Johnson Air Buoy

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wallcm

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I have a Johnson Air Buoy (used for Scuba diving)<br />Model AH100J, SN 0003139 vintage 1960's.<br /><br />I need a set of piston rings and a service manual. <br />The piston # is 604099; Head # is 678106D1<br /><br />Anyone have any info, parts, or sources??
 

Chinewalker

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Re: Johnson Air Buoy

Hi Wallcm,<br /> Those Air Buoys make nice conversation pieces, but they can be quite dangerous if you actually used it. Turns out they would circulate motor exhaust into the air intake - which wasn't very good for those breathing that air...<br /> If you do want to get it running, I am pretty sure it uses a Lawn Boy lawnmower motor for a powerhead - might want to look around your local small engine shops.<br />- Scott
 

Dhadley

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Re: Johnson Air Buoy

Welcome Wallcm!!<br /><br />I was thinking the same thing as Scott. That was during the same era that OMC owned Lawn Boy. LB was sold to Snapper (I believe) so that may be a place to start.<br /><br />Several guys around here used them for years at lobster season in the Keys. They loved them but parts availability (or lack of) has caused them to use other means.<br /><br />Good luck!
 

DHPMARINE

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Re: Johnson Air Buoy

Some good news...the piston is still availble.Bad news...none are available in warehouses.Some Jonson/Evinrude may have one sitting on his shelf.<br /><br />DHP
 

WillyBWright

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Re: Johnson Air Buoy

Lawn Boy was bought by Toro. I think they used an F-series engine which supposedly put out 4Hp, but that was on a lawnmower.
 

john eastman

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Re: Johnson Air Buoy

The model AH100 was produced from 1966-1967. It is basically a lawn boy 2HP D-model engine. Crankcase, piston, rod. are the same. Unfortunatly the cylinder head and crankshaft are only used on the diving unit and there are no interchanges. Lawn Boy rings, seals, gaskets, bearings, rod, piston, points, coil, condenser, carb componants are all lawn boy D-engine and work fine. These are available on e-bay in the lawn boy section. The engine shroud and steel gas tank also are from c & D lawn boy ehgines. These parts are cheap and available.

Air compressor has 4 main replacement parts, 1. diaphgram, 2. gasket, 3. polyurethane filter, 4. reed plate , AH100 use Stainless reeds and AH101 use nylon. The nylon are far superior and can be made from outboard reedplates.
the gasket must be made and the diaphgrams can be cut from diaphgram stock. The filter are simply cut from 1.5 inch polyurethane foam.

I have several working units and have kept them running for decades. Our family will be using these units for at least 100 years. To date no company has manufactured anything superior. Brownies for example is heavy, bulky and uses a regulator. Spend 8 hours in the water biting a regulator!! ouch!!

The lawyers were the demise of this project at OMC. What a shame.

If you have one and need any advice my phone is (deleted for safety) John MIAMI

send a pm TD
 
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john eastman

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Re: Johnson Air Buoy

The only danger of using an air buoy is if you use it in a confined space. This is common sense. Back in the late 60's, a diver was using the unit deep inside a sinkhole in North Florida. The unit was floating on the surface and the water level was 30' below the surrounding terraine. The fumes displaced the oxygen and the diver died. This killed the production at OMC.

This could happen with a Brownies or any other Hookah. My dad, A navy diver was building a dock in Guadalcanal during the war. He was on his brake and the other diver was down working. Rain started and a boot threw a tarp over the running gas air compressor, killing the diver in a matter of minutes.

Don't blame the manufacturer for stupidity and lack of common sense.
 

JB

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Re: Johnson Air Buoy

This thread is over three years old, John, and has nothing to do with JohnnyRude outboards. If it wasn't so old I would move it to the Diving forum, where it belongs.

Nah, I will move it anyway.
 

Dhadley

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Re: Johnson Air Buoy

Dadgum that trip took a long time...........
 

trimaranchuck

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Re: Johnson Air Buoy

I bought a johnson air buoy on ebay and it is in very poor shape. it was totally locked up due to corrosion, and all the stainless bolts that held the pump together broke off in the aluminum. i got the piston out by the darndest and the cylinder luckily is alright.
it didn't have the flag holding snorkel and the hoses or masks. does anyone out there know if any parts are available ? or is there someone who has an owner's manual that they would copy for me.
i would be very grateful for any help or advice. i live in knoxville tennessee and plan to use the air buoy for diving at our sailing club where i maintain the moorings. I have two other gas powered hookah rigs that i have been using for years.
 

TheIceyOne

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Re: Johnson Air Buoy

I just bought one myself and it does have the manual with it. Email me if you are still in need of a copy of it.
 
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