TOPIC: Some more fat fifty questions

What year did the Johnson fat fifty have the round port holes in the engine cover? 1958 only? Does a 1958 cover fit on a 1959 motor? Does anybody have a motor cover with the holes for sale?

Knots

I believe 1958 was the only year of the cool cover that had the decorative rings. The 58 cover should work on the 59 model. In about 1961 the latch mechanisim was changed on the Johnson/Evinrude V4 motors. You can transplant the bottom pan from a 1958 Johnson onto a later one - this will allow the early lid to be used. Nobody but the most astute motorheads would ever know the difference. If you want the engine to perform, get a late motor (up to 1968) and put the 1958 bottom pan and motor cover on it.

Thank you for the great info. I found a 1965 60 horse motor. I would really love to have a earlier cover.

Any for sale?

Knots

Put an ad in the classified section that you are looking for the '58 hood. Check ebay and craigslist. Check boat repair shops. Ask boat repair shops who they know that has a pile of "old junk" and get that person's contact info. You may hit gold. If you have'nt yet bought the 60, wait and find either a 75, 80, or 85. You could even find a 90 or 100, but they are a little more difficult to do the swap on the hood. The 60 was just a "warmed over" Fat 50. The larger HP motors were much better as far as power to fuel consumption.

Bruce Gerard wrote:

Put an ad in the classified section that you are looking for the '58 hood. Check ebay and craigslist. Check boat repair shops. Ask boat repair shops who they know that has a pile of "old junk" and get that person's contact info. You may hit gold. If you have'nt yet bought the 60, wait and find either a 75, 80, or 85. You could even find a 90 or 100, but they are a little more difficult to do the swap on the hood. The 60 was just a "warmed over" Fat 50. The larger HP motors were much better as far as power to fuel consumption.

Bruce, I've compared the specs of both motors. What exactly was "warmed over" to make the 50hp into a 60hp???..........................................(other than the rpm rating)............????

The 50 HP used horrible design reed & cage - patterned after the leaf plate design of the small 2 cylinder engines like the 35 hp. The "60" had the improved reed & cage design that was introduced in 1960 for the 75 hp engines. hey are a drop - in replacement upgrade if your "50" does not already have it. The piston crowns were modified slightly & new "closed chamber" cylinder heads were used. All parts can be bolted on to a "50"

Sorry for interrupting here so what you are saying is the 60 hp heads will bolt right up to the 50hp. Do you have to mill down the heads?