LET'S DESTROY AN OUTBOARD - or How I Failed to Kill A Johnson 9.9, Despite Expert Level Execution

LET'S DESTROY AN OUTBOARD - or How I Failed to Kill A Johnson 9.9, Despite Expert Level Execution

   August 15, 2026       editor

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I haven't told this story because it's like taking the walk of shame. 

Due to my own careless bull-headedness, I nearly burned up the Johnson 9.9. 

Here's how it went down. 

Before July 4th, my wife had a brilliant idea...she wanted to put the boat in at one end of one of the local lakes and go to the other end in order to watch a fireworks show over the dam. 

Of course, this meant coming back at night, which was fine. My boat has nav lights and I have a big spotlight. I'd put the wife up front and she could watch for hazards, and I would have a pre-made path on the GPS so that I could stay right in the channel and avoid shallow spots. 

Let me preface this by saying I was messing around with some props to see if I could find a better combo for running with a passenger. So, I dug out an old 8 pitch prop to hopefully give the old Johnson a little bit more oomph and RPMS with another person along.

When I say old, I mean, it was the prop that came with the motor. It is likely this thing has been on the motor for decades. It was beat up, scuffed, and had some chips out of it. I took a Dremel and did a little filing to hopefully make it a bit more efficient, then hit it with a coat of black Rustoleum Appliance paint, and it actually looked pretty impressive.

So, with the "new" old prop in place, we set out to go from one end of the lake to the other. We arrived in plenty of time to find a spot, anchor, set up lawn chairs in the bottom of the boat, and relax and watch the fireworks... 

On the way back is when our problems began. Actually, we made it almost all the way to the no-wake zone where the ramp was that we launched from. Within a few hundred yards of the first buoys, the RPM's maxed out and our forward progress stopped. All the symptoms of a spun prop. 

I let the RPMS settle back to an idle, and throttled up again. Continued running a short ways, then the same thing. RPMS spiked, speed went to almost zero, and I backed off the throttle. I was sure that pulling this old OMC prop out of retirement was the cause of the problem. The hub was slipping, RPM's spiking, progress stopping. I'd experienced it before and it was happening again. Or so I believed. 

By this point, we were close to the no-wake, so I idled it. That's when I heard a clicking noise coming from the engine. Sounded like it was only partly in gear. I reached back and went to neutral, and when I did, it died. And then, the sight and smell of smoke.

Holy crap. I looked down through the darkness and shined a light. The lower unit was wrapped with weeds. They'd caused my prop to ventilate and blocked the water intake. I was so sure it was a spun prop that I never thought to look at the telltale.  And now, it was on fire. I didn't dare remove the cowl. I was afraid the sudden influx of oxygen might actually produce flames. I was sure that the engine was toast. 

I was sick. I found this Johnson last year and only paid $300 for it. Compression on both cylinders was in the 140's when I first got it. I was fully convinced that I'd just turned it into a paperweight.


I fired up the Hangkai, which I always bring with me on long trips as a "get me home motor", and made our way through the no-wake zone to the boat ramp. Needless to say, it was a long, quiet trip home. 

The next day, I began the autopsy. Compression had gone from 140 when I bought it all the way down to 85. I pulled the cylinder head first, which looked OK, and the exhaust covers in order to get a look at the rings. The rings weren't stuck, but there was some scoring and aluminum deposits on the inside of the cylinder walls. 

I did make one minor modification. In order to get the exhaust covers off, you normally would have to remove the powerhead. I wanted no part of that, so I drilled holes in the side of the lower cowl and opened them up large enough for a socket to fit through. And it worked. I can now get the exhaust covers off easily and with a minimum of fuss. The downside is, holes. But at this point, I considered the engine a parts motor that I was going to try to get running, so the holes aren't really such a big deal.

I started reading about fixing it...the "right" way is to have the cylinders re-bored professionally and new rings installed. This involves removing the crank, pulling the pistons, and taking the block to a shop. There's a "poor man's" version: ball-honing the cylinder walls. That would still require removing and opening up the powerhead and removing the pistons.

I didn't really want to do either one. 

Then I started wondering what would happen if I just decided to run it as it is. Since that incident, I bought a Johnson 6 and found that it runs quite well with 75 PSI compression. Starts easy and pulls strong. It would be a crapshoot as to whether or not the motor would work correctly, but low risk since the motor was basically a write-off as far as I knew. If it ran well, great! It would cost me some time and the price of a few gaskets. If it didn't, then I'd have to pull it apart, replace the rings, and do a ball hone on the cylinders, which I had initially considered doing anyway. The motor was just too old to take to a shop and have the cylinders rebored. Worst case scenario, if nothing worked, I'd just find a new powerhead. 

First step was to bolt the exhaust covers back on. New gaskets in place, I tightened them down. Problem was, they were just a little...warped.  

The built-in drinking fountain was an option on the 89 models...

There are some different routes one can take to fix this. Some said to sand it out flat. That would work for the outside cover, but the inside cover has a very large concave area that directs the gasses down the exhaust housing. No bueno. So, I did what any enterprising amateur mechanic would do. I got the hammer. 

Specifically, a rubber mallet and some wood blocks, and started pounding and comparing the panels with a straight edge, going a little at a time and using only as much force as was necessary. Finally got everything looking nice and flat, and so I bolted it back together, and...no leaks. Holy cow...the one situation where "Just hit it with a hammer" actually worked.

The overheat, however, had fried my old impeller. It was ugly. Never had one burn up quite like that. And that was what was responsible for most of the smoke and smell, which is great because that's a replaceable item.  

I replaced that...and it seemed to barely pump. So, the flushing began...forward through the pickup tube, backward through the thermostat hole, you name it, nothing could get a good water stream coming out of the telltale. And, the cylinder head was getting quite warm. 

Turns out, I had two separate issues. One, the thermostat which was in the engine when it overheated obviously got fried. I replaced it with an older one that I kept as a spare and everything started working right, but I still was getting just a trickle from the telltale. And then I found impeller pieces in it. Removed those, and the cooling system started working as intended. 

I ran it for around 25 minutes in a barrel and everything seemed OK. I took another compression reading, and it had climbed to 95. That's progress! So, it was time to go to the lake. 

