Hybrid Cross Between '59 Evinrude & '67 Johnson. Mixture and ID Questions

Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
14
Great site - glad I found you guys. I'll try not to be too long winded.

Up until I lost my motor cowl, I had assumed my outboard was a 1959 18hp Evinrude. That is what the serial number on the motor and frame indicate. They both read “15028-18692.” The book says that’s a 59 Rude.

So when the cowl blew off and sunk in the lake, I purchased a replacement cowl for a 1959 Evinrude 18HP Golden Jubilee. I was surprised to find it didn’t fit. Long story short, it took a cowl from a 1967 20 HP Johnson to fit my lower pan.

What I have since learned is that I have a hybrid. Someone combined parts from a 1959 18hp Evinrude with a late 60’s 18 or 20 hp electric start Johnson to make one working electric start unit out of the two.

The portion of the block bearing the 59 Evinrude serial number is dark blue-green and doesn’t match any other color anywhere else on the rig. The paint on the pull-starter is white, and matches the color of the Johnson cowl I found. The rest of the outboard including other parts of the motor, frame, foot, and lower pan is aqua green. That paint all matches and looks factory, but I could be wrong.

I can’t be sure how much of the internal workings of the engine are 59 Evinrude, which brings me to my first question: what fuel/oil mix do you guys think I should run? 24:1 or 40:1? I have been running 24:1 because all along I have “assumed” this is a 1959 Evinrude. The carb is from the later model Johnson so I imagine it would be happier with a 40:1 mixture but I don’t want to scramble the motor. Short of tearing it down to see if the crank has bearings or bushings, does anyone have a suggestion?

Also, how can I identify the lower unit? The foot, frame, and lower cowling (I already know the cowling to be Johnson) are all painted the same aqua green if that helps. There are no numbers that I can discern other then the tag riveted to the frame under the tiller. That shows to be 1959 Evinrude. I have a feeling the rest of the frame and lower unit is something else.

Sorry so long. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Some links where I could see pictures of the 59 Evinrude and late 60’s Johnson’s would be useful. My Internet searches haven’t turned up much.

Thanks in advance!
 

F_R

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
28,226
Re: Hybrid Cross Between '59 Evinrude & '67 Johnson. Mixture and ID Questions

factory sales brochurs and pictures at old-omc.de
 

Paul Moir

Admiral
Joined
Nov 5, 2002
Messages
6,847
Re: Hybrid Cross Between '59 Evinrude & '67 Johnson. Mixture and ID Questions

EDIT: Misread your post. Does the fore of the block match the aft of the block?
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: Hybrid Cross Between '59 Evinrude & '67 Johnson. Mixture and ID Questions

If the 59 numbers are on a soft plug in the power head
then its 24:1 fuel mix.Year of the carb won't effect the fuel mix.I believe the Aqua/Green I would call it light Metalic green would be approximately 56 Johnson or slightly older.I think Johnson changed to white in 59
with the 58 being a redish copper color.
 
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
14
Re: Hybrid Cross Between '59 Evinrude & '67 Johnson. Mixture and ID Questions

Thanks for the replies.

The "fore and aft" of the motor doesn't match. The cylinder head is white and the crankcase halves are dark blue-green. I believe the block is Evinrude and the rest is Johnson.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "soft plug" Steelespike, but the thing I am talking about on the motor with the numbers on it looks like a freeze plug. It is round, shiney, and about the size of a nickle and is located on the right side of the motor if you are looking at it from the rear.

Concerning carbs and fuel/oil ratios, would not a motor designed to run 24:1 have a carb jetted differently then a motor of the same size designed to run on 40:1? That was my assumption when I made the reference about a carb liking 40:1 mix if it were designed for a 40:1 motor. Perhaps the extra oil doesn't change viscosity of the fuel all that much but like I say, that was my assumption.

Over the weekend I took a harder look at the paint on this beast and I now believe someone painted aqua green over the whole exterior. The tiller and the transome mounting bracket appear to have been a darker blue at one time and probably matched the motor. Everything else looks to be Johnson.
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Hybrid Cross Between '59 Evinrude & '67 Johnson. Mixture and ID Questions

the freeze plug has model number on it.
 

Paul Moir

Admiral
Joined
Nov 5, 2002
Messages
6,847
Re: Hybrid Cross Between '59 Evinrude & '67 Johnson. Mixture and ID Questions

There's no jetting difference between a 50:1 engine and a 24:1 engine. Don't worry about that.

If the crankcase has been opened, then there's really no telling what's in it. Does the colour look anything like this (Johnson '68 )
http://i22.ebayimg.com/01/i/07/20/55/54_12.JPG
Or these ('69)
http://i18.ebayimg.com/02/i/08/31/4b/35_1.JPG
http://i21.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/50/6f/0d_1_b.JPG

Evinrude of course used a lot of blues, but blue-green isn't turning on any Evinrude light bulbs for me.
 
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
14
Re: Hybrid Cross Between '59 Evinrude & '67 Johnson. Mixture and ID Questions

Paul - The color of the 68 in your first picture looks close to the color of my lower unit and lower cowl, but I think someone painted mine to make all the different parts match. The paint is peeling all over the lower unit and white is showing through which I now believe to be the original Johnson color. Paint is also peeling from the transom bracket and it isn't white underneath. It's dark blue-green (more blue then green) and matches the motor.

Like I said before, the serial number on the transom bracket matches the numbers on the engine, which shows to be 1959 Evinrude. Thanks to the web address furnished by FR, I now know this dark blue-green color on the bracket and on the motor to be a factory color for 59 18hp Evinrude. (There is a good picture of one at old-omc.de thanks FR!)

I have a NAPA marine products catalogue and it appears 18hp Evinrude and 18hp Johnson’s shared a great many parts from the 50's up to the 70's. As long as I can find what I need I reckon it doesn't make all that much difference that my outboard is a bastard child. I’ll keep running 24:1 just to be on the safe side.

I appreciate everyone's input. As time goes by I'm sure I will have more questions since I also have 1960 Evinrude 5.5! (I know, I'm gluten for punishment.)

You guys take her easy - thanks again
 

jddenham

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 8, 2006
Messages
393
Re: Hybrid Cross Between '59 Evinrude & '67 Johnson. Mixture and ID Questions

Paul said:
There's no jetting difference between a 50:1 engine and a 24:1 engine. Don't worry about that.

I'm relatively new to boats, but in my experience with single cylinder 2-stroke motorcycles, oil ratio and jetting are directly related.

A fuel/air mixture is just that. The oil is along for the ride to lubricate. When more oil is added to the mix, it results in less fuel in the fuel/air mix, resulting in a leaner condition.

This makes me think of the common recommendation of adding extra oil during break in periods of a new motor, inadvertently causing a lean fuel/air condition.

I'd be interested in any comments, thoughts, or opinions . . . .
 
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
14
Re: Hybrid Cross Between '59 Evinrude & '67 Johnson. Mixture and ID Questions

Hello jddenham -

I think that is a valid question and deserves it's own thread rather then tagging onto the end of this one. Might get more responce.
 
Top