The flywheel is a bit of a problem. As you can, see the handle was once threaded into the flywheel's surface. Years of use have destroyed the threaded hole. The handle you see here on the left is a reproduction.
I am not sure how to fix this issue at the moment. I suspect it is going to need welding and/or machining. And worse still, my plan is to have it plated with nickel or chrome so the repair must work with the plating. I would rather not pay professionals but I might have to.
It might be possible to use some helicoil inserts though. I think I will look into that first and see what the pros and cons are. If that doesn't work then I will call a shop.
I FINALLY GOT SOME TIME THIS WEEKEND TO WORK ON THE ROWBOAT MOTOR SO I CLEANED UP THE MUFFLER AND DID SOME WORK ON THE TANK. (I WILL DISCUSS THE TANK IN A LATER POST.)
WHEN POLISHING BRASS AND ALUMINUM I SAND WITH 80, 120, 180, 220, 320, 400, AND THEN 800 GRT SANDPAPERS. THEN I BUFF UNTIL SHINY AND POLISH. I TOOK A FEW PICS THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO SHOW THE PROGRESS I MADE.
SANDED UP TO 220GRT
BUFFED
CLEANED AND POLISHED.
AS YOU CAN SEE IT IS HEAVILY DENTED. I HAVEN'T FOUND A REPLACEMENT YET SO I WENT AHEAD AND RESTORED IT. I THINK I AM GOING TO ADD THIS PART TO THE "PARTS I WANT" PAGE AND SEE IF I CAN FIND A BETTER ONE.
I AM GETTING SOMEWHAT CLOSE TO FINISHING IT. I THINK IT WILL NEED A MONTH OR TWO YET BUT I WILL TRY TO UPLOAD SOME PICTURES OF THE WHOLE THING HERE SOON.
I THINK IT IS A 1.4 HP BUT I AM NOT SURE. I WANT TO SAY I PAYED 150 FOR IT BUT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 125. ON ONE HAND IT IS NOT IN VERY GOOD CONDITION BUT ON THE OTHER HAND IT IS QUITE OLD AND RARE. THE COIL IS BAD, THE CARB IS BROKEN AND SO IS THE SKEG BUT I RARELY SEE THESE JOHNSON'S IN MY PART OF THE USA. (I LIVE IN UTAH.)
I FIRST WENT TO LOOK AT THIS MOTOR A YEAR OR SO BEFORE I ACTUALLY BOUGHT IT. I PASSED IT UP THE FIRST TIME BUT AFTER COLLECTING A SMALL FLEET OF MOTORS I REALIZED HOW HARD IT WAS TO FIND AN OLD JOHNSON. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY. WHEN IT POPPED UP A YEAR LATER I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT IT.
1934 JOHNSON J70
THE FLYWHEEL HAS A UNIQUE LOOK. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I AM SUPPOSED TO RESTORE THIS STARTER PULLEY SO I BETTER DO SOME RESEARCH ON THAT. I HAVE PLENTY OF TIME ON THIS ONE AS I HAVE OTHER ONGOING PROJECTS AT THE MOMENT.
THE MOST AWESOME FEATURE OF THIS MOTOR, AS WELL AS OTHER JOHNSON MODELS, IS THE DESIGN AND SHAPE OF THE LOWER UNIT. IT HAS A REAL CLASSIC LOOK TO IT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE "LOOP" IS FOR ON THE FRONT BUT IT'S THE SIGNATURE FEATURE. ...TOO BAD ABOUT THAT BROKEN SKEG....
...AND OF COURSE IT IS A REAL PITTY ABOUT THE BROKEN CARB. THE BROKEN PART IS HARD TO SEE BUT IT IS THERE.
THIS MOTOR IS SMALL AND WOULD BE A QUICK PROJECT BUT I WILL NEED TO FIND THE PARTS BEFORE I AM ABLE TO UNDERTAKE THE RESTORATION.
I HAD WANTED ONE OF THESE LITTLE BAD BOYS FOR A LONG TIME. I'D SEEN A LOT OF MOTORS POP UP ON CLASSIFIED ADS BUT NEVER A WATERWITCH. THEN ONE DAY THERE IT WAS; A BEAUTIFUL WATERWITCH SOLD IN A LOT WITH TWO SEAGULLS. I WAS IN HEAVEN! I COULD SELL THE SEAGULLS TO FUND THE WATERWITCH RESTORATION.
IT WAS A 2 HOUR DRIVE TO PICK IT UP PLUS 150 FOR ALL MOTORS SO I STOPPED AT AN ATM AND HEADED OUT. UPON ARRIVAL I WAS A LITTLE LET DOWN. NONE OF THE MOTORS WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. THE WATERWITCH HAD A BENT SPARK ADVANCE LEVER, A BROKEN CARBURETOR, A BAD COIL AND NO PROP. IT WAS NOT THE POPULAR TORPEDO TANK MODEL I WANTED EITHER. IT WAS A 571.40 MADE BY THE KISSEL COMPANY. AFTER TRAVELING THAT FAR I DECIDED I MIGHT AS WELL BUY THEM BUT I SWORE ID NEVER GO THAT FAR FOR A WATERWITCH AGAIN.
