Converting a Gas Outboard to Electric Made Simple

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Converting a Gas Outboard to Electric Made Simple

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11 ай бұрын

Ever wanted to convert your old gas outboard to electric? This is the video to see as boat builder Bob Emser leads us through the conversion of his vintage outboard to electric power. Replacing the 2 cycle 1961 Johnson outboard was an easy choice with the install of a new Epropulsion EVO 1 pod. Retrofitting the new pod in the existing motor case keep to look of the vintage 1969 SeaRay 700 intact.
“If you’re going to make it, make it beautiful.”
Bob Emser
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Пікірлер: 141

@motorv8N 11 ай бұрын

Although I’m a vintage outboard fan I’ve also mused about converting one to electric. That’s a nice, clean job and a gorgeous restoration of a classic runabout.

@Jerry-sy8rd 11 ай бұрын

Reminds me of a really well made model boat (maybe 12” long) with a battery operated Johnson outboard I had as a kid in the late 50’s. Think mine was faster though😅. Put 3 or 4 folks in that thing on a breezy lake and enjoy🤣…

@huntfishfightfire 11 ай бұрын

Bob, if you get water in your boat it will go to the back right where you have mounted all your electrical. I would suggest that you make a raised platform so if water gets back there your wires will be above it and you won't short out your system.

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 11 ай бұрын

There is a drain port in the aft locker. I believe it can be seen in the video. Thanks for watching!

@huntfishfightfire 11 ай бұрын

@@TheArtofBoatBuilding nice, and well done on restoring her. She turned out beautifully.

@peterparsons7141 10 ай бұрын

Nice rig ! I was gifted a large electric motor in the late 80’s and installed it on a little aluminum 12’. It has provided that many years of trouble free pleasure , and still does. Easy to store, and we know most damage happens with improper storage of gas motors. I hope you vid enlightens more people to how simple electric install and operate,and just superior for a small boat application. Really love your boat.

@Smileshooter 22 күн бұрын

thats a really smooth kind of a conversion, really enjoyed watching, thumbs up

@scottsorby7966 11 ай бұрын

A very quiet and peaceful way to enjoy the cruise, wonderful conversion kit and very sympathetically done too

@PvtMurphy 11 ай бұрын

Keeping the case was the right call; looks great!

@bobsails9750 11 ай бұрын

Thanks very much. Your quiet “Johnson “ outboard will get many perplexing looks from fellow boaters. I enjoy your videos.

@Tinpig 11 ай бұрын

Great conversion to save the look of the old motor and nice machining on the aluminum plate. I noticed that you mounted the electrical switches and connections on the deck in the stern compartment. I think you'll inevitably get water in the bottom of the boat which could cause corrosion or a short circuit. Maybe better to mount them higher off the deck on the transom or sides

@danlazer8762 10 ай бұрын

When I saw that I thought the same thing. Great job though with the project.

@scottcates 8 ай бұрын

Even a vertical board, mounted to one side of the transom might work ok.

@fepatton 11 ай бұрын

Such a gorgeous boat! Your restoration is lovely, and I love that you've converted it to electric. Very neat and clever refit and installation!

@jeffk7017 11 ай бұрын

Great project Bob! There’s nothing more enjoyable than a quiet early evening cruise around the lake.

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 11 ай бұрын

Indeed!

@gtoger 10 ай бұрын

The Sea Ray is beautiful. I'm curious to learn more about range and performance on a combination like this. While I don't need to pull a skier, it's important to me to have enough power to get up on plane or power through chop or current. Not sure this ticks all the boxes just yet. I like the way the technology is going, and appreciate your sympathetic updates to a classic boat.

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 10 ай бұрын

Thank you. I'm still learning about my electric conversion. At full throttle she goes about 4 knots. I installed the Pod Drive 1.0 Evo. It's range is about hour 1.5 on a charge at full throttle, 4-5 hours a half throttle. There is a more powerful pod the 6.0 Evo which equates to about 3 time more power. As I continue to experiment, I may replace my 1.0 with the 6.0 ( and then put the 1.0 in my sailboat) For now I'm pretty please with the speed as it about the same as with the worn up 2 cycle (had very low compression never enough to plane) Here is a link so you can learn more. www.epropulsion.com/pod-drive/

@bnrynlds 11 ай бұрын

Great video Bob, lovely that you can keep the original look of the boat while ditching the stinky motor!

@cmuchmore 10 ай бұрын

I am always impressed with how accurate your templates and fittings are Great job

@blackjackjoe7 10 ай бұрын

What a fun project! And I love the old cruiser boat!

@drop_dtuned6167 11 ай бұрын

Such a great project to watch, and start to finish in one episode too. Quite and clean marine fun. Great to see that these options are available as a conversion kit.

@nick.caffrey 11 ай бұрын

That was such a fun project! And the end result is fun, ecologically balanced, and just quiet! Love it!

