when did johnson add gear shift?

[marquette]

does any know when or where i can find out when johnson (OMC) added forward and reverse to the 6hp. i have a 1978 4hp that just has throttle and turn around reverse. i know at the time some of the 6hp had foward and neutral but still turn around reverse. when did they finally put reverse on the 6hp?
thanks
mnfish

 

[ezeke]

Re: when did johnson add gear shift?

My 1965 Johnson 6hp has a standard forward neutral reverse gearcase. It is entirely mechanical and is not materially different from my oldest 9.5HP gearcase which is 1963.

I show the 5.5 models with standard forward neutral reverse as far back as 1954 or until it basically became the 6HP.

The 10HP has standard forward neutral reverse at least as far back as 1951.

 

[wbeaton]

Re: when did johnson add gear shift?

The 6 hp always had FNR as did its predecessor the 5.5 hp. The 4 hp deluxe model also has FNR. The 3 hp and all its variants including the 3.3, 4, 4.5, etc. all have fulltime drive. For a while the 5 hp Johnson/Evinrudes of the late 1960's and possibly early 1970's shared the old 3 hp angle drive lower so no FNR there. But in answer to your question, the 6 hp (1965-1979) always had FNR.

 

[wbeaton]

Re: when did johnson add gear shift?

The 10 hp (QD-10) was Johnson's first FNR and was introduced in 1949.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: when did johnson add gear shift?

Ditto on the 6hp always having FNR. You may be thinking of a 5hp motor that OMC made, which was based on the 4hp that didn't have FNR. The 5hp shared the cover, cowl pan, midsection and LU with the 4hp. Since the LU was of the direct drive (no N or R) type, the 5hp was forward only. What confuses some folks is that the powerhead in this motor was essentially the same one that was in the 6hp motors of that era.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: when did johnson add gear shift?

'49 was the first FNR? Cool, I didn't know the year.