# 1950's 10 HP Johnson rescue



## Kismet (Jul 24, 2014)

Found this motor from a lady whose father-in-law had died. She asked small money and said he'd run it last year. Pretty clean, inside and out.

Clean gas, checked plugs, put it on a transom and in a barrel and figured out the double hose system, and it started up. Took a little preliminary adjusting, checking the water stream, etc, but seems like a nice ole hoss. I didn't run it long, just enough to verify the stream, ease the idle, and smile at my good fortune. The double hose system doesn't bother; works fine for many people. Only problem I see is if something goes wrong with it, and I need a quick replacement. Think I'd have to shop online.

Found the serial number on the power head, but darned if I can find a chart. I may have looked at the right pages and just didn't read them right. Dunno.

Could use some help on narrowing down the year. Looks like the profile of this 1953 ad.



Silver plug in power head is stamped 1335609. No letters nor nameplate id anywhere I could find.

Thank you, very much.


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## Kismet (Jul 24, 2014)

Well, took it apart a bit today. 

Seems the powerhead is 1956, with the shift on the side, the cover was painted years ago and re-decaled, and the lower unit is from a Johnson 20hp, and the transom clamp is anybody's guess. 

I will be replacing a lower seal and the impeller, and maybe a couple of O rings.

Still think it is a neat old hoss.


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## JMichael (Jul 24, 2014)

They say it didn't happen if there ain't no pictures. :roll: :lol:


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## Kismet (Jul 26, 2014)

No pictures, but I'm half-way through this procedure. Waiting for parts. I have yet to encounter the "what the HECK???!!!???" issue that always seems to crop up on the easiest jobs, but I'm sure it's coming.

Marine engine mechanic said original lower unit was more slender and that this one was the one used on 15, 18, and 20 hp OMC engines. I dunno. I DO know that as the years go by, these things get heavier, and on this unit, the transom clamp is so tight that I have to lean the engine forward to slide it off the transom. Only took about 5 minutes to work that out. Good thing I have these massive forearms. 

Duckworks magazine.
https://www.duckworksmagazine.com/06/columns/max/index7.htm


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## Kismet (Aug 2, 2014)

While waiting for parts, I felt sorry for the orphaned old engine.  

So I went Craig's listing hunting.


Came home with a 1980 Alumacraft F-7, tired from the sun, but not in bad shape, AND with a trailer that won't require twice its worth in repair. Didn't take the Sea King 9hp part of the package.

I seem to have lost my enthusiasm for extensive rehabbing, but I'll clean it up a bit and when I get the engine back together, I'll see how the ole Johnson 10 likes the 14' F 7. 

I'm not finding many write-ups on the F 7, which was the successor to my model F. One post said it was a bit heavier, and maybe thicker, but it was a casual post and not definitive.

So, I have this year's project's materials.

:?


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## Pappy (Aug 2, 2014)

If your 10hp is shaped like the ones in the brochure photo then it is 1954 or earlier.
The double line tank system is actually more robust in design than the engine mounted fuel pump that replaced it. 
Very little fuel touches the diaphragms which are all in the black tank top. All rebuild parts for that tank are still available by the way. 
That engine should be run on no less than a 24:1 mixture. 
Your Model F Alumacraft you just bought is a great boat! Super platform for running these old vintage engines. 
I have had as many as three of the old QD model 10hp engines so far and love the way they run. 
This one should have the vertical shift in the front of the cowling in in this vintage.


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## Kismet (Aug 2, 2014)

Pappy? Here's the story on the 10hp Johnson:

OK, I'm waiting for a seal and an impeller for a repainted (Johnson Green) 1956 10hp Johnson, with shift on the side, with a lower from a 20 hp johnson, and some no-name transom clamp. Figure some guy needed a new lower and decided to go with the heavier duty-used in many models-lower, then painted the upper to match. Colors changed from forest green to ?root beer? in the mid-50s, but you can see the '56 color under the cowling. It has the pressurized tank with dual hoses, but started right up with decent water pumping when I got it. I just am putting in a new impeller because you never know...the old one looks tired.

Thanks.