I got it in the water and it started easily just like always. Wound her up and...disappointment. I'm used to getting 19-20 mph out of my setup, and now I was only getting around 16. Oh well. It was still better than having to put out a bunch of cash for a new motor or a bunch of parts, or worse, tear the thing down for a rebuild. 

But then a funny thing happened. 16 became 17. Then 17 became 18. So, the more I ran it, the more I picked up speed.  This is at the end of the first run after the overheat.

18 mph out of a 9.9 in this size boat is nothing to sneeze at. More than good enough considering the circumstances. It will be interesting to see what happens when I have my trolling motor, battery, and other gear loaded, because this boat usually performs better with the front loaded, even if it means more total weight.

In an earlier blog post, I called the Johnson 9.9/15 "the AK47 of outboard motors". I fully stand by that assessment, because I inadvertently put it to the test. I tried to kill it and failed. These things really are nearly indestructible. 

Lessons learned:

• Watch your telltale. Yes, it's annoying to keep looking back, but it beats the alternative. It's there for a reason!
  
  
• When something goes wrong, don't automatically assume you know what it is. My hard-headedness and refusal to believe that I could be wrong about it being a spun prop led me to keep making the situation worse by trying to "power through it." Reducing RPMS until I found what I thought was the slip threshold would have worked with a spun prop, but made the overheat worse since I really needed to shut it off and deal with the blockage. Had I investigated all possibilities, rather than assuming that I knew what I was doing, this never would have happened. 
  
  
• And perhaps the most important, and one by which I will always abide from now on...anything unusual happens, the motor comes up and I take a look.

Cheap insurance. 

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Johnson 6RL72D - From Biohazard to Boat Motor in a Hundred Not So Easy Steps

Johnson 6RL72D - From Biohazard to Boat Motor in a Hundred Not So Easy Steps

   August 11, 2026       editor

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Don't look directly at it.

I actually found this motor several months ago on Marketplace. I had recently rebuilt a 6R70B which was a 1970 model 6hp. I thoroughly enjoyed that build/flip and kept my eyes open for another. So when this one popped up, I acted quickly. 

It was ugly. Really ugly. Like, "give-you-an-infection-just-by-looking-at-it" ugly. And it looked like it was in rough shape mechanically, and the seller advertised it as "not running".

Nevertheless, I'm stupid, so I gleefully dove in head first...messaged the seller...asked if he still had it and if the shifter was broken. 

Yes, he still had it, he said. No comment on the shifter. And he wanted me to call him. 

Now, I use Marketplace because it accommodates my loathing of talking on the phone. I can do all my transactions without having to talk to people. We have local trader's guides that operate solely off of phone usage. But, I avoid those so I won't have to use the phone. And this guy was trying to intermingle the two worlds, which was totally unacceptable. So, I gave up. 

But, the motor kept coming up on my Marketplace feed. Eventually, I messaged him again, this time late at night. Again, he asked me to call. 

I made an excuse. "I'm in bed on my phone. Wife's asleep next to me. Can't call you right now."

Sometimes my genius astounds even me. 

So, he had to type stuff, and he probably felt the same way about typing as I do about talking on the phone. But, I had established dominance in this conversation and was taking it in the direction I wanted to go. 

It was obvious from the pics that the gear shifter had been broken. But, despite my establishment of dominance, the seller didn't want to talk about that, or anything else.

I asked about it again, and again, he avoided the question. "I've never messed with it." he said. I did drag some details out of him, including an asking price: $125. I figured the carb alone was probably worth that. So, I set up a meeting.  Made the trip, paid the money. 

When I got it home, I began tearing it apart. The tiller handle was messed up and incorrectly assembled to the point that it would not turn the throttle control. Someone had tried to fix it and left it completely non-functional. Separated the halves, put new hardware on it, and got it working. 

Next was to see if the lower was healthy. I pulled it and it looked good...impeller was intact, oil was clean, etc. 

But when I started it, it ran poorly, and only on one cylinder. I pulled the flywheel, and found that someone had "worked" on the engine. The coils, points, and condenser all looked new and correctly installed, which was good. But, one of the spark plug wires wasn't even touching its coil. Someone had worked on it, and left it completely non-functional. 

I fixed that, then spent the rest of the day learning the hard way about suppression core wires and why they are garbage for old outboards...they're designed to limit interference to the radio and car electronics by reducing the intensity of the spark. Well, the old Johnson is a points and condenser system, so it doesn't produce a ton of spark to begin with, and the suppression core wire was killing what little fire I had. 

Finally found some mag-core agricultural wires at the local parts store, installed them, and that solved the problem. I assume that this was a large part of why the motor was sold to begin with. It had a new cheapo aftermarket fuel pump on it, new plug wires, etc. Someone had made an attempt to get it running and had failed. 

But now, it was alive. Not the smoothest in the world, but it ran.

I noticed that it seemed to never get up to temperature, always running in the low 100s. I pulled the thermostat and found my answer...

They're not supposed to come with a salad.

So, obviously, some new parts would be needed.

Over the course of the next two weeks, I did all sorts of repairs and upgrades...fuel pump rebuild, new fuel lines, new fuel coupling, new spark plugs, Sierra carb kit, among other things. It was dumping a LOT of oil into the exhaust housing, so I knew I would have to pull the powerhead and replace the crank seal. The old one, made of cork and pressed against the bottom of the engine by a Rube Goldberg spring mechanism, had been mashed flat until it no longer sealed anything, so I made a new one out of some 1/8" thick Fel-Pro 3019 cork gasket material to replace it. This is some good stuff and I've since found a few other uses for it. 

Seems like a reasonable design.

By the way, if you ever pull the lower on one of these, do NOT ignore the roll pin in the driveshaft. Without it, you have no lower crank seal, and best case scenario, you have a mess in the exhaust housing. At worst, you'll burn up your engine, because your engine will always run lean, as the gas/oil will leak out the bottom crank instead of making it into the cylinders. That little pin compresses that whole contraption above into place and makes the difference in whether your engine will ever run correctly. No need to get the OEM model...in fact, I bought an assortment of stainless metric roll pins and one of them works just fine. I don't know the diameter or length. I just try different ones until one fits. According to the AI's, it's 3/4" long by 3/16" in diameter, so find one close to that. Oh, and you have to have the pin facing side to side (perpendicular to the line of travel when going straight) when installing the lower/driveshaft or the pin will never go into place. Ask me how I know, lol. 

