upgraded the spare motor for my BBIII

Huntindave McCann

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As I was working in my garage the other day on a fluid bed for powder painting jigs, I noticed my "spare motor rack" and got to thinking...?????..

I have an old Evinrude 9.9 that I'll probably never use and should sell real cheap. I also have a 2 stroke 25HP Johnson which started out life as a jet motor. Later converted to a standard propped lower unit. This motor as sold was a recoil rope manual start and was not even offered with a electric start option. Of course this got me to checking parts numbers to see if it could be retrofitted with electric, while also keeping the rope recoil functional and in place.

After scrolling thru several pages of parts lists, it did seem indeed that such a conversion was physically possible. However, looking at pricing on the needed parts, the conversion with new parts would be astronomical. Doing some more digging into used parts, I found the contact info for a place in Northern Minnesota whom I have previously done business with. After a few e-mails we came to an agreement on the parts needed and a price for the conversion kit. Less than 24 hours later the kit was at my door.

Got the old fly wheel removed, (no gear teeth on the old one). Replaced it with the flywheel in my "kit". Removed another bracket and replaced it with a bracket designed to hold a starter motor. Installed a solenoid, drilled a hole for the starter button, ran some wires and viola!, I now have electric start on this motor. Now if, heaven forbid, I should smack something with my current motor, I can have this one on the boat and ready to go in short order.

One thing is for certain, things got a whole lot tighter under the cowling after adding that electric start. Well worth it to just push a button and spin the engine to life. [cool] Seeing as how this is a spare motor, I'll actually be happy if I never need it.


View attachment johnson starter.jpg
 
Since your primary is a Yamaha unless it gets stolen I doubt the backup will ever be needed :) At any rate electric start is always nice to have.
 
tod osier said:
I need to do that for my f40 on the snow goose. Looks great!

Tod,
I'm sure you have many more years of rope pulling in you before you will "need" electric start. I had planned on using this motor and building a BBIII. When I purchased a completed package, the motor on it had electric start. First small motor I've owned that had it. Didn't take long for me to get spoiled.
 
Eric,

I am indeed hopeful the "spare" will continue to sit on the rack. I did however smack a sunken log just the other day while zipping down the river. That is one of the perils of running the river during dropping water levels. The spot you drove in just the day or two before, was above that snag. Today you can't see it yet but it is close enough to the surface to catch the prop. I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

I do need to move the spare to the drive where I can hook up some muffs and a fuel tank. It hasn't been run in several years and could stand to be exercised a bit. Heck I may just hang it on the transom and use it this summer. (now that I can push a button [cool])
 
I?m a little sick of it though and I soooo need projects to keep busy. [;)]. The couple times I?ve had starting troubles in the very cold, it would have been real nice.
 
Ha, looked in the cellar and found another 6hp I forgot about. Guess Im saying I have t organize the clutter, found 14 old cork bodies I started a looong time ago...
 
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