1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

[jallenlots]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

Ran into my first problem. And it's a problem that about took my fingers off. How in the world do you get the recoil spring back into the housing while one end is hooked to the housing, and one end is hooked to the pulley. I went at this @#%$^@ for about 3 hours today and ended up with a huge greasy mess, and a recoil starter assembly in 3 pieces (housing, pulley, spring). I just don't see how it's possible to wind this thing when one end is fitted around a peg in the housing and the other is fitted around a peg on the pulley. Even if I were to get the spring wound into the housing, how in the heck would I get the pulley-end peg in place without totally uncoiling (which is very dangerous as it turns out) that spring?? I was about a skip and a hop from taking this whole thing and tossing it into a fire pit, because watching it burn would've brought me a LOT of joy.

HELP BEFORE I GO INSANE AND THROW THIS THING IN THE DUMPSTER!!!!

Recoil starter has to be the most difficult motor maintenance ever in existence if you're lucky enough, like I was, to have it pop apart on you. At this point I would rather set this motor in the attic until I come across a new entire starter unit while walking down the street.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

I would actually love to find some nice homes for some cowls. I have no idea where I even got them all, but have quite a few 40hp cowls from the 60s

Do you have a nice one for a 1959 RDS-21?

My sweetheart likes to go with me to pick them up and she likes to watch me work on them. Damn....I have a good woman.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

Ran into my first problem. And it's a problem that about took my fingers off. How in the world do you get the recoil spring back into the housing while one end is hooked to the housing, and one end is hooked to the pulley. I went at this @#%$^@ for about 3 hours today and ended up with a huge greasy mess, and a recoil starter assembly in 3 pieces (housing, pulley, spring). I just don't see how it's possible to wind this thing when one end is fitted around a peg in the housing and the other is fitted around a peg on the pulley. Even if I were to get the spring wound into the housing, how in the heck would I get the pulley-end peg in place without totally uncoiling (which is very dangerous as it turns out) that spring?? I was about a skip and a hop from taking this whole thing and tossing it into a fire pit, because watching it burn would've brought me a LOT of joy.

HELP BEFORE I GO INSANE AND THROW THIS THING IN THE DUMPSTER!!!!

Recoil starter has to be the most difficult motor maintenance ever in existence if you're lucky enough, like I was, to have it pop apart on you. At this point I would rather set this motor in the attic until I come across a new entire starter unit while walking down the street.

Those recoil starters are not easy to work on, I know. When you get frustrated with them, just set it down and go have a cold one. You'll feel better about it, if you do. It does take skill and patience to work on those.

 

[registeroot]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

hi. you have to unwind the recoil handle (the bit you actually pull) from the rope to enable you to actually wind it all in. this 'preloads' the spring also, so that it recoils all the way in. i did this job in the summer. it dangerous too! just hook it on the pin first, then slowly push the spring in and around the housing.

 

[jallenlots]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

Zephyr, you hit the nail on the head. I went waaaay too far into frustration zone this morning and should've put it down about and hour and a half before I finally did. Worse yet, I dug into this nightmare directly after getting home from a busy and frustrating night of work. Bad idea + bad idea = Poor or no results and possible injury...

Registeroot, what I'm getting from your post, which I MUCH appreciate by the way, is that I should start by removing the handle from the pull rope? I apologize if I'm off base here. I can see how that would be helpful though, as it was getting in the way a smidge. Once I get the spring coiled into the housing, how do I connect the "pulley-end" of the spring to the pin on the pulley? This is where I'm having the biggest mindbender. I could coil the spring up in the housing, but then to connect the pulley-end of the spring to the pulley without uncoiling the spring from the housing.....sounds like I may need to hire a magician? Do you folks wind the spring into the housing by hand and THEN connect the spring to the pulley (if so, how?)? Or connect the spring to the pulley AND the housing, and then coil the spring by turning the pulley by hand? With that second method, I don't see how you could really be sure that the spring would seat into the housing under the pulley.

I feel like there is no non-confusing way to convey this....but I should at least get an E for effort!

I only payed $17 for this gem, and I really don't want to spend $90 on a whole new recoil starting mech.