Probably one of the most fun endeavors you will ever undertake is simultaneously threading the roll pin through the slot way up in the exhaust housing while lining up the water tube and making sure the shift shaft goes into place correctly, then holding the whole thing while you tighten down the shift coupler and start the first bolt through the lower and into the exhaust housing. Those OMC engineers knew that people like a challenge. So many hours of entertainment.

 As a bonus, in the process of removing the power head, I cracked a bolt and had to remove the stub through some torque and "thermal persuasion". Eventually, I was able to replace it with another bolt that had the same thread size. I put all of the bolts, which were stubborn to the last one, back in with anti-seize.

Removing the power head was also the only way to get to the shift coupling. It's no wonder the guy didn't want to talk about the shift lever. Not only was it broken, it was also disconnected. The piece that connected the shift handle to the shift rod was cracked and partly missing. I managed to find another one on eBay for around $10, and when I put it back together, it shifted just fine.

About that shift handle...I ended up having to re-make half of it out of PVC, which I molded using a heat gun. It ended up being quite sturdy and it looks and functions like it was made that way. 

Redneck engineering.

Then, I installed a new water impeller housing and impeller. I'm still not sure I made the right decision on this. The old design has a much larger impeller, simpler housing, and no gaskets. It also pumps water in greater volume, if you ask me.

The new impeller kit is designed to use the updated OMC style impellers, which , IMHO, are not as robust. I did put the new housing and impeller on, and when I took it back apart to chase down the leak, I found that it had chewed up the gasket underneath. Had any of that come loose and gotten sucked up into the engine, I would be in a bad situation, likely dealing with an overheat. I made a new gasket and put it back together, but if the same problem occurs again when I go to swap out the driveshaft seal, the old impeller and housing will go back in temporarily and I'll just order a new impeller for the old housing.

After that, new oil in the gear case, which unlike before, now showed signs of contamination after running it in a barrel. Pressure testing revealed tiny bubbles around the drive shaft seal, and I have one on order, which hopefully solves the problem. 

Finally, it was time to do water testing. This video shows the motor at every step of the restoration process except for the final cosmetic overhaul.

Speaking of that, it was time to do something about the way the thing looked. One previous owner had done a ham-fisted attempt at painting the cowl. It was bad...he didn't have replacement decals, so he just taped over the old logos and didn't paint that part. Are you seeing a pattern here? The cowl gasket was shot, as it was cracked, weathered, and in pieces. The "olive gold" paint on the lower was worn down to the red primer.

Man, was it ugly.

I tried on the previous Johnson 6 to restore a factory appearance using what was available on eBay and at WalMart, with mixed success. I was never happy with the way it ended up looking but really didn't want to put any time into correcting it, so I sold it as it was. It wasn't that it was bad, it just looked like someone had tried to make it look original and had failed. This is because I had tried to make it look original and failed.

This time, I decided to skip any claim to authenticity and instead tried to bring the Johnson into the 21st century with a modern paint scheme. I  used a sand colored semi-gloss on the cowling (I think the name for that color is "Fossil"), and Rustoleum Appliance Paint in black on everything else but the prop, which also got the fossil treatment.  I can't say enough about the Rustoleum Appliance Paint. It's an epoxy that goes on easy with an amazing gloss, and is tough as nails after it dries. It does take a little longer to harden, but it's worth the extra time. Afterward, I replaced the cowl gasket with one from AliExpress, and the Johnson decals came from AliExpress as well. 

Finally, she was (mostly) done. Not only does the engine start and run easily, it pulls very well and can push a 1542 jon at 8 mph with two big guys and a dog in it. And it looks fantastic. 

Can't ask for more than that from a 54 year old motor.

Here's the list of everything I've done to it...

• Sierra carb kit 
• Thermostat 
• Paint, hood gasket, decals
• Tiller handle ring (PVC) 
• Fuel pump rebuild
• Fuel lines
• Fuel fitting 
• Powerhead gasket 
• Shift lever repair 
• Shift linkage replacement
• Crank seal replacement 
• Impeller and housing
• Lower unit oil
• Spark plugs and wires
• Cleaned points 
  
• Pull rope for starter
• Decals for shift, choke, throttle, mixture, etc
  
  

Watch the Wrench and Rod store. This one may be for sale at some point. 

As always, as an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All products that I have linked are products that I have purchased directly, or that I am familiar with through other means, unless noted otherwise. I will never suggest you purchase products of poor or unknown quality.

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Introducing: the Wrench and Rod Store

Introducing: the Wrench and Rod Store

   August 10, 2026       editor

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I find outboard motors fascinating. What better way to ruin that than trying to make a business out of it?

Introducing...the Wrench and Rod Store, specializing in parts for 2 stroke Mercury/Mariner/Evinrude and Johnson outboard motors, generally 15 horsepower and under, particularly OMC engines, but in reality, a little bit of everything, including parts for mowers, weedeaters, etc. 

I hope to keep a small inventory of parts on hand at all times. What I have noticed is the parts scarcity in my area, especially at a reasonable price, so I plan to be part of the solution, and maybe make a little cash as a bonus. 

From time to time, I plan to also  sell complete motors that I have fixed up to flip. 

My inventory will likely be changing weekly, so check back. You never know what kind of interesting items you may find...

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Briggs and Williams Part 2

Briggs and Williams Part 2

   June 04, 2026       editor

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The pump came off the pressure washer. The ATF/diesel (kerosene)/acetone mix worked perfectly. 

On my previous build, I had the boys at the local high school welding shop make me a steel interface plate. I wanted a way to expedite the process and make the build a little cheaper, so this time I decided on some plywood composite that I found. It totally was not an old road sign. 

Not a road sign.

This is the same material that the previous owner of my boat used to rebuild the transom. It is not wood (not completely anyway) and seems to be completely impervious to weather (like a road sign would be, but it's not one). 

This was a hatch cover on the front deck. Since I eliminated the front deck on my boat, the hatch was no longer necessary, so I stored this piece until I found a use for it. In order not to mess it up, I roughed in the mounts on a scrap piece of plywood so I could later transfer the hole locations. 

