1956 Johnson QD-17 Project NEW QUESTIONS

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Cant remember where I got them. I actually have 2 or 3. Jim sent me one and then I found some others just doing google searches. If you guys PM me your email, I'll try to email them to you. Not makeing any promises but I'll try, lol. The one Jim sent me requires you to download another program to open it. Not a big deal and its the best of the ones I have.
 
So I took my little boat out today and had some issues that forced me to fire up my outboard on an elctric only lake. I posted that experience in my boat thread if your interested. Anyhow, when I replaced the water pump, I didnt replace the seals on the lower unit because at the time I couldnt find any. I dont know if that has anything to do with it or not but after running the engine today, I have oil oozing out of a small weep hole on the lower unit. I dont know if this is normal or not but I sure wouldnt think so because quite a bit of oil came out. Because of this, Id like to tear the lower unit apart and just replace all the seals. Problem is no place lists a seal kit for this motor. Anyone know where to get one? Its a 56 QD-17. Thanks!!
 
Okay, I located and ordered a seal kit from vintage outboard. I still need to find the sealer. Its a 3M product. I have the numbers but cant remember off hand. 847 maybe? Anyhow, is this something that needs to be ordered as well or can I pick it up at an auto parts store or use something equivalent?

I also will need some help with the teardown of this lower unit. I have never had a lower unit apart before. I have a couple of manuals that I downloaded but they only have a few pics and tips, not really teardown instructions which is what I would like. If someone has something with this teardown that they could email me that would be awesome, otherwise a link to something I could buy would work too. Thanks!!
 
The oily oozing you see coming out of the weep hole is normal. It should smell like a mixture of gas, oil and water. The gear case oil has a different smell.

To check if your gearcase is leaking oil or water is intruding in the gear case through seals, you just drain the lower unit oil and see if there is apparent water or a coffee cream to whitish oil draining out.

If there is neither then your seals are intact and indeed the drainage you see coming out is unused fuel mix and water draining out as it should.

Will check back tomorrow.

Cheers
 
Ill have to go out tomorrow after work and double check but it seems like this weep hole was down on or near the gear case. I'll pull the plug after work and see what the oil looks like.
 
Okay, so I double checked everything. The hole the stuff is oozing out of is on the gearcase so it wouldnt seem to me it would be unburned oil/gas but Im fairly new to outbards and very new to these old ones.

This is normal?

DSC01793.JPG

The oil looked good to me...

DSC01794.JPG

DSC01795.JPG

So, everything looks okay to you guys? Ive allready ordered the seal kit. Do I go ahead and replace everything or put them on the shelf untill needed. The seals in there are 57 years old but Ive always been an "if it aint broke dont fix it" kind of guy. What say you?
 
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/download/file.php?id=51429&mode=view/DSC01793.JPG

The weeps hole are usually at the bottom base of the gear case to the exhaust housing halves. Under the location of the water pump and near the base of the cavitation plate.

The hole in this picture is not a weep hole. I have a 1955 15hp Evinrude and 1954 10hp Johnson and they both have that hole. It is blind hole and nothing should come out of there. Why it is there, I am uncertain. Maybe some manufacturing casting hole?

I would take some pipe cleaners and remove the oil out of that hole. It is a little deep, so some of the drained unburnt fuel oil mixture could have pooled in there and after you wipe up and then drained. Making it appeared to drained from there.

***Now after you have cleaned up that hole with a pipe cleaner and get all the oil stuff out and you leave it alone and you see it draining from there in a day or two, then you have a problem.

Otherwise, if your lower unit does not have apparent water or milky or latte colored oil then you should be good.

- Make sure you have new plastic or fiber washer (part number 0311598 washer) behind the upper and lower fill drain screw. Water intrusion into the gear case can come from missing, cracked, or accidental double up washers under the upper and lower fill drain screws.) Please stay away from the Phillips head screw at the base of the lower unit. You don't want to create headache for yourself.
-- I agree, if the gear case is not leaking then don't create a problem. You would need a special tool to remove the shift shaft seal and would have to remove the drive shaft seal as well and seal the gear case halves.
--- Check your lower unit gear oil quality for the next couple of runs, if your satisfied there is not leak, then change at the end of each boating season.

If you indeed have to reseal the lower unit. Then post back or pm back and I'll hook up with videos and information to keep you busy and smiling.


*** Definitely hold onto the reseal kit. Always good to have on hand***

Cheers.
 
Thanks so much. Ill get that all cleaned up this evening. Ill shoot some brake cleaner and compressed air in there to be sure I got everything out and refill with new oil. Ill report back. Thanks again!!
 
The break cleaner may your damage your paint. The paint withstands oil, gas, and lube, but certain degreasers, engine cleaners or brake cleaner solution with dissolve your paint. :shock: :shock:

For whatever reason, the old engines paints don't mind WD40. It will dissolve and clean it out the old and goo and you then blow it out with compressed air. WD40 is great for cleaning away stubborn caked on dirt oil mixed spots. WD40 will also leave a nice protection.