 

[registeroot]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

OK i got ya now. this is just really tricky. i actually bent the end of my spring upwards with a pair of pliers. i had the recoil lying on its back. i connected the spring to the inside 'pin' and started to 'feed the spring into the recoil. when i was near the end, it was under quite a lot of tension as you will know. at this stage you will se why you bent the spring upwards. carefully lift the bottom piece of the recoil and try to mate the spring 'end loop' onto the 'pin' of the recoil side. to do this i had to take the handle (the actual bit you pull to start the engine) off the rope to enable the rope to go inside the recoil a LITTLE bit. if it goes all the way in at this stage you will have to start again.
as i say it took me a lot of time. i got very dirty and it snapped off a couple of times. but you WILL get it in the end!

Zephyr, you hit the nail on the head. I went waaaay too far into frustration zone this morning and should've put it down about and hour and a half before I finally did. Worse yet, I dug into this nightmare directly after getting home from a busy and frustrating night of work. Bad idea + bad idea = Poor or no results and possible injury...

Registeroot, what I'm getting from your post, which I MUCH appreciate by the way, is that I should start by removing the handle from the pull rope? I apologize if I'm off base here. I can see how that would be helpful though, as it was getting in the way a smidge. Once I get the spring coiled into the housing, how do I connect the "pulley-end" of the spring to the pin on the pulley? This is where I'm having the biggest mindbender. I could coil the spring up in the housing, but then to connect the pulley-end of the spring to the pulley without uncoiling the spring from the housing.....sounds like I may need to hire a magician? Do you folks wind the spring into the housing by hand and THEN connect the spring to the pulley (if so, how?)? Or connect the spring to the pulley AND the housing, and then coil the spring by turning the pulley by hand? With that second method, I don't see how you could really be sure that the spring would seat into the housing under the pulley.

I feel like there is no non-confusing way to convey this....but I should at least get an E for effort!

I only payed $17 for this gem, and I really don't want to spend $90 on a whole new recoil starting mech.

 

[jallenlots]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

Update: I was able to pull my $#%& together and pack that wicked monstrosity of a recoil spring into it's housing. A lot of it due to your guys' help. I was even able to get the pulley onto the housing with the string correctly and the right amount of tension!

But...

Now my pawls won't engage. I've got them hooked up, and when I turn the equalizer cup by hand they pull out of their retainers. My problem is that when I pull on the recoil, the equalizer cup doesn't move. I simply can't figure out what makes the equalizer cup turn to pull the pawls out and engage the flywheel. It seems as though I have put the assembly back together correctly, though I could be wrong. Anyone know why the equalizer cup wouldn't turn and pull the pawls out when I pull the recoil? Like I said, if I reach in and give the equalizer cup a little turn by hand, the springs engage and the pawls pop out together.

P.S. - Please. I beg of you. Don't say I have to pull the recoil pulley off again. It may cause a stroke.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

No, you won't have to pull the assembly apart, but you will have to make sure that the spring assembly is lined up correctly on that spindal and make sure that the spindal is set right in the housing. There should be a small pin on the spindal, that lines up with a hole in the housing.

 

[registeroot]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

This is mine. I replaced the springs.

 

[jallenlots]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

Thanks a million guys. I'm heading out to work on her in just a few here and I appreciate the help. I thought the friction spring/equalizer cup installation might have been the problem, I just couldn't really visualize or grasp the concept of how it was to turn to pull the pawls out. My pawl springs seem pretty good, assuming they were replaced before. With your help and the new diagram I found from a Seloc manual (I had been using OMC manual) I'm pretty confident that I should be able to nail this one down and get the starter back in action today. I'll be lightly clamping the pulley down with c-clamps to ensure the recoil spring doesn't rear it's fangs again. I found it quite humorous but also accurate that the Seloc manual describes the recoil spring as a "real caged tiger" and that dealing with it can be a "BAD SCENE, a very BAD SCENE".

Next stop, lower unit and carburetor.

