41 Johnson HD-20 recoil rope?

Mr.Stuart

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
701
I want to replace the recoil starter rope on a 41 Johnson HD-20 2.5 horse.

I noticed that the rope has a wire core, don't know if it's origional or not, but it looks like it is to me, where can I find wire core starter rope?
 

F_R

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
28,195
Re: 41 Johnson HD-20 recoil rope?

most people use nylon rope with a knot in the end. Be sure you don't pull it all the way to the end or you will cut the knot off.
 

tmcalavy

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 29, 2001
Messages
4,005
Re: 41 Johnson HD-20 recoil rope?

Yup, wire core is nice but not required. Check the Links page at www.aomci.org or use their classifieds, I bet someone out there has the wire core rope. If you go with plain rope, heed FR's suggestion...and always carry a spare in the boat.
 

Mr.Stuart

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
701
Re: 41 Johnson HD-20 recoil rope?

Yup, wire core is nice but not required. Check the Links page at www.aomci.org or use their classifieds, I bet someone out there has the wire core rope. If you go with plain rope, heed FR's suggestion...and always carry a spare in the boat.

I measured the rope, and it's 3/16th as best I could tell, so I picked up a roll of 3/16th clothes line, and cut a 6 foot section out of it for a recoil rope, now if I could just figure out why I keep coming up with such a lousy paint job, and put it back together, I might be able to run the little thing :D
 

tmcalavy

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 29, 2001
Messages
4,005
Re: 41 Johnson HD-20 recoil rope?

Always carry a spare rope. The recoil rope will break sooner or later, and always when you're a gazillion miles from the dock or anywhere to put in. Whe you use the spare, make sure your passenger is out of harm's way up front. Those rope knots can make a nasty welt.
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: 41 Johnson HD-20 recoil rope?

As a kid we used to get a ride with the neighbor in his Marthon racer with
a 1940s Evinrude Big Four 50 hp.Of course it used what we called a snatch cord to start and even with a compression relief it was a real bear to pull. You had to be ready for it to take off all most on plane.I can still see his perfect form half standing on one knee braced, 2 hands to pull and then skillfully catching the knot with his left hand so it didn't bite anyone. Turn off the compression relief set the spark and add throttle.What a ride 50+ mph in a time when 30 was a fast boat.And this was a big 16 footer that could carry 4 to 6 people.
 

Mr.Stuart

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
701
Re: 41 Johnson HD-20 recoil rope?

As a kid we used to get a ride with the neighbor in his Marthon racer with
a 1940s Evinrude Big Four 50 hp.Of course it used what we called a snatch cord to start and even with a compression relief it was a real bear to pull. You had to be ready for it to take off all most on plane.I can still see his perfect form half standing on one knee braced, 2 hands to pull and then skillfully catching the knot with his left hand so it didn't bite anyone. Turn off the compression relief set the spark and add throttle.What a ride 50+ mph in a time when 30 was a fast boat.And this was a big 16 footer that could carry 4 to 6 people.

there's a video on you tube of some guy trying to rope start an outboard, and he ends up getting chucked over the side of the boat, I can just picture what you guys were doing back then.
 
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