awesome videos truly enjoyed watching thank you
Really enjoyed these videos of you fixing your little johnson.
Nice! I love how you kept going down the rabbit hole; finding the variables and fixing it.
You Sure did give your Johnsen a good working over . I enjoyed the series lol .
Great video series. Enjoyed all parts. I actually have one of these motors that my father in law gave my wife for me. I've had it 15 years now. I did get it running back then after some tinkering. I feel every bit of pain you endured. Funny story, one night I woke up to the smell of raw gasoline. I went down in the basement to find a big pool of gasoline under this motor on its stand. It all leaked out through that vent in the float chamber. It was soon after that that I found out that the rebuild gaskets are no longer available. It hasn't run since. After viewing your videos I've now decided that this motor will forever be a non running artifact in my Johnson collection (all of the 1957 Johnson fleet on hand). This has to be one of the most complex 5 hp outboards of all time. Just the carburetor alone is a nightmare. I much prefer the simplicity of the design on its successor the CD 5.5 hp. I'm currently rebuilding a 1957 Evinrude 3 HP. These little 3s are my favoring toys. The run like sewing machines (2 cylinder). Again, Thank you for telling your story.
It's crazy cool to think that all of that watch-time (never mind REAL time) could be so compelling, and also distill down to this excellent sub-30 summary. This is an eddy of stick-to-it-ed-ness.
Your videos are inspiring, I thought the wooden lock and key was great, but this one tops them all.
This such I great story I desisted from the green Johnson joke, great job man.
I don't know, were those bad puns or dad jokes? Both probably.
Definite difference between 1 cylinder and 2 cylinder running. Doing a complete engine overhaul, while a pain, sure did a number on how well the engine worked and the engine's compression. UNGH... more puns... My dad (may he rest in piece) swore by that particular brand of gasket seal, he never had a problem with gaskets sealing after using it.
I've restored 3 wheelbarrows, several tools cleaned up that dad left behind, cleaned up a 50 yr old screwdriver and made a new handle for it (not professional looking), made a new handle for a hammer head by using old wheelbarrow handle, some field found tools (hammer buried and rusted, got it cleaned up). It's very satisfying to take something that isn't working and getting it back to working order. Still have 1 wheelbarrow I am working on, but got cold, and will be working on a barn find 1950's to 1960's all metal wheelbarrow with hard rubber wheel sometime this year. Worn out areas around the screws where they come through the barrow so I will have to get someone to weld them for me since I don't have that skill set. Ah, the life of living on a farm.
I find small outboard engine building fascinating. I just found your channel. I have subscribed and clicked the 🔔
It was great that you condensed the series. There is so much that I forgot about. It's almost like watching for the first time. It's pretty fun! Your Johnson is pretty cool!
Yeah, bc I don't remember you carrying your Johnson around like that in the series! You're crazy funny! 😂😆🤭
YES👍 I really like your videos especially "the green horse johnson" entertaining and the wisdom never give up. Because along the way, you always learn something regardless of the end result.🇸🇪
I love seeing a man working on his Johnson. Er um not like that. You did motivate me to trade some firewood for a 1984 Cleveland mill.
I picked brass off the ground, made a forge, did a few sand casts, and recycled it. I didn't have a lathe at the time, so I had to buy a tap. Love the videos and I can't wait to see you whip out your Johnson in the spring.
I hope you decide to restore the outside of that motor. Paint and decals would make such a difference. There is Johnson paint that can be had that is identical to the paint on that motor. Those dents would also be no problem to fix I have done it before to my 1947 and 1948 Martin outboards!! Thanks for the video!!!!
Thanks for the video, I’ve been in the hospital for two weeks and you have put a smile on my face. Much love to you and your family.
I have a variant of the same engine: it's a 1947 Johnson 2.5 hp; they made zillions of these after WW2, and mine was my grandfather's as well. About 25 years ago I found a little gumption and fixed the recoil rope, fired her up for a short time, and then put it aside without doing anything else. It sits there in my garage still. And seeing what it took to get this one going (especially fabricating parts on a lathe, etc.), I'm uncertain it will ever be started again. Maybe...
great to see you finish your johnson.
I love the funny nuances throughout this video.. please dont stop with those :)
I enjoy every video having something old come back to life. Even better, if they return to daily use. Especially engines :) Thank you for this one!
That was an interesting series. I have worked on older outboard motors, like a 28 Evinrude and a 30’s Elto quad, but never anything as new as a 52. My most enduring memory was needing to urinate every time I would test the motor running in the water and splashing. That made progress slow.
this is my first visit to your channel. great job on everything, I can tell you're a perfectionist. it makes me want to get out in the shop again.
Fix it or build it. Even if you take something apart and can't get it back together, you learn something. The first engine I ever worked on; a 1958 Alfa Romeo, I had numerous parts left over the first time I took just the head off. The second time I took it apart, I completely rebuilt it from the ground up, then jumped into it and drove it to California and back from Florida. 1976....
I really did like this video even though I have watched all the episodes of you fixing your Grandpa's Johnson. A very good synopsis of your work on the Johnson. Now you will have many years of enjoyment I am sure. Thanks for the video.
Honnestly ! I think I chuckled more on this series than any you've made but in this video you edited out most of the Johnson jokes ! what'a bummer ! anyway you know a man wants to get his Johnson going when his water bucket is completely frozen over ! that is dedication!
in the end.... a job well done..... and no extra parts left over ! that is definitely a win !
