TOPIC: 59 Johnson 75 hp Super Seahorse questions

Hello Boaters:

I'm new here, but an old boater. My wife and I have a 36' sailboat in the bay. She wanted something smaller to attend our yacht club events on the local lakes. Started looking around and found classic fiberglass boats and got hooked again.

Last weekend we bought a 1959 Dorsett Luxury Lexington from the original owner that had it stored in his shop since 1994. Our new project!

Brought the boat home, emptied it out, cleaned it up, hooked up a new battery, put some fuel mix in the tank, stuck the lower end in a barrel of water and low and behold she runs!

Now I only have about 80 or 90 questions about this motor, but let me just start with a few.

1) Do I need to spend the $ 600. for a mechanic, or can I fix the problems myself?
2) Starting at the fuel tank connection, it leaks like a sieve. Why?
3) When I squeezed the bulb in the fuel line, it never got hard, why?
4) Have I done damage by using the old fuel line with ethanol fuel?
5) When it was running, fuel was leaking around the motor. It appeared to be a cracked fuel line, one that had original paint on it. The other lines were newish looking. Does this motor have a chronic/historic fuel leaking problem? Could I be right about the fuel line?
6) The mechanic I talked to said the fuel pump diaphragm is probably shot or will be soon. Should I rebuild the fuel pump?
7) How the hell do I get to the water pump impeller? Will I loose all of the lower end lube when drop the lower end?
8) When I drained the lower end, about 8 ounces of clean water came out first, then clean oil about 12 ounces. The book says the lower end holds 32 ounces of oil. What's up with all that? Seals?
9) How do the carburetors work with all of those adjustments and reeds(?) ?
10) I have a choke button but no wiring. Can I get that?
11) There are wires stubbed out and labeled for a generator, but no generator. Can I get one of those?

Anyway, any answers you can provide will be much appreciated.

Really looking forward to restoring this beauty.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike,
Well first welcome aboard, glad your here. Now I'll try and answer what I know and others who are smarter can pipe in.

1)No these motors are fairly easy to work on yourself.
2/3/4) I would just get a new fuel line and be done with it, easier that way. there's no telling what kind of shape the old one is inside.
5)I would replace all the fuel lines on the motor with new ethanol resistant lines. Measure it out and buy one long chunk at the auto parts store.
6)May be necessary depending on when it was done last. If it's still the original then definitely. Again not that expensive good insurance.
7)You'll have to unbolt the lower unit and it shouldn't leak any oil. It's fairly straight forward. The hardest part is bending the impellor fins the right way and getting the shift linkage to line up. When you drop the lower unit you'll have to make sure you disconnect the shift linkage on the side of the motor. There's a small kind of football shaped cover on the side that has another one inside it. Remove the screws and you'll see the linkage with a small connector sleeve that has two bolts in it. You only have to loosen one.
8)Hard to say may be bad seals. If it's sat for a real long time then it could be condensation build up. Not sure why the oil would be low unless it's leaked out, bad seals, hence the water inside possibly.
9) Don't touch the reeds in the intake manifold. They're set at the factory. Depending on the age you may want to get a carb rebuild kit also. Not hard to do.
10)You should be able to get the electric choke solenoid for it but it probably won't be real cheap.
11)Generator's for those motors are like hens teeth and if you do find one it will be ridiculously priced. I have a 1959 Evinrude Golden Jubillee 50 hp, fondly called fat fifties due to their size. It doesn't have a generator either. I looked for a while then gave up.

Hope that helps a little. When you get ready to do stuff and have questions let us know. There are quite a few places that carry parts for your motor, including Ebay. Right down the model number and goggle it.

Bob

Bob:

Thanks for your response. All that info answers so many questions for me, you can't imagine.

I'm ready to dive in!

Thanks again,

Mike

Mike, always glad to see someone come aboard. We're a group of shadetree mechanics, professional motor mongers, experienced boaters, fiberglass experts, and all in all a good crowd to hang with.
Bob said it all.
Don't know how handy you are with a wrench but those repairs and replacements are all pretty straight forward simple. The older OMCs require no special tools other that a good set of sockets and two screw drivers, phillips and straight. Most of the bolts are standard 1/4" thread.
Don't be afraid to post any question.
Cal

Thanks Cal:
Been around boats all my life, I'm a contractor, I built a 20' sloop, just no experience with these big outboards.
I'll be having some questions.
Thanks in advance for your help!

