1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

Okay finally some nice warm paintable weather so I decided to sand and give the second coat of primer to a few of the Johnson engine parts. As you can see in the pictures I already applied the first coat of sandable primer and also applied some two part cream body filler to the area that were low. Then a sanded down those areas till I got a good clean smooth surface ready for the second coat of primer. I got everything ready to go since we are having mid 70 degree weather today here in middle Georgia. A first for a long time without wind and rain or freezing temps.



So I shot the primer (using a HVLP gravity feed 1.8mm tipped spray gun) and it went on beautifully. So I started to clean up the gun and low and behold I was seeing dots all over the parts I just finished priming. Looking closer then were Kudzu bugs. Yes Kudzu bugs have invaded middle Georgia now and they are a huge problem. As you can see in the last picture they love white or very light colored things to land on. Lucky me the primer dries extremely fast so none of them were actually stuck to the primer. But they were everywhere. They are about the size of a ladybug but have a tapered body with a straight across rear end. They almost look like they are rectangular in shape with a little taper towards the front end of the bug. Why are they a huge problem? Well their number one thing they like to eat is Kudzu, and if any of you live in middle Georgia, then you also know how invasive the Kudzu plants are. It takes over everything and you can almost see and hear Kudzu grow it grows so fast. It was brought into this country from either Japan or some country near there to help with soil erosion, but they didn’t know how invasive it would become and now they can’t stop it or get rid of it either. So again why are the Kudzu bugs a problem since they love to eat Kudzu growth and can clear an area of Kudzu ready quickly? Because their second love to eat plant is the soybean plant. And the farmers are having a huge problem keeping the Kudzu bugs off their crops... How stupid are we to continue allowing foreign plants, animals, reptiles and even bugs into this country thinking we are solving a problem...? I was able to brush them off the primed parts easily though...



Hope the don't like to eat aluminum or fiberglass or I'm in trouble...:facepalm:

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

Okay finally I have some progress to report. The last week or so the weather has been good enough to allow me to prime, sand, base coat and clear coat the Johnson engine parts in preparation to reassembly. Here are a few sneak previews of some of the parts. I know I get told over and over that I don't have to sand blast to the metal and then spray Zinc Chromate and then prime and sand and maybe prime again and sand and then shoot base coats followed by multiple clear coats to finish these parts. And that rattle can paints will do just as well. And honestly I know many have successfully done that and made it look very nice. However, I'm not doing this outboard just to get it finished for the water. I'm trying to do it to make it last a very long time and therefore I seriously don't mind doing the extra steps to get that finish I want. Here are a few pictures of the finish on a few engine parts. I haven’t even tried buffing anything at this time either. As you look at the lower foot sections and if you remember, they both were welded because of a crack in the foot and a broken cavitation plate fin was gone. I made a new cavitation plate fin and had it welded and then went to work grinding and finishing it so you could never tell it was ever broken. Between the welding, grinding and the sandable primer coats, I think it came out real nice...

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

Also you can see the flywheel is now ready to go back on as well. I had to paint it red so it stood out and was more of a warning then blending in with all the other parts. I know over kill, but it’s different...



And lastly I refinished the Johnson Seahorse Control Box. I redesigned the logo and graphics and installed them before clear coating the box to give it the new appearance. What do you think of the color selections...? Hope to have more pictures as soon as I get things moving again now that the weather is allowing me to work again...



MOre to come... You all have a wonderful day...

 

[TN-25]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

It is looking good so far. When it come to prep, you get out of it what you put into it.

Since you are painting the lower unit black, why not paint your cowl Stinger Orange like the racing Johnsons of the early to mid 1970s? See the attachment:

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

It is looking good so far. When it come to prep, you get out of it what you put into it.

Since you are painting the lower unit black, why not paint your cowl Stinger Orange like the racing Johnsons of the early to mid 1970s? See the attachment:
View attachment 188926

Oh I do have a nice cowling design already for it. I didn't even know they had such colored racing outboards like what you posted. Not a bad idea but I already designed something else. The reason I painted the engine black was because I think it is easier to take care of. Johnson white (or even the green that originally was on this OB) just didn't get it with me. I didn't like the green at all (maybe the shade or something) but I see so many Johnson white OBs that look so dirty all the time. So white was out... This paint is simply the standard automotive PPG Shop Line 9700 black. It is used on so many manufactured vehicles as their black paint option. But the cowling is different as I will post when I have it finished.

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

Question for the knowledgeable ones. What is the item that is used with the fill plug and drain plug on the lower foot? Is it a simple gasket or an "O" ring or even a flat rubber washer? While I did buy all new gaskets and "O" rings, bushings, bearings and most anything needed to rebult this engine, I don't think the gasket kits came with those seals...whatever the are...