After that, it was going to be necessary to adapt the driveshaft of the motor to fit the collet from the Ted Williams lower. The bottom fits over a spline shaft in the lower and the collet on top is secured with a set screw. On both of the Briggs engines I have converted, the driveshafts were too large. So, out comes the angle grinder! 

The objective is to reduce the diameter of the driveshaft on the Briggs to the size of the collet on the TW.

Then it's a matter of dimpling the shaft of the Briggs with a drill and lining up the dimple with the set screw. Alignment here is critical, so you'll want to spin the motor with the pull cord and look for any wobble. If it's not lined up, make a note of which way the collet is out of line, loosen the set screw, and hold it in place while you re-tighten. The goal is as little wobble as possible. 

Next step is to finalize the mounting plate. I did this by marking the holes, mounting the engine, then tracing around the outside of the base. 

After cutting, you may also have to make clearance on the mounting plate so the engine sits flush on the base. With the metal interface, that meant using spacers, but with the plywood, you can use a Dremel to relieve the surface. 

Then, you'll mount the engine to the interface with the collet in place and drop it onto the shaft. What you're looking for is a natural resting point for the engine atop the lower.

Move it around a little and, while adjusting, pull the pull start and see if there's any resistance. Once the pull start engages smoothly, mark the location with a magic marker from underneath.

 

Totally not a road sign.

Six small bolts and nuts hold the plate to the lower...it's a good idea to use washers (and maybe lock washers) to ensure the motor doesn't fall off. It is critical that you line up the mounting plate on the lower WITH the carry handle in place so that all the mounting bolts are accessible. In my case, this meant I had to slightly skew the engine with the front facing a little to the left in order for the 3 bolt holes for the engine mount to be clear. It's purely a cosmetic issue, not super noticeable, and helps get everything lined up properly. Otherwise, you may find that you can't physically insert the three large bolts into the hole. 

Once everything is bolted down and secure, it is time for testing. Give it a couple pulls and see how it works. If you hear any strange noises or notice binding or other problems, shut it down and make adjustments and try it again. 

Next steps...making a tiller handle and setting up throttle, choke, and idle controls on the front of the engine. 

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"My boat should be faster!"

"My boat should be faster!"

   May 30, 2026       editor

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I'm a member of several fishing/boating forums on Facebook and one of the most common complaints is that their boat doesn't go fast enough despite having what seems like a more than adequate motor. It's surprising how many people start off with just being happy to be on the water but then wanting to wring every bit of speed out of their boats that they can. Unfortunately, many do not understand the "tricks" necessary to do this, and many just think the simplest route is to upgrade to a bigger motor. 

So, if you're thinking of buying more motor, don't jump to that step just yet. There are a few small tweaks you can make to possibly get more from your current setup than what you are right now. 

Buying a new motor certainly is a way to speed up your boat, especially if you like spending money and getting little in return. It's expensive, it adds weight, and it may not fully address the problems that are slowing you down to begin with. And soon, you'll find yourself saying, "I have all this horsepower and my boat only goes 20 mph!" 

In order to add speed to your boat, you have to take a moment to understand the causes that slow your boat down to begin with, and identify and fix those that can be corrected, and minimize those that can't. 

Let's look at my boat in particular...a 1542 flat bottom jon. Big enough to fish out of comfortably, it just took a while to get anywhere on the lake with it. 

I started a while back with a 7 hp motor. I knew it would never be a speed demon with this setup, but I was fine with that at first. So, off I went, Chinese motor on the back, and was happy. Until I realized I could not get away from the traffic near the boat launches, which were at either end of the lake. The middle was where you could truly fish privately and away from people, but with 7 hp moving at 8-9 mph, getting there was just not realistic unless I wanted to be out all day. 13-15 miles per hour would have definitely helped me get the boost I needed to reach the middle of the lake, but I didn't know if I could reach that speed on 7 hp.  I knew it would be a lot to ask...

Hydrofoils - Maybe worthwhile, maybe not. 

I tried everything to gain even a little more speed...new prop, raising and lowering the motor, trimming, and even a hydrofoil. The one improvement was a change in weight distribution, but it was obvious that the only real answer was an upgrade. So, I moved up to a 9.9.

This was much better, but still pretty slow. Top speed was about 9-10. I kept the hydrofoil that I had on the previous motor and installed it on the 9.9. If you don't know, a hydrofoil is like a set of wings that attach to the lower unit of your boat.  You drill through the cavitation plate, bolt the foil on, and you're off and running.

 

And, being wings, they do what wings do; they lift the rear of the boat out of the water and help it get on plane. They're especially suited to tiller steer boats where the weight is concentrated in the rear. Sometimes, this can result in higher speeds, sometimes it actually slows you down. Every situation is different, and the only way to find out for sure is to drill the holes. 

In my case, it only added about 1 mph, getting me to 11 mph. So, a new motor would be the next direction that I was headed.

I found a 9.9 Johnson with a 15 hp carburetor. This was much better. I was now able to top out at 15-16 miles per hour. The boat felt faster, and it was getting up on plane nicely. Which led to the first bit of tuning that I needed to do, and the most basic one that trips up a lot of boat owners.

Prop Pitch - it's like overdrive for your boat

It had an 8 pitch prop, however, and at times it ventilated and lost grip. The engine revved high and didn't really seem to make the speed it sounded like it should...lots of revs, not as much forward progress. 

Think of prop pitch like gearing in a car. The lower the number, the lower the gear. Too low of a pitch is like trying to drive in 1st gear all the time. While you'd have incredible pulling power, you'd only be able to go 25 mph or so, and your engine would be redlining at that speed. Great for yanking stumps out of the yard, not so great for cruising on the highway.

I finally settled on a 9 pitch and this seemed to work best. RPMs dropped noticeably, and the top speed went from 16 to 18. I was very much happy with this setup, especially after jumping too far and trying the 10 pitch and actually losing a MPH because of it. But, in a minute you'll see why I might revisit that 10....

So, I ran it this way for a while until I decided to try something out...I also have a 12 ft flat bottom jon. I decided to do the foolish thing and put the 9.9 (remember, with a 15 hp carb) on the 12 footer, expecting it to tear down the lake like a scalded cat. Keep in mind that the 12 footer was rated for 10 horsepower, but I would be pushing it with at least 13-14 from the modified 9.9. 