Mike

Mike, I was where you are last fall. Those same questions applied to my 59 Four Fifty. The people here helped me off the ledge. I have kept every note, picture, video, etc that I found. On a recent trip our boat hit 100 mph. Don't believe me just ask my 5 year old grandson.

I am no expert but have learned a lot. Fire off those questions.

Ron

Mike H,

WELCOME ABOARD.

yours, satx

Mike, I would keep your blow boats a secret around here
Then on the other hand reading some of the stories of how we get stranded on the water it might not be a bad idea to at least carry an old bed sheet in the gear locker for use on a breezy day.

Hello again;
Today I purchased new fuel lines and ss hose clamps to replace the fuel lines and vacuum pulse lines that power the fuel pump. I think the lower starboard side vacuum line was a source of a fuel leak. Accessing the ends of the lines to tighten hose clamps is a bitch. I had about 20% replaced when visitors arrived and happy hour started. A recurring theme here.
Next steps are to remove engine, rebuild carb, fuel pump, ignition, waer impeller.
Questions:
1) Where is the best site for parts?
2) Is that engine tilt support bracket sturdy enough for trailering?
3) The serial number for this engine ends in 63. The boat is a 59. My research shows no 75 hp johnsons were made in 59. Is my engine a 63?
4) Do you ever trailer these with the engine down? I have about 12" clearance from skeg to ground.

Thanks for v your help gu ugh s!

Mike

The model number would tell us more. Pictures always help also. They started making the 75 in 1960 I believe.

I have a 64 75hp Super Seahorse that the previous owner had serviced/repaired by someone who knew what they were doing. It is definitely a great running and sounding motor when you get it opened up. Watch your fuel gauge!
I have the original service, parts and accessories books if you need something looked up.
Good luck with your project.

Mike H. wrote:

Hello again;
Today I purchased new fuel lines and ss hose clamps to replace the fuel lines and vacuum pulse lines that power the fuel pump. I think the lower starboard side vacuum line was a source of a fuel leak. Accessing the ends of the lines to tighten hose clamps is a bitch. I had about 20% replaced when visitors arrived and happy hour started. A recurring theme here.
Next steps are to remove engine, rebuild carb, fuel pump, ignition, waer impeller.
Questions:
1) Where is the best site for parts?
2) Is that engine tilt support bracket sturdy enough for trailering?
3) The serial number for this engine ends in 63. The boat is a 59. My research shows no 75 hp johnsons were made in 59. Is my engine a 63?
4) Do you ever trailer these with the engine down? I have about 12" clearance from skeg to ground.

Thanks for v your help gu ugh s!

Mike

1) www.marineengine.com/parts/johnson-evinrude-parts.php 3) Need the MODEL number to look up the year. Don't be surprised if the motor is a 1960, dealer may have put a "new" motor on a leftover '59 boat he still had in stock. 2 and 4) Get a transom saver. Worth every cent. www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-RollerFrame-Mount-Transom-Saver/1809397.uts?WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products Many sizes/ types available, shop carefully.

Thanks, I may have some questions. Can't wait to get it all tuned up.

Thanks Kerry,
Found my engine and parts in your link.
Is that belt with the teeth a timing belt?
Thanks, mike

Yes the belt keeps the distributor / magneto timed.

Mike H,

WELCOME ABOARD.

yours, satx

Great thread!

I've got a 1960 Evinrude 75hp and also a 1958 Evinrude 50hp. I've noticed that the carb is the same. Looks like the starter, generator, distributor and quite a few other parts are the same. I don't have a generator for my 75hp but there is one on the fifty. There is also no belt puller under the flywheel for the generator. Anyone know if the one under the fifty flywheel is a bolt on for the 75hp?

I know I could start my own thread for my questions but though keeping all this info in one thread my benefit the O.P. and everyone else.

Thanks

I don't have any experience with generators on these motors but could it be as simple as a larger belt?

Ron

I've been trying to find a generator. Called about three boat wreckers and no one has had one.

On my 75 horse, I can't understand how a generator would be driven. Maybe with the magneto belt? Maybe with an additional pully under the mag belt pully?

I'd like to know when you find out.

Good Luck!

Mike

I've got a generator on my 58 fat 50. The puller under the flywheel is twice as wide as the pulley under the 75hp flywheel. It's a separate belt than the magneto belt. The two belts ride side by side, at least they do on the fat 50.

Try these guys. Right up the road from me.
www.greenbayprop.com/

Here's how the generator mounts on the Fat Fifty. This is a '58.