IRONICALLY, THE VERY NEXT WEEK, IN THE VERY SAME TOWN WAS ANOTHER WATERWITCH FOR SALE. THIS TIME IT WAS THE TORPEDO TANK MODEL EVERYBODY WANTS AND THE ASKING PRICE WAS ONLY FORTY BUCKS. HOW COULD I PASS THAT UP? IT WAS THE 571.11 MODEL YOU SEE IN THE PIC AT THE TOP.
TURNS OUT IT HAS SPARK TOO AND IS IN PRETTY GOOD CONDITION. THIS WILL BE MY NEXT RESTORATION PROJECT BUT I AM CURRENTLY WORKING ON MY PRIZED POSSESSION; AN EVINRUDE ROWBOAT MOTOR. (I WILL DISCUSS THAT ONE LATER.)
THE EXHAUST TUBE HAS BEEN BROKEN AND RE WELDED. (NOT VISIBLE IN PIC.) JUST SO YOU KNOW I AM WILLING TO TRADE PARTS FOR THE EXHAUST TUBE IF YOU HAVE ONE.
THE RESTORATION WILL BE COVERED ON THIS BLOG SO TUNE IN!
BACK IN 2007 I SAW AN AD FOR AN OLD RUNNING BOAT FOR 700 BUCKS. IT WAS A HYDROSWIFT CABIN CRUISER I/O THAT WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE A 225 ODDFIRE ENGINE. IT NEEDED SOME WORK BUT I DIDN'T HESITATE TO RUN OUT AND BUY IT FOR THE INCREDIBLY CHEAP ASKING PRICE. AS IT TURNED OUT, THERE WAS A REASON IT WAS SO CHEAP.
IT DID INDEED RUN FINE BUT AFTER SPENDING 500 BUCKS OR SO TO FIX UP NON ENGINE RELATED ISSUES I FOUND THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN WINTERIZED AND THE BLOCK WAS CRACKED. FURTHERMORE, THE ENGINE WAS NOT AN ODDFIRE. INSTEAD IT WAS A NON MARINE BUICK 3.8 SHORT BLOCK COMPLETED WITH MARINE HEADS AND PARTS. I DECIDED TO CUT MY LOSSES AND TURN IT BACK INTO AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT SCREWING SOMEONE ELSE IN THE PROCESS.
A FRIEND OF MINE SUGGESTED I PART IT OUT ON EBAY AND SO I DID. THE OUTDRIVE WAS AN OBSOLETE OMC AND THERE WAS SOME DEMAND FOR THE PARTS. BY THE TIME I WAS FINISHED I HAD RECOUPED 450 BUCKS. THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE CONVINCED ME THAT THERE IS MONEY IN OBSOLETE MARINE PARTS AND SO I THOUGHT I WOULD TRY MY HAND AT BUYING AND SELLING OLD MOTORS.
WITH THE LITTLE INCOME I RECEIVED I BEGAN BUYING ANYTHING CHEAP ENOUGH TO AFFORD- MOSTLY OLDER OUTBOARDS. I BOUGHT COMMON NAMES LIKE EVINRUDE, MERCURY AND JOHNSON AS WELL AS SOME UNCOMMON NAMES LIKE NEPTUNE, BENDIX AND BRITISH SEAGULL. SOME MOTOR PARTS SOLD WELL AND OTHERS DID NOT. I ENDED UP WITH A STOCK PILE OF PARTS THAT WOULD NOT SALE, LIKE OLD GALE SEAKINGS, ESKAS AND CERTAIN YEARS OF JOHNSON AND EVINRUDES. THESE MOTORS REALLY CUT INTO MY PROFITS SO I BEGAN TO NARROW MY PURCHASES DOWN TO CERTAIN NAMES AND YEARS OF PRODUCTION. I GOT A LITTLE BETTER BUT BECAUSE OF THE GREAT RECESSION I LOST MY HOUSE AND GAVE UP THE PARTS DEALING ALTOGETHER. ULTIMATELY, I NEVER REALLY MADE MONEY.
AS THE YEARS OF APARTMENT DWELLING WENT BY I OCCASIONALLY CHANCED UPON SOME OF THE RARE OLD MOTORS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY CAPTURED MY INTEREST. I HAD NO FINANCIAL REASON TO BY THEM BUT I DID ANYWAY. THEY WERE SIMPLY TOO AWESOME TO PASS UP. THEY WERE PIECES OF HISTORY. THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL. THEY WERE RELICS OF TIMES LONG GONE. SOME I HAD TO SALE DURING TIMES OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. OTHERS I STILL HAVE TO THIS DAY. I LEARNED TO TEST AND FIX CERTAIN MOTORS. I LEARNED TO CLEAN THEM UP AND COSMETICALLY RESTORE THEM. I COULD NOT STOP DABBLING. IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT I HAD DEVELOPED AN OBSESSION WITH OUTBOARDS.