On another note, regarding my original question when I started the thread, does anyone where I should be looking to find a cowl for this motor? Someone earlier suggested the "junkyard" section of the J/E forums. I can't seem to find this thread/section? I ask because I recently diagnosed the wiring on my 85hp 1968 Ev. as quickly deteriorating and this RDS-22 might end up my main motor in the near future.

 

[registeroot]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

there is one for sale in the usa on ebay

 

[jallenlots]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

$99.99 + $37.48 shipping? Is that a common price? I feel like I've seen a lot of other cowls for similar motors at a much more reasonable price. Is it just me? Guess she's goin' topless; I can't justify to myself spending $140 on a cowl for a motor I payed $17 for. Yikes.

 

[registeroot]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

attaboy. could always make one from fibreglass! lightweight!

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

Just reply to the email I sent you about the cowl. I have a few as mentioned.

 

[jallenlots]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

Hey, thanks HighTrim. I replied at about 9pm eastern last night. Just in case you didn't get my message for some reason...

Appreciate all the help so far.

 

[Muskyfisherman]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

Zephyr, you hit the nail on the head. I went waaaay too far into frustration zone this morning and should've put it down about and hour and a half before I finally did. Worse yet, I dug into this nightmare directly after getting home from a busy and frustrating night of work. Bad idea + bad idea = Poor or no results and possible injury...

Registeroot, what I'm getting from your post, which I MUCH appreciate by the way, is that I should start by removing the handle from the pull rope? I apologize if I'm off base here. I can see how that would be helpful though, as it was getting in the way a smidge. Once I get the spring coiled into the housing, how do I connect the "pulley-end" of the spring to the pin on the pulley? This is where I'm having the biggest mindbender. I could coil the spring up in the housing, but then to connect the pulley-end of the spring to the pulley without uncoiling the spring from the housing.....sounds like I may need to hire a magician? Do you folks wind the spring into the housing by hand and THEN connect the spring to the pulley (if so, how?)? Or connect the spring to the pulley AND the housing, and then coil the spring by turning the pulley by hand? With that second method, I don't see how you could really be sure that the spring would seat into the housing under the pulley.

I feel like there is no non-confusing way to convey this....but I should at least get an E for effort!

I only payed $17 for this gem, and I really don't want to spend $90 on a whole new recoil starting mech.

I live over in Wisconsin and have a complete RDS 22 Johnson. The motor hasn't been run in about five years been sitting up in a garage in upper WI) except for last year when it was taken out by a relative-he said it ran doggy-thinking the carb needs to be cleaned. I do think the impellor would also need to be changed just because it has been so long, and the the lower unit seals need to be replaced because I did get some water out when I had changed the gease. This motor has a short shaft lower unit; and is set up for steering wheel control. Thinking of a different Newer motor, so just thought I would pass this information on to you.

 

[dreamfinder]

Re: 1960 40hp Johnson RDS 22 motor cover? First project!

Hello fine folks!

Long time reader, first time poster!

I recently purchased a 1960 Johnson 40hp RDS 22 (so says the listing) for just under $30.00 on an auction website. Running condition is totally unknown (which is exactly why I bought it! ), but it appears to have everything but the motor cover. I have 3 very quick (I think) questions if anyone who may have experience with this or a similar motor would be so kind:

1) I purchased this because I wanted an old-ish project motor just to have fun with and restore. Is this a fair choice in motor for what I'm doing? I'd hoped to go smaller but I figured the price wasn't all that shabby...

2) Is there anything about this motor that I should be aware of before diving in? (hideously outrageous parts cost, common problems, unusual lack of parts availability etc..)

3) I won't be totally restoring the motor in terms of making it look "off the shelf" or anything, but I would like an original cover if possible. I've checked e-Bay and searched google, also checked a couple of popular outboard parts websites. No luck. Any suggestions?

I promise I'm not trying to get anyone to do MY homework! This is just a first-time project for me and I am blown away daily by the incredible amount of knowledge spread throughout these forums!

Thanks everyone!

J. Allen - Vetus Hamiota

I have the exact motor you want. It is "parts condition" - If you still want it - I can send pics of the motor including housing etc. Got it with a beautifully like new restored one that goes with my restored '59 Glastron