Good luck with fishing!!
 
I got that little hole all cleaned out and got the gear case refilled with fresh lube tonight. Will probably be the weekend before I can get out and run it and see what it does. I wanted to see how far that hole went so I found a zip tie that fit. I shoved it in there 4" and never hit bottom. Is this hole really that deep or is mine broke? I coundnt find anything else to fit in there that was flexable to find the actual depth. Plus side, is the zip tie came out clean so i never got into any oil. Hopefully I dont have issues.

Edit: I went back out to try and get something else in it and nothing else will go much further that about 1/2". Shot a flash light up in there and thats all the deeper it is but in the very back there is a groove all the way around the hole that lets a flat object like a zip tie through. Guess theres nothing else to do but run it and see what happens. Thanks for all the help!
 
That is very odd :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Going to have do some thinking and consults some buddies that are certified experts on this motor.

Will get back with you when ever I find some information regarding this matter.
 
The gentleman that I got this information from is certified marine mechanic and has worked on the 1950's 60's 70's and 80's motors all his life. He is also a very respected forum member of AOMCI.org and Iboats.com. So, very solid information.

That is a drain hole and it is supposed to be open. It drains a cavity in the gearcase that would otherwise hold water and maybe freeze. But more often than not, they usually are plugged with sand and crud.

People usually worry about the oil/water emulsion that comes of of there. It is oil that has gone through the engine and done its job, then expelled out the exhaust. Tell him to stop worrying so much.


The reason my drain holes on the 1955 15hp and 1954 10hp do not allow any drainage is because they hard plugged up with sand and crud. So, I learned something new today!! Now, I need to go and clean those drain hole in my 2 outboard mentioned above.... :LOL2: :LOL2: :LOL2: :LOL2:

Have fun on the water!! 8)
 
Thank you so much!! Theres very few places online where people go out of thier way to help someone else. Im so relieved that theres nothing wrong with my motor and so grateful for sites like TB with awsome members. Thanks again and tell your buddy I said thanks!!
 
yes very sweet running motor. the condition is amazing! the 56's have the cool medallion on the sides.

i have a 5.5 same year, a really nice 54 10 hp and a ok running 54 7.5. added a 46 johnson td20 5hp , that i messed up the paint using some carb cleaner. i almost cried.

the little johnson
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVZNjHhJGfI[/youtube]

the 10 hp
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsjDxnjWQU[/youtube]

P1040895_zps782d0fe2.jpg
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dont know if the link came through

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVZNjHhJGfI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsjDxnjWQU

as for the reseal, its not that hard. the worst part is cleaning everything. you will need to buy a cheap gear/seal puller and i used a long spade bit to drift out the shift bushing. bought my seal kit from vintage outboards? i think. to seal the halfs, i just use permatex black or grey seems to work fine.
dino
 
So i spent a few hours on the lake today. Spent at least an hour just running this motor. This thing runs so good!! It pushes my fat butt and my modded 1436 at 16mph accoding to my GPS. It never did get on plane though. I think a little more weight in the front or just a little less in the rear could do the trick. I had a full fuel tank today so that didnt help. Still, 16mph is about all I expected anyhow so if it gets on plane and picks up another 1 or 2 mph, that would just be a bonus.

Anyhow, my point of this post is that I didnt get any oil, gas, water, sludge, goo, etc out of any of those holes today. I think I figured out what caused it last weekend and induced the panic about the lower unit. I had left my cap loose and the tank wasnt holding pressure so it kept stalling the motor. Id pump up the tank, choke the motor and fire it back up. I think from all the pumping and choking I was doing, I forced that oil down there and thats why it came out. Just my theory. Anyhow, shes running great now. Fires up on the first pull and just sings all the way across the lake!!

I do have a question about the tank though. It wont hold pressure when the motor isnt running. I can pump it up and run forever and it does just fine. When I stop and fish for awhile, I have to pump the tank up again to get the motor to fire. Is this common? I think I may be losing pressure through the gasket on the cap. 2 years ago, I replaced several gaskets on the tank because it had a leak and I thought I replaced the one on the cap but it looks rough for being new so I may not have replaced that one. Anyhow, its no big deal to pump it up before fireing but I may go ahead and order a new rubber gasket for the cap.

Thanks again to all of those that have helped with this project!!

Oh, I took a video of it running across the lake today with my phone but the file is too big to upload. Anyone know how to get it from my phone to the puter?
 
I just picked up one of these from a friend. Its been sitting in his grampa's basement for probably 30 years. Looked online and will be ordering the parts to redo the ignition system and carb. If you are still willing to email me a manual, I'd be grateful.

One question - and, yes, I'm a noob when it comes to boat motors - what is 'decarb-ing' and how do you do it?

Thanks in Advance.

Tim
 

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