@glencrandall7051 11 ай бұрын

You just created the quietest Johnson 40HP in the world. Of course you sacrifised a lot of speed to do it. But then again, speed isn't everything for a Sunday afternoon cruise. well done Bob. Take care and have a great day. Stay safe on the waterways.🙂🙂

@Alex_yuknat 11 ай бұрын

Great job Bob, I love these projects!

@BillyCairns-hm3xx 8 күн бұрын

That's so awesome, great video for sure. love it.

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 6 күн бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

@WayneTheBoatGuy 11 ай бұрын

What a neat conversion! You've retained the look but now have the better system!

@WayneTheBoatGuy 5 ай бұрын

@@DustinKeating-yk3vqmany recreational boaters aren’t going out for long or far, and these electrics can work well in those environments.

@wait4it214 11 ай бұрын

That is a slick and very classy boat!

@jeffb6131 10 ай бұрын

I admire the quality of your workmanship always a pleasure to see how you go about things. would have loved to see a shot of the boat moving at full throttle, just saying.

@whathasxgottodowithit3919. 11 ай бұрын

Thats a beautiful Boat Bob, and a really neat job too. I think one of the benefits of electrical power is it is clean, and quiet too.

@mgdurandolo 10 ай бұрын

That's such an awesome little boat! Congratulations!

@tomtruesdale6901 11 ай бұрын

That is a very slick conversion kit. I was thinking you might have left the battery set up in the engine cowl but install the charging system to allow you to attach it to shore power or your home power when it was at a marina or on the trailer. Your set up is simpler and easier.

@redrover9988 11 ай бұрын

100% agree with leaving the battery under the original cowl unless theft of the battery unit is of a concern.

@MCsCreations 11 ай бұрын

Really beautiful boat, Bob! Fantastic work restoring her! 😃 Personally, I'd want a little more speed... But not that much more, at all! The best part is that if you ever need, you have more than space enough to put a huge battery there! 😃 Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

@Rsama60 11 ай бұрын

Those Epropulsion motors are great. A couple of guys in my sail clube have those (At the body of water where Imhabe my boat no combustion engines are allowed and electrical motors only for getting in and out of the slip and in case of emergency). No noise no smell and enough power. This is a nice project. 👍

@markgallagher1376 11 ай бұрын

Bob, I found your channel about 1/4 of the way through the Victoria build. I have just watched your whole series you have so far for the Haven. I have been really enjoying every episode and can’t wait to see it in the water.

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 11 ай бұрын

Awesome, thank you!

@richardowens9061 4 ай бұрын

Awesome restoration and conversion! Very nicely done! The only thing I would have done differently is, rather than taking the battery out of the boat to charge it, I would have installed the charger in the boat and installed a waterproof NEMA 5-15 shore power plug in the transom to allow you to simply connect an extension cord to charge the battery. Thanks for sharing this with us!

@TheGreenBoater 9 ай бұрын

love to see how we can repurpose a vintage boat and create electric motor conversions. This is a huge market for both commercial and DIY mariners. Kudos for this project and your video. Inspires the Green Boating Community ~tgb

@redrockroger 11 ай бұрын

Absolutely love this project. Moving propulsion into the 21st century without sacrificing the beauty of the mid-20th century aesthetics. 👍👍👍👍

@schwabrichard9829 11 ай бұрын

That is an amazing restoration Bob. The conversion to electric propulsion is fantastic!!!!!

@migueltorres6073 11 ай бұрын

Bob as always, you are an amazing craftsman and artisan.

@dennisbeaver5958 11 ай бұрын

As always, an enjoyable episode watching a master craftsman. Excellent the way you retained the old Johnson motor case and retained that vintage look!

@Tammy-un3ql 11 ай бұрын

Great job

@rickfazzini22 11 ай бұрын

Awesome project! Thanks for sharing

@gwrulzmylife 10 ай бұрын

💯 🎉 cool modernization of a classic.

@SRMWorkshop 11 ай бұрын

That came apart way easier than any of the ones I have pulled apart. In the early 60's they switched to a different looking fuel pump that was actuated by the pressure changes in the crank case and all the ones I've had worked pretty good. But if your reed valves are not seating good than it would be problematic. That being said, electric conversion really is a great option for getting rid of that old 2 stroke engine.

@davidyendoll5903 10 ай бұрын

Someone might be interested in the Johnson's internals as spares?

@SRMWorkshop 10 ай бұрын

@@davidyendoll5903 I'm sure someone out there wants them, but I have a 40hp Evenrude I can't even give away locally.

@thesoupin8or673 11 ай бұрын

I can't wait to see the Haven again! This was a cool retrofit.

@KirbyMoyers 11 ай бұрын

This is fascinating, what a great project!

@ngbc5342 10 ай бұрын

LOVELY JOB, SO ORIGINAL, WELL DONE

@mattevans-koch9353 11 ай бұрын

Thank you Bob for this timely video. Very nice transition from gasoline to electric. It may not be able to come up on plane and pull a water skier but like you said, it is great for nice and quiet cruising.

@budmanzoom4441 10 ай бұрын

Nice presentation!