Surprisingly, it didn't go as fast as the 15. And at first, I couldn't figure out why. It topped out at about 16 mph, and when it did, I got tons of spray and the boat just generally didn't handle well at all. But, what I did notice was that when it hit choppy water, it seemed to be much happier. The hull was "sucking down" to the top of the surface and causing drag. When you hit the chop, it released and sped up.

So I figured the best course of action was to trim out, to try to get as much of the hull out of the water as possible. I went out two notches on the trim and this helped a bit, but not enough to make this a viable setup. 15 was about the max possible speed for this boat. A 9.9 is likely the best setup for this boat, hence the 10 hp rating.

Here's why...the first immutable law of boat speed: hull design.

Hull Design - you might be fighting physics

On paper, the lighter-weight 12 footer should be faster than the 15 with the same engine, but it's not. Remember, the 15 was able to achieve 18 mph (and the gains are not over yet) with the modified Johnson 9.9, but the 12 struggled to reach 16. That's because a larger percentage of the hull was dragging in the water. 

15 top, 12 bottom

In the pic above, both boats were photographed from the same distance, so the size should be relatively to scale. Starting at the stern and drawing an imaginary line across the bottom of the boat, almost as much hull is "in the water" on the 12 as there is on the 15. The bow rise on the 15 is much more gradual and starts further back on the hull. The 12 is rather abrupt and leaves a lot of the hull in the water. 

That's an easy problem to identify, but not an easy one to fix. The 15 is literally designed to be fast. The 12 is not. So, a decision must be made...can I be happy with what I have, or is it time to trade? Since I got the 12 for tiny creeks and rivers, occasionally being pressed into service on one of the local lakes, I am very happy with the 15 mph "comfortable" top speed, especially since I have the 15 footer as my main boat. I plan to find an 8 or 9.9 hp to use on the lakes with the 12 footer eventually, but there's really no hurry. 

After experimenting with the 12 footer, I put the Johnson back on the 15 footer and the next week, took it out on the lake. When I opened it up to full throttle, something seemed different. It seemed...faster. A check of the GPS had confirmed it...I was now going 20 mph. Of course, I was happy, but how did this happen? 

Remember when I adjusted the trim out, trying to get the hull of the 12 footer out of the water? Well, I never put it back...

Trim and Height - Move the engine around and see what happens

Trim is the angle of the boat's motor in relation to the hull. Trimming the motor in lowers the bow, trimming it out raises it. Generally speaking, raising the bow gets more of the boat out of the water, resulting in more speed. Of course, if you go too far, then the boat will plow with the front way too high. Like anything, you can have too much of a good thing. I had messed with the trim before, but never with this prop. 

When I put the motor back on the 15 footer, I was now running two notches out on my trim, which made an incredible difference. The boat starts accelerating and it seems like it will keep going faster and faster. Some people prefer "hole shot"...trading top speed for acceleration. Since I spend more time running than I do accelerating, I'd rather have the top speed. 

 
Motor height also makes a difference. Finding the right driveshaft length to match your boat is important, and if there's a mismatch, the engine can sit too low in the water, causing excess drag, or it won't reach deep enough into the water, causing prop ventilation, cooling issues, and other problems. A jack plate can correct for a driveshaft that is too long, but may bring its own set of problems. 

All of this illustrates how much each of the factors depend on one another, and also illustrates how much you have to be a tinkerer to get the optimal setup from your engine. 

Sometimes people see my minimal setup on my boat and tell me, "You need to add a casting deck to that! You need to permanently mount your swivel seats!" Or some other such suggestion to improve my boat to suit their needs. There's a reason I don't do that...

Weight -  Skip a meal, fatty.

Another thing that will speed up your boat is to get rid of anything unnecessary that you're carrying with you. I used to carry a bunch of extra stuff that I found I never used...a whole milk crate full of "fishing equipment" most of which never got touched. A set of scales, three marker buoys that I never used, extra fishing reels, etc. Granted, it is better to have and not need instead of need and not have, but if you're selective with your equipment, there's no need to weigh your boat down with unnecessary gear.

No chance of rain? Leave the extra rain gear home. Plan on staying in motion most of the time? No need to take the anchor. Staying near the launch and using your trolling motor for the entire trip? Leave the kicker at home. Only fishing for bass? Don't bring the box with the muskie lures. 

Lithium batteries are almost always lighter than lead acid, and these days, not much more expensive. Further, a lead-acid's capacity-to-weight ratio is not even in the same ballpark as a lithium.

If you're only going a short distance, carrying 3 gallons of gas is much lighter than carrying 6. If you're running ethanol fuel, you probably don't need to keep more than 3 gallons on hand anyway...

And probably the hardest payload of all...your own gut. As a big boy, I would see videos of boat after boat being propelled along on 6-8 hp and marvel at the fact that they could go so fast...then the dude turns the camera on himself and he's 98 pounds soaking wet, and that would prompt me to say to myself, "Maybe I could stand to lose a few pounds." It's not a fun thing to think about, but one that absolutely makes a difference. 

Spend the time deciding what you will need (and what you will not need) and adjust accordingly. Before you know it, you'll have saved a significant amount of weight, because all of the individual choices you make add up. 

Don't discount weight distribution as well. Even small movements front to back can make a big difference. With the aforementioned 7 hp China motor, moving my weight to the center (by rigging up a Rube Goldberg level steering/throttle/kill switch device) increased my speed by 2 mph, and I actually saw 10 mph a couple of times out of that setup. 

Ironically, some of the same people who buy a small 14' jon boat and build casting decks out of 2x4's and 3/4" plywood covered in foam will then complain that they can only get 12 mph out of their 9.9 hp motor. Casting decks, consoles, permanently mounted swivel seats, etc, are nice, but in the end, they do cost a significant amount of weight. For some, it's a worthwhile trade-off, but for me, I like things to be simple, modular, and lightweight. I like things to be able to be moved from boat to boat. I also like for this boat to be as lightweight as possible for use on shallow rivers. All of that precludes heavy, permanent installations. 

