Remote control conversion for '69 20hp

[dracula]

My grandfather gave me his old 20R69B Johnson. I've been looking around (on the net of course, God bless the greatest creation of all time) to see if it can be converted to remote steer, throttle...etc. Is there a kit, or would it take some custom work?....if it's possible at all <br /><br />Thanks

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Remote control conversion for '69 20hp

Well...they didn't make a remote version of that motor that year, but I notice that the front handle has the hole in it for remote steering.<br /><br />However, it looks to me, and I could be wrong, that the throttle parts from the 33 hp of the same year should fit on that engine. Since the shifter is already ready for remote activation, getting the throttle set up is the only thing you'd need to do to get this outboard ready to use with a remote.

 

[dracula]

Re: Remote control conversion for '69 20hp

That's cool, I had noticed the hole for steering, and figured it could be rigged. I don't have any kind of manuals for this motor, what's the handle on the left side of the motor? It has three positions?

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Remote control conversion for '69 20hp

I think the only thing you need are a pair of trunions for the shift/throttle cables to mount to the engine. I believe there's already places for them. You can get them from the dealer, or a junkyard - they're the same on many models/years.<br /><br />The steering is the tricky part - there's two modern ways of doing it. To save yourself the hassle, forget about the original rope & pulley steering systems.<br /><br />The handle on the left side of the motor is the shifter. Centre is neutral (for starting, idleling), toward the boat is foward, and away from the boat is reverse. Always shift quickly into and out of gear as easing the lever is very hard on some parts in the lower unit (unlike a car!). Always shift with the engine at idle. Do not force the shift lever into forward or reverse with the engine stopped. I think that's all you need to know about the shift lever, and you'll be smarter than most.