I did try them and no. He didn't have one.

Ah ha. I figured it would be something like that. To get one installed on my 75, I would have to add that pully under the fly wheel.

Hey Guy, thanks for posting that pic. I always wonder why Johnson's had that extra bracket, I thought it was a different starter option or for duel starters. Matt

HELP!

I finished the work on the boat, trailer and upholstery. I replaced all of the fuel lines and rebuilt the lower end with new gaskets and impeller.

I lowered the motor into a can of water and started the engine. It was hard to start, ran rough, would not rev up and would die when I tried to idle the throttle. While it was running, I pulled off plug wires one at a time and discovered that one cylinder was not firing. It must be getting spark because it shocked the shit out of me when I grabbed the wire. Could it be a bad plug? A bad wire? Or?

The other thing that happened yesterday, I lowered the engine down to work on it and water and oil mix dripped out of the lower end. I opened the drain plug to inspect the brand new lower end oil and it was milky with water. Also, I remember when I tank tested it, the water became very oily. What have I done or did I not do?

Thanks,

Mike

Mike
Your spark issue may be your points and condenser. Try cleaning and regaping. replacing them is cheap, around $25-30. Cylinders 1&3 and 2&4 have separate points, chances are one side is firing better than the other. If its a weak spark it will shock but may not have enough to run right, also try touching the heads to see if one side is hotter than the other.
Did you clean the carb?
May not be getting enough fuel, weak pump? Check that by pulling drain plugs on carb. Also are your adjustment needles set right? I start at 1 turn out and go from there.
Gas and oily nasty stuff coming out the lower after runing it is normal, these motors spit out about 10-15% raw un-burnt fuel out the exhaust!
Water in lower oil may be shaft seals?
Hope some of this helps!
Matt

Thanks Matt, that all helps. Mike

The Generator was a very expensive option on these motors, and it's output was feeble: maybe 6 amps. The distributor belt pulley under the flywheel is designed to accommodate a 2nd "piggyback" pulley for the generator drive. The generator drive pulley is held fastened to the timing pulley with 3 special pan-head screws.

Most people don't realize it, but these are DC Generators with field coils. In order for the generator to work, it must be connected to a special regulator box that controls the field coil windings. The regulator was built into a special "tall" cover the for the engine relay or switch box. These can be very difficult to find in working condition. Also, be prepartd to pay a Kings Ransom for the drive belt - which is different that the distributor belt (if memory serves me correctly)


On the cylinder that seems to be cold - pull the spark plug and look at it. Is it firing at all? Is it wet with fuel? If the plug appears dry - the reeds are likely stuck closed - glued to the reed block by old gummy fuel deposits. Swap out the sparkplug with one from another cylinder and see if the "dead " cylinder moves with the plug. Also - do a compression check on all 4 cylinders. New, these engines pushed between 90-105 PSI compression cranking pressure. Worn engines may have 70-80 pounds compression (which is pretty average for these) Contrary to what you might read or hear - these engines will run fine on 70PSI compression. They won't be race engines, but the pistons are so huge, and it burns so much fuel that the engine will still have most of it's original horsepower.

In the lower corner of this photo you can see the original voltage regulator box. That's what it looks like. I guess they're hard to find. Sorry it's not a better picture.
Verne


I also looked up the specs on the optional generator. It says it can provide up to 10 amps.

I just picked up a 1961 gale 60 hp, got her a few weeks ago. I don't see anything diffrent in the voltage regulatur box.
Im pretty sure a later model flywheel and stator would bolt right on. Say like a 66,67 the regulatur is mounted under the hood as well. Nope nevermind, you'd have to change the destributor as well(not worth messing with) but those later motors will charge your battery!

I don't know why my photo went away. I always have trouble with photos on this site. Trying again.
Verne

Bruce Gerard wrote:

Also, be prepartd to pay a Kings Ransom for the drive belt - which is different that the distributor belt (if memory serves me correctly)

I do not think $5.08 is a Kings Ransom ...however these do not have OMC on them but work just as well

shop.polybelt.com/255L037-Black-Rubber-Belt-0375-inch-Wide-68-Tooth-B255L037BNG.htm?categoryId=-1

Out of stock right now however if you need on right away and care not that it is not black; you have to pay a bit more

shop.polybelt.com/255L037-Polyurethane-Belt-Steel-Cords-68-Tooth-B255L037FPS.htm