Buying a New Motor - When nothing else works

In the end, you can't cheat physics. If you have a top speed in mind, you need to compare that to see what other users are getting out of similar setups. If everyone you know is getting 18-20 mph out of a 15 horsepower on a 14 foot boat, and you're only getting 12 mph, the problem is likely NOT your motor. Conversely, if your 14 foot boat is cruising at 12 mph on 6 hp, you've pretty much maxed that out and the only answer is to upgrade. But, upgrading your motor should never be the first solution to this problem...you need to address your setup before blindly throwing more power at a bad configuration. 

The results - 

From the time I first tried the Johnson 9.9/1542 jon boat configuration, the top speed was somewhere around 15 mph. Through this series of tweaks, I have gained about 30% more speed than that setup. On almost every boat, the first trip is a starting point and you are nowhere near your optimal configuration.  So, there you have it. Start by making the free adjustments you can do today and see if they make a difference. And don't forget to revisit often. You may find that changing one thing leads to other changes as well. In the end, you may find no need to trade up to a bigger motor in order to gain a significant amount of speed. 

As always, as an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All products that I have linked are products that I have purchased directly, or that I am familiar with through other means, unless noted otherwise. I will never suggest you purchase products of poor or unknown quality.

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And here we go...PART 1 - the Briggs and Williams homemade pressure washer outboard project!

And here we go...PART 1 - the Briggs and Williams homemade pressure washer outboard project!

   May 11, 2026       editor

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I've had a $25 pressure washer with a broken pump in the basement now for well over a year. I also have a midsection and leg off of a late 70's Ted Williams 7.5 hp outboard. I plan to marry the two together in a manner befitting a mad scientist and create another version of my first Briggs and Williams homemade outboard.

I haven't tested the TW yet. I will have to address any issues with it or replace it if it has serious problems. 

This is a Briggs 875 EXi series. It most likely is 10 years old. And, it most likely puts out about 6 horsepower. I can confirm this, as my other Briggs conversion also uses an 875 EXi and it pushed my 12 foot jon boat the exact same speed as the Johnson 6 I used to have. 

I got the Ted Williams (TW) on a trade for a trolling motor that came with a boat that I bought. It was a bit under-powered compared to modern trollers, so I traded it on Marketplace for the Ted Williams. I would estimate it's value at $50, so that's what we'll say the TW cost me. I tried a few times to see if it would run as-is, but gave up pretty quickly. I put the powerhead on Marketplace for free and it went to a guy who was restoring his own Ted Williams, so in the end, it helped someone. 

The first step, however, is to make sure that I have a running motor. The pressure washer was advertised as being dead, but the seller was careful to mention that it was only the pump that was not working and that the engine was functional. He demonstrated it running before I took it home...he started it, I paid him, and I left with it.

The carburetors on these things are set up to run at a certain speed, and that speed is NOT idle speed. Believe me, with the first one, I tried to make it work, only to find that I was wasting a lot of time. The contraptions on the top that adjust choke and throttle are a Rube Goldberg level of complexity and I'm still not sure how they work.

What IS all that junk?

Plus, the carb was in BAD shape. Both the bolt holes were broken off and not serviceable. Only one of the airbox screws was present. Even though it started and ran, it had a definite miss to it. 

First order of business was to replace the carb with one that had an idle screw so I could easily set the idle speed. Off to the 'Zon and in a few days, I had one of these in hand.

Unfortunately, that carb also has the fuel inlet on the wrong side. The inelegant solution is to route the fuel line around the bottom of the carb and up and around from behind. Not ideal, but this is the way I've had it on my other engine for a couple years now and it just works. 

Beyond that, I had to do some cleanup on the engine, make a gasket where the carb insulator butts up against the block, and make a working choke mechanism that I will be able to activate via a pushrod from the front. 

Since I did this, I was able to tweak so that the choke closes down tight and opens up all the way as it should.

As a result of all of this, the engine fires up and runs smoothly and idles down nicely. Next step is to actually get it off the pressure washer base and pump, which is going to be a challenge. The nuts are pretty well seized on the bolts that hold the engine down and they show no sign of moving. I used a concoction of ATF, kerosene, and acetone to hose them down and let it sit overnight. That's supposed to be a really effective homemade penetrating oil (actually, it's supposed to be made with diesel, but kerosene should be close enough). We'll see tomorrow if it's good to go. 

Investment so far: $50 TW mid/lower +$25 engine +$19 carburetor = $94. Not bad. Hoping to get in under $150, which is a steal for a 6hp outboard of any type. Then we'll see what I can get for it on a flip. 

As always, as an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All products that I have linked are products that I have purchased directly, or that I am familiar with through other means, unless noted otherwise. I will never suggest you purchase products of poor or unknown quality.

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Cut out out, you cheapskate. Buy once, cry once.

Cut out out, you cheapskate. Buy once, cry once.

   April 25, 2026       editor

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I'm all for saving money...that's part of the reason I run old outboards to begin with. But there comes a point when saving money...well, doesn't save money.  That's usually somewhere between pulling the carb for the second time and questioning your life choices—when you realize not all “rebuild kits” are created equal. On paper, a rebuild kit is simple: a few gaskets, some hardware, and a few other parts. In practice, the difference between a no-name bargain kit and something from Sierra Marine or OEM sources is the difference between an engine that just runs and one that runs right.

The cheapest kits—the ones that show up in plain plastic bags with vague labeling—are built to a price, not a standard. They usually fit well enough to bolt together, which is where the illusion of value comes from. But carburetors on older outboard engines can be sensitive to tiny tolerances. The needle and seat, in particular, are critical. If the taper is even slightly off or the rubber tip is too hard, fuel flow won’t behave correctly. The result is familiar to anyone who’s tried one of these kits: an engine that starts but won’t idle cleanly, or one that floods unpredictably, or one that seems fine one day and acts up the next. You can adjust and tweak all you want, but you'll never make it quite right. Been there. Done that. 

Mid-tier aftermarket kits, especially from companies like Sierra Marine, exist in a different world. They’re designed specifically to match OEM specifications, not just approximate them. The gaskets are cut cleanly and line up with the passages they’re supposed to seal. The needle and seat assemblies are machined with consistency. When you install one of these kits, the carburetor behaves predictably. You set the float height, adjust the idle, and the motor responds the way it should. There’s no lingering sense that something is “almost right," nor do you find yourself fighting to adjust and re-adjust settings that you already thought were good. 

