OK Guys,...... I'm out of My league here.....

[Bondo]

Hi All,......

I've got a 1954 Johnson, 5.5hp outboard that I bought at auction many years ago,....
It came with it's pressure tank,+ everything is/ was in Cherry condition....

Well,..... It sat in storage til a couple years ago,... I pulled it out,+ had it gone thru by a local shop here.... Installed it on the 12' rowboat for the kids to play with.....
It's ran Perfectly,....... Til last weekend when I tried to use it for pulling the Houseboat across the river to get it on it's trailer....
I've used it in this capability a couple of times since last year when I stole the Houseboat at auction....
Well,....
Last weekend, I had the Tugboat hooked up to the Houseboat,+ as soon as I had Deb release the last of the mooring lines,......
The Wind kicked up,+ the Motor Died........
After a short but Extremely Exciting ride,...... I managed to get things back to the mooring lines by continuously Pumping the Tank to keep the motor running........
After deciding to borrow a Bigger Tugboat,.... I took the 5.5hp off the rowboat,+ brought it home to Fix it.......
What I've found is a Hole in the bottom of the tank,.....
Which brings me to my Question........

Is there a Work-around to salvage this motor,..??..??......

I read the sticking thread about it, but it seems the higher hp motors in that thread are of a slightly different design,......
I guess I'm looking for a way to add a Fuel Pump to this little bitty motor,...
But,.... The pressure port is under the Carb,+ not along side the motor like is stated in the sticky thread.......

So,........
Can it be Done,.......
Or,......
Do I have to repair the Tank,..??..??.....

Thanks..........

 

[samo_ott]

Re: OK Guys,...... I'm out of My league here.....

I have a '54 5.5hp. But they're all about the same anyway.

So you actually have a hole in the tank? As in at the bottom and all the fuel leaked out or at the top and you just lost pressure? If the top, can you not seal it? JB weld comes to mind? You can buy another pressure tank on ebay easily if you want or go to A local AOMCI meet and get one cheap.

And lastly, yes you can easily add a fuel pump on to it and use a regular tank but purists will frown at you! There's threads on this forum about adding a pump to the 5.5 and 7.5 as it's slightly different then the larger motors...

By all means dont give up on it, it's an easy fix

Here, this link is exactly what you want:

outboard-boat-motor-repair.com/Johnson/Pressureized%20Fuel%20Tanks.htm

 

[wbeaton]

Re: OK Guys,...... I'm out of My league here.....

I'd just buy another tank. It'll be cheaper. Keep an eye on eBay or other places like that.

 

[Bondo]

Re: OK Guys,...... I'm out of My league here.....

Thanks for the link,..... I've saved it,+ will study it tonite.....

I'm not a Purist,..... I just want the motor to Run when I pull the recoil.......

 

[dimock44]

Re: OK Guys,...... I'm out of My league here.....

Try a radiator/muffler repair shop. The local one here repairs gas tanks while still on the vehicle.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: OK Guys,...... I'm out of My league here.....

Hey Bondo,
I've got a couple tanks that are solid, but need a good cleaning. I pass your Bradley St. place daily - I can swing by if you want one...
- Scott

 

[Bondo]

Re: OK Guys,...... I'm out of My league here.....

Ayuh,....... Thanks for the offer Scott,.......

I'm thinkng that I can possibly patch the hole in the bottom of the tank I have,.... possibly......

I haven't really looked it over that closely just yet,...
The hole is just slightly off center in the bottom,..... 1st thing I've got to do is drain it, take it apart,+ actually Look at it.....
I'm pretty handy with epoxy,+ I still have a good selection of thickeners, so I might just Patch it from the inside.....

I was just thinking that converting it to a fuel Pump might be a better long term fix......

I'll keep ya all posted................

 

[F_R]

Re: OK Guys,...... I'm out of My league here.....

If the tank is rusted through, trash it...unsafe. However, if it just has a small hole for some unknown reason, with good metal around it, solder it. You will need a good heavy duty soldering iron to get it hot enough. Needless to say don't torch it for obvious reasons.