1961 Johnson FD-15 Electric Start

[MiOutboarder]

Hi everyone,
I recently acquired a FD-15 18hp outboard. What I'm confused about is this outboard has an electric start on it, but I cannot find anything about the electric start anywhere on the internet. Some people have even said that this model didn't come with electric start. I've attached pictures of the plug for the electric start. Can anyone help me with this?

 

[racerone]

You can not believe " some people " in this case.----Sure they came with electric start right from the factory.---They had them in 1958 too.---There was a seperate junction box with the solenoid. Wiring harness that plugged right into the motor.-----If you do not have the wiring harness then it is easier to make up your own.-----Find an electric start wiring diagram and have a go at.

 

[just_james]

Check out leeroysrambling.com

 

[lindy46]

You can actually order a new harness for that motor ($275) but that system and your motor are designed for a remote key-start at the front of the boat. You would still need a starter solenoid and junction box, and of course, the ignition switch. If you're going to use it as a tiller motor, I'd just replace the plug on the motor with a push-button start. You will still need a starter solenoid, some heavy cables for the battery hookups and other 12-14 gauge wires, but the solenoid can be mounted under the hood. You can also mount a push-button for a kill switch on the pan. Pretty simple job with a wiring diagram.

 

[F_R]

I believe you will find that the electric start was an accessory kit that year. Look in the accessories parts book for replacement parts.

Edit: Notice it says Push to Stop above the cable plug. That is because it came as a rope start and there was a stop button in that hole. The accessory electric start kit replaced the stop button with the cable plug.

 

[MiOutboarder]

Very interesting information guys and I thank you all! I'm sure as I am about to google it, there will be some pics of a wiring harness out there somewhere on the internet, but do any of you have a wiring diagram to be used with a push button? Thank you all so much again

 

[oldboat1]

I would remove the plug and the attached wiring, and save it for future use. Use the wiring as a template for making and connecting a harness -- negative lead, pos lead and two black leads for a kill switch/button (believe the black kill switch leads would have knife connectors under the hood -- if not, would install connectors when cutting wires, again for potential future use.) Run the new wires through the opening vacated by the plug you removed, or use that opening for a stop button and drill another hole in the pan for the starter wiring.

I used a plastic electrical box (Lowes) for mounting a solenoid at the transom -- have a start button at the box. 8 or 12 gauge wire goes from the starter to the solenoid, with a ground wire from the powerhead to the negative battery post. Solenoid is on the positive side of the starter circuit, battery (+) to one of the large posts, and the motor lead to the other one. You need to ground the solenoid if not mounted in the engine pan (Don't use an automobile solenoid, btw.). I don't recall offhand how the starter button is wired -- think it's between the main post and one of the small ones, but you can figure that out easily enough.

If you come up with a harness at some future point, you can substitute that. In terms of performance, though, you can make one that works as well or better than the factory one (worn out factory one, anyway).

 

[Crosbyman]

you will find FD electrical info page 502..onward in this book it is not precisely your engine but conceptually helpfull info to "start" with .

http://boatinfo.no/lib/johnson/manuals/1922-1964johnson.html#/0

 

[oldboat1]

or here, come to think of it: http://www.fiberglassics.com/wiki/images/2/2a/Evinrudeservice001.pdf

 

[Joe Reeves]

FD-15 = 1961 18hp Johnson...... The 18hp did not come from the factory equipped with a electric start setup. However OMC did provide a complete electric starter kit that one could install. Going back through the years to my OMC 1992 Parts & Accessories book, this kit (N/A now)..... was, at the time:

Part # 171845 - Fitting the 1958 through 1976 - 18hp, 20hp, 25hp, listing then for $239.80. (1992 OMC Accessory Book)

You did not state your problem. What is it or what are you attempting to do?

 

[SeaKaye12]

No Title

Here's a page from the accessory catalogue.

 

[F_R]

Shoulda bought a few hundred of those motor stands. Anybody notice what they are asking for them now?

 

[Joe Reeves]

Shoulda bought a few hundred of those motor stands. Anybody notice what they are asking for them now?

Letssee now... $9.50 back then... probably about $179.50 today.