We had a 30 h.p. Johnson, maroon in color, Johnson changed colors in later years and you could get an estimated year by the color. It to was a little rough to get running right when rebuilt. After about fifteen hours of run time the need to adjust everything went away. It started and ran better and didn't require continued adjustments.
So you will be fighting it for awhile but that's going to get better.
All the work you put into it all the effort and energy the biggest payday of it all is being able to take your old man out on a boat propelled by his fathers engine..... that is priceless my boy........I WOULD GIVE BOTH ARMS TO GO FISHING WITH MY DAD AGAIN....... that's cool we would love to see your father's reaction
That Johnson Walk…so good.
I enjoyed this a lot....better than average by a mile
Great job on the recap; glad you found that leaky carb gasket; your Johnson's a keeper! I had a 1927 1-1/2hp Johnson and a 1956 7-1/2 HP Johnson; both great motors.
Excellent, buddy gave me a little old evinrude that was thrown in the trash. With a little tinkering it was ready to run again. 60s 3.5 hp model.
Hello, i am enjoying your post on the jhonson. I learned things... Thanks
Instant sub sir, can't believe I find a man working on his Johnson so amusing... but here I am🤣🤦🏻♂️
Sometimes when you are having trouble with the strokes of your Johnsson it may be beneficial to polish the crank.
Am proud of you! Well done on the engine!
I get the same satisfaction when I bring back an antique or vintage outboard. If they could only speak and tell us where they have been .......
I’ve got an Evinrude 3hp that I’ve been tinkering for a few years now. These videos have gave me some motivation plus so insight on what I need to do to get mine running again! Thanks for the content!
My neighbor gave me a 70's model Mercury 4.5hp. I'm waiting to find the "right" boat to put it on before I get too into it. Everything looks REALLY clean but there are obvious problems like the ground wire corroded and the plug wires look dry rotted. I look forward to it after this series. Plus I have two lakes nearby with a 9.9hp limit... and my main ride is quite a bit above that.
I truly appreciate you and agree with what you said bout the world is so disposable now days!! That’s why I have watched all your videos more than once!! You’re very knowledgeable and great at showing how something works. Great videos!! Can’t wait till the next one!! Be safe on the farm!!
Nice to see your johnson all done up. And you didnt even need a little blue pill.
Really liked the series about your johnson haha! Jokes aside, neat little outboard. Glad to see it live on!
I watched this whole series and it was great! I have 3hp Johnson JW-10 that I used when I was a kid, but it hasn't been started in close to 30 years. My dad thinks he left gas in the tank and carb too, so they'll certainly need a good cleaning. I'm not sure if I'll tear down the block or not but I'll definitely rebuild the carb and replace coils/points/condensers.
I don't know if this was dumb luck, but I also have a Johnson outboard I'm planning to return to service and happen to be watching your video series before realizing you had nearly the same motor I have!
Mine's a 3hp Johnson, so your Johnson is bigger than mine 😉, but it's a 2 cylinder and the same color too.
I'll be referencing your videos when rebuilding mine. Good work with all you've done! If I could post picture here I would.
Good luck. Enjoy the process!
Excellent job and very satisfying!
I really enjoyed watching this series. I just finished binge watching them. Did you and your Dad ever take that boat ride on the pond?
Would be cool if you just replaced the johnson decals. Have repro stickers made. I know it would mess with the originality, but i really think it would look better than to leave it alone. Job very well done. Thanks for the video.
Gorgeous engine looks magic.
Listen. My desire to see more of your cannon and firing it is stronger than your fear if losing your TH-cam channel. So I'm gunna need you to make that happen. Thanks Chief
In the end it sounds pretty good. I wondered a little bit that you never checked the timing of the ignition. May be there is an other little bit of improvement 🙂
Seen from the start and enjoyed the rebuild of your Johnson. Hope it did not do any undue harm to your person. I don't have a big Johnson any longer. Age. Hope you get help dragging yours' around but hope you get a cart or something for it.
Great work on your Johnson
Very good story and video. I learned alot!
I'm looking to pick one of these babes, the fella that's selling it says it might need new oil seals. I've looked on Evinrude/Johnson part website but their listing dose not go back that far. Where other year models fit this year (Johnson 46-49 TD20) motor. It's great to see these motors bring back to life, thanks.
I hate to mention this at such a late date, but your pistons were installed upside down. The flange on the piston is to direct the incoming fuel/air mix up to the cylinder head in order to efficiently scavenge the burned fuel/air out of the combustion chamber. It's a bit of a PITA to have to pull the crankcase apart again, but you'll get more power out of it and your idle will improve after it's done.
They aren't upside down. Installed them the same way they were, and the same way all 2 strokes are. Maybe you are thinking the intake and exhaust are opposite of what they actually are?
Since you have until spring a cosmetic overhaul seems plausible.
Love your play on words lol
I've got a 1941 Sea Horse you'd love it. It needs help too
Fully followed and appreciated! - Old git - UK
A strip of paper is how I used to space the coils from the flywheel magnets.
Idle is the most difficult phase to get an engine running well; the air/fuel mix is stratified and hard to ignite reliably
It takes ~3,000,000 volts to ionize 1 meter of dry air at sea level, or about 2,667v for 0.035" -- but if you're running 90-95lbs of compression, you'll need a bit over 20,000v to ionize that same gap!
That's why you need to check your spark across a wider gap than the plug itself.
Hahahaha. This was fantastic. One of the best videos on the internet.