 

[nwcove]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

have to say......awesome paint job and decal work!! your lu reseal kit should have included the nylon washers "or o-rings" for the drain and vent plugs.

edit: looks like that motor had two different types of plugs, one is gasketless???

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

have to say......awesome paint job and decal work!! your lu reseal kit should have included the nylon washers "or o-rings" for the drain and vent plugs.

Thanks for the compliments "nwcove". But those are not decals. The flywheel is actually cast into the flywheel and I hand painted the words, and the Ship Master on the Johnson Control Unit is actually a creation of mine that I had made into a plate using a sublimation process. I haven't needed any decals yet and even my cowling design will be totally painted no decals. After I hand painted those things then I spray over them with Catalyst Urethane Clear for the final finish. That way they will never rub off and are totally impervious to fuel and oil...

And thanks also for the "O" ring or nylon seals idea for the drain/fill plugs. I'll check through all the new parts to see. But I'm pretty sure they didn't come with the gasket kit... Thanks again...

 

[nwcove]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

http://forums.iboats.com/johnson-evinrude-outboards/lower-unit-drain-plug-fibre-washers-368142.html

not sure if that link will help, but worth looking at!

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

Thanks again nwcove. That did clear up a lot. I noticed that I didn't purchase a lower seal kit. I bought those parts one by one. So I probably forgot to order those seals. I purchased the powerhead kit... My mistake... But thanks for the link anyway...

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

Okay guys, I have another question concerning my ’76 Johnson 40 HP outboard. I know and thoroughly understand what a cutout switch is for and how it works. But I have a good question about my engine. The engine does have such a switch and the hose for the cutout switch comes from this intake manifold. The red circled area is where the hose connects for manifold vacuum. But looking at it from both the outside and inside I don’t see how it could possible work. There is no through hole for the vacuum, look... So is this a missed drilled through hole from the factory or what...? Any ideas? Should I simply drill it through or not...?

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

Okay folks or for those who are watching this rebuild or even care one way or the other. I have a little update to my previous question. Knowing that they wouldn't have installed a cutout switch without supplying it with some type of crankcase vacuum, I keep looking for how they installed the fitting without a through hole. And after wirer brushing the inside of the manifold again, I thought I saw an extremely teeny tiny pin size hole. And that was exactly it. The through hole is a mere pin hole to crankcase vacuum... Look at the attached pictures and see the hole and the tiny drill bit that fits into that hole. The drill bit is a wire sized drill bit of size 75. Now that is an amazingly small hole, but that is all it takes to cutoff the ignition it seems...

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

Finally some progress to report. I basically finished repainting the cowl now for the 1976 Johnson 40 HP outboard and I have taken many pictures along the way to post the story. Take a look and let me know what you think...honestly too...



The first picture is how I bought the boat motor and trailer...



Here it is sanded down to the fiberglass...



This was the first sandable primer coat...



I used some filler in the low areas to smooth things out...

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

Next I shot the first color coat of white and the first stripped color...



Then the second and three colors were added



And then I started adding the grafics (actual paint not decals on any of this)



Changing colors is a PITA but you have to do it in layers to complete the look. Cleaning the spray equipment after each color is so time consuming...

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

The comes the final graphics...



I then shot the clear coats... :facepalm: SO many little bugs and junk in the final coat of clear, that I will now have to wet sand with 2000 grit and maybe even shoot another coat or two of clear... So it doesn't mimic the original layout for the old engine but it doesn't look too bad...does it...?

 

[pn]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

hows she run?

 

[oldman570]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

The paint job looks great. The motor should last you many years when it is maintained correctly and run like a champ. Now after all the hard work is done you should know every nook an cranny and how this motor works. Keep up the good work and enjoy.
Oldman570

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

hows she run?

I don't know yet because it still is disassembled. Maybe in a few weeks the engine will be finished completely rebuilt from the top to the bottom. Every little part was disassembled and cleaned and refinished to like new. All new bearings, seals, gaskets, "O" rings, even piston rings (bore was within tolerance still). So it should run like new...I hope...

Now I have to work on the trailer next then the boat...lots to do yet...

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

The paint job looks great. The motor should last you many years when it is maintained correctly and run like a champ. Now after all the hard work is done you should know every nook an cranny and how this motor works. Keep up the good work and enjoy.
Oldman570

Ha thanks oldman570... It is looking pretty good now and getting exciting to see some results after so much work... I never knew how much masking tape and blocking paper it takes to do those graphics. With so many different colors, I think I already used miles of masking tape to get to that finish... But I am learning as I go... Trailer comes next...fun fun...:joyous:

 

[gm280]

Re: 1976 Johnson 40 HP Outboard Complete Rebuild

Quick question for ideas. Is a Sierra Ignition switch good or should I purchase an OMC switch. I am getting closer to start this engine and was just wondering before purchasing...