1973 50 HP Johnson Hydro Electric

[commodore]

Any old timer? I have a 1973 50HP Johnson Hydro Electric drive. I want to drop the leg to replace the water pump impeller. It has not been done in decades. I know that I will have a wire harness to disconnect. Any of you know where to disconnect the wires that connects the selenoids? I hope that I wont have ito diconnect at the power head and have to fish the wires back all the way back when I am done. Will it be just easier to remove the selenoids at the leg to take the leg off? Any suggestions would be great

 

[dhughes214]

Re: 1973 50 HP Johnson Hydro Electric

there's 2 wires (purple and green) by the power head, i believe on the right hand side standing behind the boat/motor. disconnect the knife connectors and attach a piece of string to the wires that go down inside the powerhead. this way, when you're all done with the lower unit, you can pull that string and feed the wires back through.

 

[commodore]

Re: 1973 50 HP Johnson Hydro Electric

Thanks for the info. I am not sure if the string will work. I remove a lower unit form a 55HP same year, I had to yank as hard as possible to pull the wires down.Since it was a parts motor, I did not care.. I am not sure if a string
will work on my 50HP
Why in the #@!# did they not put in a quick disconnect lower down the leg??? I know that there is water but still, I am sure that it could be done...maybe not in 1973!

 

[Daviet]

Re: 1973 50 HP Johnson Hydro Electric

The wire harness is thicker where it goes through the housing and sometimes gets corrosion build up at that area. Take a long skinny screw driver, carefully push it between the harness and the housing while spraying WD-40 or some other lubracant into the housing. When you are ready to pull harness back up, coat the harness with a little grease and it will slide right in. Make sure and clean hole in housing.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1973 50 HP Johnson Hydro Electric

The wire harness is thicker where it goes through the housing and sometimes gets corrosion build up at that area. Take a long skinny screw driver, carefully push it between the harness and the housing while spraying WD-40 or some other lubracant into the housing. When you are ready to pull harness back up, coat the harness with a little grease and it will slide right in. Make sure and clean hole in housing.

The string will work. That is the way it is done. I had a fancier setup made of bicycle brake cable wire with knife connectors on it, but the string method is fine.

BTW, it isn't a 1973.....Or it isn't HydroElectric. 1972 was the last one.

 

[James R]

Re: 1973 50 HP Johnson Hydro Electric

Tie a long piece of strong twine to the two wires. Spray WD40 around the grommet carrying the wires through the casing. Wiggle the grommet to get the lub through then use a blunt small screwdriver on the edge of the grommet to carefully work it down through the casing. Real easy.