Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

[Basher]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Hello Again,

Just got back from camping with the Cub Scouts! I just found a parts catalog on ebay, so hopefully I will not be bothering anyone for parts numbers again.

Wbeaton thanks for the help with the fuel filter I am going to try an keep the old girl as original as possible.

Happing Motoring

Basher

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Hey Basher...plain old fashioned oven cleaner is the shiz for stripping off the old paint/finish and cheaper than bead blasting...don't have someone sand blast it cause that can ruin/pit aluminum. Two coats with the oven cleaner should do it, then a water rinse (cover the powerhead). Let it dry and prime with a self-etching primer. Try Engine Blade and Prop in Milwaukee WI for parts...they specialize in old OMC's. The links page at aomci.org has a link to a guy in Canada that reformulates the original factory colors for several outboard brands. Good luck. I redid an FD-17 and plan to mount it and a 56 Johnson 15 hp as twin outboards on my boat when I'm finished refitting it. Sweet engines.

 

[Basher]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Hello Guys,

While I finally got started working on her. Here are some pics of the carb after installing new carb kit and a good deep clean, inside and out.

 

[Basher]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Well it has been a long cold winter, but the weather finally allowed me to work on my beast this weekend. Did a compression test, 85 on both cylinders. I thought I would try a decarb to see if I could not improve those numbers, but I did not have any spark. So out came the tool box and four hours later we got spark. I replaced everything, points, condensors, coils,wires, boots and plugs. After pulling the flywheel I saw my problem instantly. The old coils were badly worn and cracked. Thanks to everyone here for advice and at marinemanifold.com for parts.


Basher

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

It's still a long cold winter!

What do you expect for free! 85#'s a side is great in my books! Basher, whereabouts in Canada are you located?

 

[wbeaton]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Basher, whereabouts in Canada are you located?

I was just wondering the same thing.

 

[4.0l sahara]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

If I were you I would pull the head just to take a look and get any crap out of the water jackets. It's always nice to put a new gasket on and it's cheap. But thats just me.

 

[Basher]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

It's still a long cold winter!

What do you expect for free! 85#'s a side is great in my books! Basher, whereabouts in Canada are you located?

Calgary, Alberta 18 C Today Last week we had a record snowfall but it is all gone now.

Basher

 

[Basher]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Well everyone it purrs again!!!


Just came in from the back yard. Had to test it in a garbage can full of water as the lakes are still frozen around here but it purrs like a kitten. I love old motors it is great that you don't need an electrical degree to work on them.

Basher

 

[wbeaton]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Congrats. Its always nice to know the outcome. Enjoy the motor.

 

[Basher]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Here are some pics of the old and new ignition system and the motor running


Basher

 

[4.0l sahara]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Nice work. Also if you make a acount at photobucket.com you will not have to resize them so small.

 

[Basher]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Hey Guys,

I did a decarb on the old girl last night, smoked like crazy have not done a compression test since but everything seems to be running fine.

My question is a two parter.

1. Grey oily scum leaked from small pin hole in front bottom section of water impeller casing for several hours after decarb. Is this normal?

2. I have a new water impeller but I have misplaced my manual, it was on a cd-rom. I am sure that it will be simple to replace as everything else was rather uncomplicated to work on on this engine. Could someone give me a few pointers
on how to replace the impeller.


Basher

 

[wbeaton]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

The scum is normal.

To remove the impeller you must disconnect the shift linkage, which is located behind a small plate on the exhaust tower. Inside, you will see a coupler holding two rods. Remove the bottom screw of the coupler. Now remove the bolts that hold the lower unit to the exhaust tower and drop the unit. Remove the o-ring on top of the driveshaft. Remove the impeller housing and replace the impeller. Inspect the housing and wear plate. Replace if necesary. Installation is the reverse.

Some folks lube the impeller with dish soap. Replace the old o-ring on top of the driveshaft with the proper OEM o-ring. Grease the splines of the driveshaft as well. When reconnecting the shift rods make sure to line up the hollow of the shift rod with the bolt. Otherwise you'll stripout the threads and the linkage will fail.

 

[Basher]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Wayne

Thanks a lot you have been a great help. By the way I have stripped and repainted the cowling and I am in the process of stripping the old paint off the leg.

Wade

 

[Theoutdoorsman]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Did you use the oven cleaner trick? Just curious how well it worked.

 

[Basher]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

I tried the oven cleaner but good old fashioned paint stripper seems to be what was required here. The oven cleaner only seemed to work on the black paint not on the original holiday bronze underneath. guess they just just don't make paint like they used to. lol

wade

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

You can also repaint without doing a full strip, by sanding or steel-wooling the old color coat, plus any bare spots...then clean/rinse and do the zinc primer. That old paint has pretty good teeth to hold the new once you get the oxidation off of it.

 

[Basher]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

I did a full strip and sand on the cowl, followed by self etching primer and paint. I still need to attach the decals but here are some midway pics.

Wade

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Rebuilding a Johnson Seahorse FD-10

Nice paint job. One of these days I'll paint an engine!