1956 Johnson 30 hp fuel pump conversion and electric start

[ttoe]

I have seen several threads on the fuel pump conversion on smaller hp engines but none on the 30 hp engine (RD 18 C).

Does anyone know if the same Mikuni single carb fuel pump could be used?

I am concerned that there may not be enough fuel supplied.

Additionally, does anyone know if it is possible to add electric start to this engine?

Your help is appreciated.

[jbjennings]

The mikuni pump will work fine. I have the same motor and it has electric start. You will need the starter bracket (the hard part to find) and the starter. You can get a universal starter solenoid and make your own wiring harness for it with not problem whatsoever. The '56 uses a 6volt starter but as long as you don't hit the starter for too long, it should be fine. If that motor is running properly, you shouldn't need the electric start for more than 3 seconds, which is no problem. The other problem is you will need a 12 volt choke solenoid or a voltage reducer or resistor with the 6 volt starter.

I can tell you that you can find them but it's not easy. Again, the starter bracket is by far the hard part.
GOod luck. Your motor looks nice!
JBJ

[jbjennings]

BTW, you really shouldn't post pics of your motor in the forum............................................. ....without pics of that cool wood boat as well!!!!!!!!!!!
JBJ

[ttoe]

Thank you JBJ.

As I am new to the boating world, would you be kind enough to share some of your resources for engine parts?

I still need to order a parts manual and a operators manual. I understand that Ken Cook offers these.

Regarding the electric start, doesn't the flywheel need to be changed to accommodate the teeth of the starter gear?

Thanks for the complements on the engine, however the boat is definitely a restoration project right now.

[OldJohnson6hp]

Sweet ttoe! Thats a diamond in the rough! Put the time and effort in to restore her!

[jbjennings]

I think there's actually some old threads here about this, but the ones I like to use are laingsoutboards.com and aomci.org. I get all my old stuff here. aomci.org is the antique outboard club and they have a free classified section. I'm a member but you don't have to be to participate in the classifieds. WIthout fail, every deal I've had with a member has been more than fair. They also have an "askamember" section with some guys that have ExtrEME knowledge of old outboards like this. There's also several guys here that are real experts. F-R, WBeaton, Steveott, to name a few.
Yes, you do need a toothed flywheel. I might even have one if you can't find one and do find the starter bracket. If you find the bracket, pm me and I believe I can fix you up with a flywheel.
later,
JBJ

[TN-25]

Welcome to I-boats ttoe! That boat looks like some blood, sweat and tears will bring it back beautifully. That is another reason why wooden boats garner so much admiration, somebody is willing to do something not because it is easy, but because it is hard. The end result will be worth it, plus those rounded wooden hulls move very well without requiring a lot of power.

I’m just thinking out loud here, but the old Gale 25 & Johnson / Evinrude 28s, which are really the old 35.7 cubic inch 25/30 block like yours, had graduated to 12 volt starters. I wonder if a newer 12v starter would be a good place to concentrate your parts search.

Concerning the fuel pump, Gale (the Johnson / Evinrude sister division) was running fuel pumps with single fuel lines in the mid-50s; by 1958/59 there were kits from OMC to convert 10s, 18s & 35s to single lines with a motor mounted fuel pump. There may already be a provision on your 30 to mount one (I’m not 100% certain though). There are contributors on this site that probably know for sure.

[ttoe]

Hey guys, thanks for all the great information!

[F_R]

The 12 volt starter and bracket will fit the 30hp. But it has to be for a Johnson up through 1958 ("standard" Model, not the Super Quiet model). Because of the Johnson hood. The Evinrude and Gale won't work, again because of the hood.

If you are willing to spend a few extra bucks to mount a fuel pump on the bypass cover, PM me. But if you have your mind made up to use the Mikuni pump, don't waste my time.

[Jamesthorne]

I have seen several threads on the fuel pump conversion on smaller hp engines but none on the 30 hp engine (RD 18 C).

Does anyone know if the same Mikuni single carb fuel pump could be used?

I am concerned that there may not be enough fuel supplied.

Additionally, does anyone know if it is possible to add electric start to this engine?

Your help is appreciated.