High quality rubber carb gaskets from Sierra Marine

Another detail that separates the kits is the materials used in the kit itself. The better kits—especially from Sierra Marine—use that firmer dark brown-green rubber compound, typically a fuel-resistant nitrile or similar elastomer. It has some give, but it holds its shape under compression and doesn’t creep when the carb halves are tightened.

Typical low quality Chinese gasket. Notice the stretching around
the bolt holes and the buckling of the small section in the center. 
This gasket was in the carburetor for less than 1 year. 

The cheaper kits, on the other hand, tend to use a soft terracotta-brown rubber that feels almost gummy. When you torque things down, it can deform and extrude significantly at the edges, and worse, it can shift just enough to interfere with small passages or disrupt sealing. It might not leak outright, which makes it tricky to diagnose, but it can absolutely contribute to erratic idle and fuel metering issues that don’t make sense until you realize the gasket itself isn’t staying put.

An older green-brown gasket from a Johnson 9.9.
This gasket is at least three years old and is in
good enough condition to be re-used if necessary.

OEM kits are built to the exact tolerances the engine was designed around. That matters more than people think, especially on small two-strokes where fuel metering at idle and low throttle openings is extremely sensitive. With OEM parts, the engine tends to settle into a stable idle more quickly, transition more smoothly off-idle, and stays consistent over time. You’re not chasing adjustments every few outings, and you’re not wondering whether a weird symptom is tuning or parts quality.

What really separates these tiers isn’t just durability—it’s how much time you spend second-guessing your work. Cheap kits often lead to a cycle: rebuild, test, adjust, disassemble again, clean again, adjust again. It’s not uncommon for someone to blame the carb design or the engine itself, when the real issue is a $12 gasket kit that doesn’t seal the way it should. By contrast, a quality kit tends to make the whole process work correctly on the first try. You clean the carb, install the parts, set it up, and it just works. For most people, that’s worth far more than the small difference in upfront cost.

Once you start paying attention to materials and tolerances, you realize this isn’t just a carburetor issue—it applies across almost every kit on a small engine. The same gap you see between no-name carb kits and something from Sierra Marine or OEM suppliers shows up in impeller kits, fuel pump rebuilds, and thermostats. Good impellers, for example, often use rubber compounds that tolerate heat and friction and don't take a set quickly, keeping a strong water flow for long periods of time. Well-made fuel pumps have diaphragms that remain pliable and continue working for years after installation. And quality thermostats—arguably the most critical of all—depend heavily on precise geometry and material quality; a slightly off-spec generic unit might install fine but won’t open or close at the correct time, leading to over-cooling and inefficient burning which can foul plugs, or worse, disastrous overheating and severe engine damage. 

A generic aftermarket thermostat
that melted down in the author's 9.9 
Johnson, resulting in a dangerous
overheat condition.

The pattern is always the same. The cheaper kits are designed to get you assembled and running, but the quality stuff holds up over time. The better kits use materials that are specifically chosen for fuel exposure, heat cycling, and long-term compression, so they behave consistently after installation, not just during.  That consistency is what keeps you from chasing weird, intermittent problems a few trips later -- and it's well worth paying extra for. When you’re already doing the labor—pulling a lower unit, splitting a fuel pump, or tearing down a carb—the value for money shows up over time; next year, when you’re miles from the ramp and your motor is running smoothly and reliably...not when you find yourself taking something apart for the second time in the same season.

There are situations where the cheap parts make sense. Something that doesn't create a critical seal, work as a precise mechanism, or perform a vital function can do the job - I replaced a cork float in a 1970 Johnson 6 horsepower with a generic plastic one, and it's been fine. Pins, washers, screws (as long as they fit) and the like will probably serve you well. But if you actually plan to rely on the engine's critical components—whether it’s pushing a jon boat miles up a lake or serving as a dependable backup—the false economy shows up quickly if you choose no-name Amazon parts. Doing the job twice costs more than doing it once, even if the second time is just your time and frustration. 

In the end, outboard motors are one of those areas where quality matters. A good kit doesn’t just replace worn components—it restores the way the engine was meant to operate in the first place. And when that happens, the difference isn’t subtle. The engine starts easier, idles cleaner, and runs the way you expected it to the first time you pulled the rope.

NOTE: Be careful, especially on Amazon, which is the Wild West in some ways. For example, this listing notes Sierra all over it, but when you look at the brand, it's "LucaSng". Buyer beware! 

As always, as an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All products that I have linked are products that I have purchased directly, or that I am familiar with through other means, unless noted otherwise. I will never suggest you purchase products of poor or unknown quality.

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You're Gonna Let Another Grown Man Make Your Gaskets For You? Do You Need Someone To Cut Your Meat Too?

You're Gonna Let Another Grown Man Make Your Gaskets For You? Do You Need Someone To Cut Your Meat Too?

   March 21, 2026       editor

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The most aggravating part of many DIY projects is arriving at a point where you can't continue without a specific item. That means either stopping temporarily so you can drive to a local store (if they even have what you need) or stopping for several days while you place an online order. That can eat up hours (or days). By the time you finally get the part, your project has lost all momentum or you've overpaid to have something "in-hand" right now. We can't eliminate that problem in all cases, but there is one instance in which we can keep the interruptions to a minimum -- finding the right gasket. In most cases, you can be set up to make your own gasket in a matter of minutes and continue your project without wasting your time or (too much) effort.

Gasket Maker Sheets -- The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

The single best investment for any DIY mechanic is several rolls of different gasket making sheets. Keeping cork, fiber, and non-asbestos gasket material on hand is essential if you want to avoid interruptions and save money.

A single roll costs less than most store-bought gaskets but will last through dozens of repairs (The last roll I just replace lasted for over a year). Keep one around and you’ll never be stuck waiting again. It comes in various thicknesses, so you can match it to the job -thinner for carburetors, thicker for exhaust manifolds or water pumps. I'm in the process of rebuilding an old Johnson 6hp outboard. It's always cheap insurance to swap out the thermostat, but when I opened the thermostat housing, the gasket stuck, peeled, and ripped to shreds (to be fair, it's likely 50+ years old). After cleaning the old gasket material off (never a fun job), I was able to cut a new gasket with no waiting, no fuss. The sheet I cut it from cost me $7 locally and the process took a few minutes.

