td20

[jbakered]

i have my grandfather's old johnson seahorse,<br />serial# 564949. i was wondering what year this was produced, and also what mixture i should run it at?

 

[CATransplant]

Re: td20

That's a 5hp Johnson, built between 1946-1949. They didn't make any changes in that engine during those years. The fuelil mixture should be 24:1, that is 1 quart of TC-W3 outboard oil per six gallons of regular 87 octane gas.

 

[jbakered]

Re: td20

thank you for your help sir, this may sound stupid, i'm new to boat motors, what is tc-w3?

 

[CATransplant]

Re: td20

That's the standard outboard motor oil. You'll see that designation on pretty much any two-stroke oil designed for outboard motors. You don't want the stuff for chainsaws...that will cause you problems.<br /><br />You can buy the stuff almost anywhere marine stuff is sold...even at Walmart.<br /><br />I'm not sure about parts availability for your 5hp. Paul Moir will probably be along to discuss that with you. It's a little harder to get parts for the pre-1950 Johnsons, but who knows? You may find that you don't need anything. If the motor was stored properly, it may just fire up OK. It's sure worth a try.

 

[jbakered]

Re: td20

thank you again, the motor ran fine untill i mixed the fuel/oil with the specs on the decal, 1/2 pint 40w to one gallon gas, very hard to start. i also have a model number tn 26, serail # 865594 johnson seahorse what hp and year would this be?

 

[CATransplant]

Re: td20

That's a 1950-51 5 hp. I'm not sure exactly how they match up parts-wise, since my experience is with a bit newer outboards and larger.<br /><br />As for your fuel mixture, the new oils are a lot better than those old single-weight motor oils. I'm sure you'll be fine with 24:1 on your old Johnson. The ratio you have there is 16:1. If you want to be absolutely safe, you can use the modern outboard oil at that ratio, too. It should run OK, but smoke a little more.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: td20

They're pretty well the same engine, but the TN has a gearshift while the TD is forward only. Most parts are NLA from the dealer, but since so many of those great 5hp engines survive people have started selling reproduction parts or working around common problems (Chinewalker has a very good fuel bowl float work-around for example).<br /><br />24:1 is the right mix. OMC discontinued their old 16:1 mix recommendations. The TD is a '47 and the TN is a 1950. Plug for both is Champion J6C replacing the J6J, gapped at .030". J8C isn't a bad idea for low-speed operation (trolling).<br /><br />CATransplant, FYI: Click here, here , and here.

 

[jbakered]

Re: td20

thank you both for your time, where would be a good start to find parts for the tn26, such as a new tank and recoil assembly?

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: td20

Try these places:<br />ebay: use these search terms: "(5, 5hp) (Johnson, Gale, "Sea King")"<br />tcoutboards.com (your neck of the woods)<br />laingsoutboards.com<br />vintageoutboard.com<br />marinepartsoutlet.com<br />And check around for any local outboard junkyards. There should be lots of those tanks and such around as those were very popular engines. Later, OMC division "Gale" built those engines for Sears, Goodyear, Eatons, etc so parts from those 50s era 5hp engines should fit too.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: td20

Paul,<br /><br />Excellent links! Thanks! But, now I'm going to have to go back to them and read all those old issues. More stuff to keep me away from actual work.