I have the parts you need. I have a complete 30 hp electric start engine

[1946Zephyr]

I would use a bypass cover with fuel pump from a 1960's 28hp or 33hp. They'll bolt right up and it'll look factory. After all, the 28's are just a later version of the old 30's

[jay_merrill]

Post a pic of the bypass covers on your motor. I think that they are the same ones as the '57 and '58 motors (35hp), but I'm not sure. If they are, putting a stock part on your motor is easy and I recommend it over the Mikuni.

The Mikuni pumps are normally used to convert 5.5hp OMC motors to a fuel pump system, rather than a pressure system. They are good pumps and work well in that application, because the 5.5hp motors don't have bypass covers to mount te pumps on and tap a suction/pressure source.

On the larger engines, the bypass covers are available and depending on the model/year, already have the mounting bosses and raised section to drill for the pulse air.

Here's a couple of different ways to do it. The first photo is one of my '58 Bigtwins, which has an original bypass cover on it. I mounted the pump upside down, because it is large enough to hit the throttle control rod, if mounted right side up. If you go with this option, you must remove the bypass cover from the engine in order to prevent metal shavings from getting inside of it, when drilling the suction/pulse hole. Be sure to get a new gasket for the cover, before taking it off of the motor. When drilling the mountng bosses, be sure to drill them dead center and do not go all the way through. You will need a drill bit and tap that are matched for the stock screw that is used and the tap must have a flat end on it, so that you can tap the hole as close to the bottom of the hole as possible.

The second photo is of my other Bigtwin, which has a Johnson 33hp bypass cover on it. The pump is the same as my other motor, but will fit right side up, because the mounting bosses on the 28hp and 33hp motors are very slightly lower than the older motors.

As F_R educated me on some time ago, you can mount an OMC pump on the older covers, if you get the right one. There is a pump that looks just like mine, but is not as tall. That pump works just fine, but I'm not sure of availabilty.

As a final point, be aware that part of this conversion involves removing the pressure nipple from the face of the intake manifold, under the carb. You must replace it with a flathead or panhead, stainless of the same size, thread count and reach, as the nipple. If you try to use a screw that is too long, you will hit the reed plate, which is right behind the position of the nipple/screw. Be sure, also, to use a crush washer with the screw, to ge a good seal. Failure to complete this entire step, will result in fuel/oilmixture being sprayed all over the interior of the cowl.









°¿°

[wbeaton]

OMC made thousands of electric start motors in the 1950's so you should be able to find the parts at a reasonable price.

1955-56 Johnson 25-30 hp 6V starter and bracket will fit
1957-58 Johnson 35 hp (standard model) 12v starter and bracket will fit
The 6V and 12V starters will not interchange brackets

The 6V and 12V choke solenoids are indentical in appearance except that the 12V solenoid is marked 12V on the back. 1957 was the first year for 12V and I believe the choke solenoid was used on many models from 1957 into the 1970's. 40 hp motors from the 1960's are a great source for parts.

The 12V starter solenoid was still available new for under $100 a couple years ago. Some folks have used Ford solenoids with some modification, but I don't know anything about that. Good used solenoids are cheap and plentiful in my part of the world.

I believe any toothed 1954-1964 25-30-35 hp OMC flywheel will fit. The 28-33 hp flywheel probably fits too, but I'd have to look into it.

I use a 6V starter and a 12V choke solenoid on my 1956 Johnson 30 hp with no problems.

Like Jason suggested, the best place to find the electric start parts is by placing a free ad on the aomci.org website. Someone there will sell you the parts at a reasonable price. Since the starter solenoid is mounted in the boat you may have to buy it separately.

If you are serious about adding a fuel pump then contact FR and buy his kit.

Once you add electric start you will find yourself asking "can I add a generator to charge the battery"? I am in the process of adding a generator to my 1957 Evinrude 35 hp and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. You can buy everything you need on eBay for around $400. Or you can put together your own kit from parts motors like I am for less, but it'll take some time and trouble. Appearently, the generator also robs approx 2 hp from the motor and adds 10 lbs of weight.

PM me your email address and I'll send you the parts manual and some service info.

[LukeBlizz]

Hey guys Im new to the site and wanted to say hey, and Ive got a couple questions, Ive read and read and cant seem to find an answer. My question is, on the Vacuum switch , can i cut the hose and put a T in it like the pic I posted and run the fuel pump off it. . Is there enough vacuum to run a mikuni fuel pump like in the pic. This is a RDE 18 C and I want to convert it to a non pressure tank , I have all the parts without having to buy anything else. Thanks Luke Blizz



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