I still have most of my sheet left. Meanwhile, a "genuine" OMC thermostat gasket is selling for almost $9. And it looks really similar to the one that I made...that's because it's functionally identical. During testing of that motor, I pulled the nozzle from the front of the fuel pump. The ancient cork gasket beneath it was shot. I cut a new gasket from the same sheet and replaced it. It sealed perfectly and let me run the engine for testing. Would I go down the lake with this setup? Maybe not, since the current replacement is usually made out of fuel proof rubber. But, that gasket only comes as part of a kit that costs $17. Too expensive to order one for testing, but my temporary gasket let me run the engine without waiting on a replacement. It's surprising how many die-hard mechanics don't know this trick. But wait, there's more! The Emergency Backup: Cardboard + Linseed Oil...Cap'n Crunch to the Rescue!

When you’re really in a pinch and don’t have sheet material ready, an old-school trick still works surprisingly well: cardboard (sometimes called chipboard) soaked in linseed oil.

Linseed oil can be kind of expensive, but the upside is that I've only ever bought one quart in my lifetime, and it's still over half full, even after making a bunch of gasket material and refinishing a couple of rifle stocks with it. Take a piece of heavy cardboard (cereal box, backs of notepads, etc., or you can even order it at the link above.) and soak it thoroughly in boiled linseed oil. I usually apply with a rag or cloth, but if you can immerse the cardboard in it for a short time, that's even better. Then, let it set overnight. The oil polymerizes as it dries, turning the cardboard into a flexible, fuel-proof seal that holds up at low temperatures and low pressures. For an even better seal, add a second or third coat after it dries.

This works well for temporary fuel-line flanges, small carburetor repairs, or any spot where you just need to stop a drip until you can make a proper gasket. It’s not for high-heat or high-pressure applications, but for quick fixes it has saved many of my projects from grinding to a halt.

"What? I have to wait overnight?" Nope, Just keep some on-hand already pre-soaked, and it'll be ready to go when you need it. It's not like you have to work hard to find cardboard...any cereal box will work. I scavenge cardboard ahead of time so I'm not hunting. Also, be sure to get boiled linseed oil, which is processed so the drying time is much faster. Don't get raw linseed oil because you'll be waiting days for your gaskets to cure. Also, it should go without saying that you don't want to use corrugated cardboard, like the boxes are made from. That kinda defeats the purpose of a gasket altogether.

Linseed oil soaked cardboard (top)
and "raw" cardboard (bottom)

SAFETY TIP:  Never let the oily application rags lie in a bunch...linseed can give off excessive heat as it cures and it has been known to catch fire. Always lay anything soaked in linseed oil out to dry before use or disposal.

When I begin a project, I make sure I have a few sheets of cardboard already soaked and ready to go. It paid off last summer, when I had to pull the head, exhaust cover and by-pass cover from my Johnson 9.9 due to a water jacket blockage, I wanted to put it back together and test the water flow through the engine before I did the final reassembly. I made some temporary gaskets using the cardboard/linseed oil trick. I re-assembled the whole power-head and pumped water through it, confirming good water flow. The gaskets really worked well, and saved me from having to wait and test everything after it was already back in one piece. Although this is best for temporary use, I would trust this long-term in some low-temperature noncritical applications, such as sealing between a carburetor and air box, sealing low-pressure water fittings, etc. There's a Mariner outboard out there somewhere that probably still has an oil-soaked cardboard gasket between the air intake and the carburetor, and there's currently one between the airbox and carb on my homemade outboard motor. There are tons of stories out there of old-timers using cardboard gaskets long term with great success. Other options - cheap and easy. I've made carb gaskets out of Fel-Pro 3045 before. It's an even cheaper option than the non-asbestos material but it's more suited to low-temp applications. Once, I ordered a carb kit for the aforementioned Mariner outboard and I accidentally tore the carb-to-manifold gasket when I tore the bag open. I bought a roll of the Fel-Pro for a few bucks at the local parts store, cut it out and put it on the motor when I re-installed the carb. When I sold it, that gasket was still in place and working fine. There are a variety of options out there for pre-made gasket material to match a variety of applications. Almost all are cheaper than buying pre-made gaskets. You can look up which types of gasket material are best suited for your application. Of course, there are some applications where you just have to bite the bullet - such as metal ringed head gaskets and such. But for the rest, you can almost always find a suitable material to make your own.

Pro Tip - Often times, ready-made gaskets are just laser cut from specific types or brands of gasket material. When you see a product listing for them. you can sometimes get the identifying number of the appropriate material from the gasket itself. You can then order the material directly and make your own.

Gasket made from Interface Solutions TS-9003 material

How to cut your own gaskets...it's easier than you think.

Here’s why this whole method is so awesome —you can make your custom gaskets fit precisely with little effort or skill.

1. Clean the mating surfaces thoroughly (no old gasket bits or debris - really tough to remove gaskets can be loosened with a mix of diesel, ATF and pure acetone - be careful though, because it's nasty stuff).
2. Lay your gasket material (non-asbestos sheet or prepared cardboard) flat over the surface you want to seal.
3. Grab a rubber mallet (or a soft-faced hammer).
4. Tap firmly but gently all the way around the outer perimeter and around every bolt hole. The sharp edges of the metal flange do the cutting for you—the material shears cleanly as you hammer.

That’s it. In under a minute you’ll peel away the excess and have a gasket that fits like it was factory-made. No tracing, no scissors, no guessing. The mallet method gives you a perfect contour every single time.

The Real Payoff: Time and Money Saved

Think about it: a typical OEM or aftermarket gasket can run $15–$50 and take days to arrive. With this method you’re looking at pennies per gasket and about five minutes of work. One roll of non-asbestos material pays for itself after just two or three uses. And the best part is, your project keeps moving forward...no waiting, no agonizing, no fuss. As always, as an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All products that I have linked are products that I have purchased directly, or that I am familiar with through other means. I will never link to products of poor or unknown quality.

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