ShawnG
ShawnG MegaDork
12/19/23 9:53 p.m.

So I bought this little thing the other day.

It's a 1940s Johnson Iron Horse engine. Made in Canada.

This is our answer to the little Maytag washing machine engines.

I got it to run on brake cleaner sprayed in the carburetor.

ShawnG
ShawnG MegaDork
12/19/23 9:57 p.m.

Tore it down to check it over tonight.

Everything looks great inside the engine. Just going to clean, reseal and paint.

I need to make some governor parts. The choke assembly is missing from the carb and I need to sort out a fuel tank.

 

stuart in mn
stuart in mn MegaDork
12/20/23 6:45 a.m.

Neat.  Is it the same Johnson as the outboard motor company?

ShawnG
ShawnG MegaDork
12/20/23 9:48 a.m.

In reply to stuart in mn :

Yes.

Eventually they made a 2-stroke version of this engine, then turned it on it's side to build a lawnmower with it.

They then sold that engine to Lawn Boy.

NermalSnert (Forum Supporter)
NermalSnert (Forum Supporter) HalfDork
12/20/23 9:54 a.m.

Neat. Reminds me of this: Could be overhauled with one wrench or nearly so.

ShawnG
ShawnG MegaDork
12/20/23 10:24 a.m.

My neighbour had one of those Johnson Seahorse outboards when I was a kid.

I think every sport fisherman in Canada was issued a freighter canoe and a Seahorse at some point.

11GTCS
11GTCS SuperDork
12/20/23 1:29 p.m.

In reply to ShawnG :

Maytag made these for their washers in the 1930's.  Look very similar and with a kick start too but the Maytag was a 2 stroke.   Interesting that yours is a 4 stroke.

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