Reply To: 1968 Johnson 15hp electric start

[Don]

Jim, that is a 1956 15hp. Are you looking to do this work yourself, or are you asking if any members are interested/willing to do the cosmetic/mechanical work you discussed? Having all that work done professionally would be very expensive indeed. The cosmetic work would require many hours of prep/paint/decals. Once all the cosmetic work was done, you might not want to use the engine on a daily basis to avoid damaging/scratching the freshly painted surfaces. Perhaps you would be satisfied just having the mechanicals gone through so the engine would be a “reliable daily runner”. Mechanically, the engine would probably need the following work, provided the powerhead is in decent condition:
Disassemble magneto, replace coils/wires/points/condensers
Disassemble and clean carb, install carb kit, replace fuel lines
Remove gearcase, pressure test, change lube and water pump impeller..The gearcase would have to be disassembled if water is present in the gear lube in order to reseal it.
This engine uses the pressure tank system, so I am assuming you have a serviceable tank that is clean inside
You mentioned the engine has electric start, is it 6 or 12volt? Does it have its original wiring harness? Is the engine tiller steering, or do you have steering wheel/controls set up?
Where are you located? I don’t know of too many members that provide these services, but you never know. I wouldn’t trust most of today’s outboard shops, they have had little experience with older engines like this, but will surely charge like they are experts. How much outboard/mechanical experience do you have? We would be happy to offer advice and specific information on service procedures and service parts.