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## Pappy (Aug 3, 2014)

Sounds like a fun engine!
If shift is on the side then it is 1955 or later. 
If it was originally a green 10hp with the shift on the side then it was a 1955 only engine. 
1956 and later went to the Holiday Bronze paint colors. 
The 1955, 56, and 57 years all had the heavier duty 15/18hp lower unit on them. Starting in 1958 that changed to the smaller unit. 
If it is indeed a 1955 then make sure you run a heavy oil mixture. That particular year had a habit of quickly wearing out the cylinder walls to the point there was a ridge in them and/or wearing out the wrist pin bores in the pistons. Not a big issue these days as most of us don't run these vintage engines like they were originally run and you apparently have a survivor.


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## Steve A W (Aug 4, 2014)

Pappy
I've got a 1954 QD15 that is the same shroud design as the 1955 QD16. Did they still make the egg shape shroud into the 1954 line?
The 1953 QD and the 1954 QD have the Sea Horse embossed on the lower leg.
Are You the same Pappy from AOMCI?

Steve A W


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## Pappy (Aug 4, 2014)

Steve - You are correct! I had forgotten completely about the one with the Sea Horse logo cast into the exhaust housing.... Good call !
Same Pappy by the way.


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## Kismet (May 7, 2015)

Hey Pappy, we got pictures! Bottom rebuilt, new impeller, carb cleaned, etc.

Just cleaned off the 56 10 hp Johnson, put it in a 30gal barrel and started it up, but didn't get the pee hole stream I wanted. Put it in the 55 gallon barrel and life is good! This has a water intake that needs a great capacity of water in the tank to bring in sufficient water to cool it, apparently. I needed to put it deeper into the barrel, the 30 was a bit too shallow. 

I'd put it on Craig's list, but took it off. Next year I'll have fuel pump put on and sell/trade the double line tank to some one in search of one. I've got two single line tanks. _(Edit: plan on putting this on the 1956 Alumacraft RB I saved from the wrecker's yard.)_

Neat motor; runs like it wants to cross one of the Great Lakes.

View attachment 3



View attachment 1


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## Pappy (May 7, 2015)

That is a '55. New styling. In 1956 they went to the same color as the powerhead.


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## onthewater102 (May 7, 2015)

I have a '55 5.5hp and a '53 10hp - please share where you found parts for that old motor - suppliers are starting to dry up for me.


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## Pappy (May 8, 2015)

Most ignition parts are available through any good Evinrude dealer as are gearcase seals, water pump parts and ignition parts. Support your local dealer whenever possible. 
Marine engine has them as well. 
www.aomci.org is also a great place to find parts.


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## SumDumGuy (May 8, 2015)

Get in touch with Dan....

Dan Gano at ganotech.com... really nice guy and goes out of his way to help a person out.

I believe he also frequents AOMCI.ORG


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## Kismet (May 8, 2015)

Onthewater?

I got my parts through the marine mechanic who orders Evinrude/Johnson parts from various dealers. Getting the parts was no problem.


Have a good summer. 

Pappy? A '55? I thought the bronze powerhead started in '56. Huh. 

Thank you. I'm running it rich right now since I don't know its immediate history. I'll lean it out to 24 to 1 as I fill the tank.


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## Kismet (May 8, 2015)

The Alumacraft F-7 didn't need much. I scoured the interior, painted the trailer, spar urethaned the transom, replaced, stained and protected the engine plate, but stopped short of repainting the interior, and stopped FAR short of using brillo pads on the hull--I'm too old for that stuff anymore. 

I think I'm out of the rehab business. It was fun while I lasted. 

Listed it and it went down the road within 10 days. Sweet little boat.

I was going to make the motor and boat a package, but the motor wasn't done, and I think I'll do better selling them separately, if someone realizes what a dependable engine the 10 hp Johnny is.










Thanks for your comments.


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## onthewater102 (May 8, 2015)

God knows I love mine, it just makes me nervous now that my grandfather and most of his buddies have all passed into the history books that there will be fewer and fewer parts accessible for these that I don't want to risk something going wrong with it that I can't fish.

At the same time I want to use it to take my son fishing now that he's old enough to be on the boat (without my wife having a fit) so that by the time I give it to him he'll have his own special memories of fishing with it with his dad the way both my father and I do...


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