just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

[Mr.Stuart]

I just thought I'd show off my boat motor, I got it cleaned up today, this is a motor I found at a garage sale last summer, I got two for 25 bucks.

I'm hoping to use this one this summer.

I also got lucky yesterday and found a pretty nice 1966 Evinrude 18 horse with electric start for 50 bucks

the motor in the pictures is a 1955 Johnson 5.5 seahorse, I located all the parts needed to tune it up, except one, where can I find a float for the carb?

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

Very nice! This is a '56 5.5 that I picked up a couple weeks ago. Needed a rebuild (had eaten a connecting rod) but was in otherwise nice cosmetic shape! Ran it all last weekend...
- Scott

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

Is your existing float shot or are you trying to replace it as a matter of course? I reused my original float as it was in good shape. If it ever gets gas-logged, I think the OEM carb kits come with a plastic float. You can get them at a Johnrude dealer... (the Sierra kits do not come with a float).
- Scott

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

Is your existing float shot or are you trying to replace it as a matter of course? I reused my original float as it was in good shape. If it ever gets gas-logged, I think the OEM carb kits come with a plastic float. You can get them at a Johnrude dealer... (the Sierra kits do not come with a float).
- Scott

my plan is to replace the float as a matter of course, I figured while I had it apart, I could replace what ever might fail me down the road, I'd hate to get the boat out on the river or lake and get caught with a dead outboard just because I over looked something, so as a precaution, I figured I'd replace everyting just on the account of because, and replace everything in the ignition system as well.

there's a nice web page on the net I'm sure everyone knows about that takes you step by step through a complete tune up for this motor, that link is here http://www.outboard-boat-motor-repair.com/Johnson/default.htm

I figured if I followed that to a "T" I should come out ok with this little motor.

I'll shop around Iboats for the parts, to see if I can come up with something better then what i can get through my local NAPA autoparts store.

that's a nice seahorse you have there, looks good, I wanted a red one, but ended up with this green thing, which is ok, it's in good shape, I just happen to like red better

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

I did a compression test on the motor today and came up with 80 pounds of compression on each cylinder, just thought I'd ask, but 80 pounds is acceptable isn't it?

I've been online looking for a repair and a parts manual, but can't find either one unless I want to pay a small fortune for them, I need the parts manual more then the repair manual but having the repair manual would still be nice.

There?s a gasket under the motor and if I pull the motor off to change out the impeller, I'd like to be able to change out that gasket, but don't know what the part number is for it so I can look for one.

 

[jasper60103]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

Hey, Mr. Stuart.
Nice little motor you got there.

I was following your "Boats on a Budget" thread.
Just wondering if this motor is going on that boat?
Btw, I never heard the conclusion of the story.
Maybe you could fill us in?

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=225499&page=1

jasper

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

More then likely, at some point I?ll use that motor on the "budget boat" but I have a little 10 foot fiberglass I was thinking of running the motor on this summer.

I just picked up an 18 horse Evinrude for dirt cheap that I'll be using on the budget boat.

I still have that boat by the way, but haven't been able to do anything with it since I got it painted, I'll have to update that thread, I do have some additional plans for it, but as budgets go .....The budget boat isn't in my budget at the moment.

I'm a little slow, it will eventually get done, but like the rest of my projects, it takes time.

 

[jasper60103]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

No pressure on the projects. We all have a few that never seem to
get done.

That's a nice pair of motors. I'm sure you'll enjoy them both. Hopefully
you can get at least one rigged for fishing this summer.

I was out on the lake this morning catching sunnies and just motoring around enjoying the view. You can't beat it!

jasper

 

[samo_ott]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

Stuart, I have the parts manual for the '54 and '56 5.5's. I can email either or both pdf's to you if you pm me your email address. I think the '55 is closer to the '54 but you can check both. They will have the parts #'s for the gaskets.

BTW, $50 for a '66 E18 electric start is a awesome deal. I'd buy them everyday at that price. I currently have the exact same engine, pull start only that I am trying to sell for $450! The ad is here:

http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad/9131065

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

the weather is turning nice here to, and I've been looking at the budget boat and scratching my head thinking "I need to work on this" it's so close I don't think it would take much to get it water ready, I just want to be sure i di it rightm not get in a hurry on it and have it turn out looking less then I'd expect out of it.

I got lucky with the Johnson 5.5 and the Evinrude 18, the last time I had the budget boat out on the water, i ran it with an Evinrude 9.9 and it did fine, with one person, it would cook along at something like 17 or 18 MPH, so with the 18 horse, it should just about fly I would think.

I have way to many projects and kind of bounce all over the place, but I'll update threads as i work on stuff, so the budget project is far from over, and will get finished

 

[samo_ott]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

Very nice! This is a '56 5.5 that I picked up a couple weeks ago. Needed a rebuild (had eaten a connecting rod) but was in otherwise nice cosmetic shape! Ran it all last weekend...
- Scott

Hey Scott... How ya doing? is that the 5.5 bombing around on the St. Lawrence? I just picked up the same engine this week. It needed a lot less work that yours though. It only needed a recoil spring and a engine mount. Beats me where the last mount went but it sure wasn't there! I got it and a good pressure tank for a running 4443, 1950 E7.5. Pics included... The best part is it had new coils and they say a new carb kit. It runs great... but so far in the barrel only.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: just cleaned up my old 5.5 seahorse

BTW, $50 for a '66 E18 electric start is a awesome deal. I'd buy them everyday at that price. I currently have the exact same engine, pull start only that I am trying to sell for $450! The ad is here:

http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad/9131065

yup that's the same one I have, yours looks to be in about the same cosmedic condition mines in, but I'm missing the tiller handle on mine, I got it with all the bracketry used for remote steering, throttle, starting, ect, so I'm sure the tiller handle was removed years ago. it's in pretty good shape for it's age, and for 50 bucks, I couldn't pass it up, even if it is minus the tiller handle, I'll eventually find one for it.