@swagonman 7 ай бұрын

That is soooo cool!!! Nice vintage boat in which to putt around. Do you think you will add more battery in the future to go faster? You’ve done the hard work already. New battery has cost, but your work effort seems like it wouldn’t be much. Thanks for sharing!

@kevincurrie2052 10 ай бұрын

Nice work, you look like you really know your stuff. It must be a whole lot nicer to ride in with the nearly silent motor

@RoyBlumenthal 11 ай бұрын

What a clever disguise! Beautiful work, as always.

@31Solvap 10 ай бұрын

Very Clever Idea and Implementation! I would recomend you put the electronics and switch at a higher point or in a watertight container, despite the low voltage and that you're not running it in salt water

@davidhazen5269 11 ай бұрын

Bob, Cool project. FWIW, I would not mount those electrical components on the deck where any water, headed to the drain, could hit them. Better to mount on bulkhead.

@jameslarson6555 11 ай бұрын

Great video as usual, really a pretty straight forward process

@OwenFromOhio 11 ай бұрын

Very cool... I like it!!

@gashparperformance113 10 ай бұрын

Awesome job 👌

@michaelsimpson9779 11 ай бұрын

Love the crickets in the background

@vernoneasterday9838 10 ай бұрын

awesome skill looks cool.

@wm8728 11 ай бұрын

Bob, you have managed to cross into other genres by adding the electrics and fiberglass hull. This would seem to be the wave of the future for pleasure boating. You have an increased number of views as a result!

@howardmarshall5713 11 ай бұрын

great Job Mr Emser. I just wish you had more time to show more content, I am sure you could find enough to have a weekly video instead of fortnightly. Really good to see you overcoming and changing the design without changing the look of original features. 👍

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 11 ай бұрын

Thanks Howard, I do wish I could do weekly posts. As most of you know I'm a one man band. I do all of the preplanning, camera work, and editing. Unfortunately just not enough of me to produce weekly. It's my hope to hire an editor once ad revenue and Patreon funding increase. I am thinking of doing a Live video of behind the scene material that would come out on the off weekends. Do think that is something viewers would enjoy? Love to hear you thoughts. Thanks for the nice comment and watching! Bob

@sampickett3843 11 ай бұрын

Bob, this was an interesting, and entertaining video. I love your channel and have watched and enjoyed all your videos. I know that it is probably more of a personal preference, but I hated to see a beautiful piece of vintage machinery dismantled and thrown on the ground, when it could have been brought back to use with some repair. When the video began, I had visions of an ending scene of the boat quietly pulling a skier across the lake, but it looks like you were aiming for a relaxing slow cruise.

@harlandvaught1177 10 ай бұрын

Perfect for sneaking up on some fish while boating in style I love it

@barneygoogle4003 11 ай бұрын

It hurt to watch that old Johnson outboard being gutted. The solution to your fuel flow problem seemed straightforward enough. What made you decide to scrap it? (Was it the ecology of the oil burning issue or did it have other reliability problems?)

@michaelsimpson9779 11 ай бұрын

Surely that was a vacuum/crank case pulse powered fuel pump, not driven by a cam?

@Artofheadshots 9 ай бұрын

Hi Alex, I added you to my blog. I hope you enjoy it.

@americanrambler4972 11 ай бұрын

A nice conversion! I am considering doing this to my 69 Silverline Swift with an 69 Evinrude Ski Twin 33 hp motor. I want to have more hp though.

@charles.neuman18 11 ай бұрын

Great project! I didn't see that coming. The boat is beautiful. I don't know how you had the guts to drill holes for the throttle and display - I wouldn't have been able to do that. Generally I like the idea of vintage meets modern, but one has to be able to let go of just preserving things.

@pjparkjd 11 ай бұрын

You didn't rig it to use the vintage throttle control 😞

@BrunoWiebelt 11 ай бұрын

thank you very informative

@peterjensen6844 10 ай бұрын

Love the conversion but that Johnson is in wonderful condition. I'm hoping you sold the parts as someone would love to get their hands on that stuff.

@SootHead 11 ай бұрын

Too bad they don't make a setup that can match the old 40 horse for performance.

@davehalst 11 ай бұрын

That a great idea for cruising around and keeping the classic look. I wonder if I could convert one of my old British Seagull engines to electric? 🤔😎

@rickfazzini22 11 ай бұрын

If you built a nice flat bottom where the original gas motor mounted you could use that area for storage, a cooler could fit under the motor cover nicely 😉

@MikeSmith-nu9wt 11 ай бұрын

Your thinking of a kegerator ain't ya ? 🤣 Not a bad idea ?? Lol

@Therecouldbehope 6 ай бұрын

Excellent workmanship! Question: how long/far can you cruise on your boat with that battery? And approx how much did the conversion cost? Thank you

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 6 ай бұрын

I can cruise for 4 hours. That full throttle about 1.5 hours. The equipment needed cost around $2500. I used the EVO 1kW model. They also have a 3kW model and a 6kW model. I may upgrade to the 9kW for more power.

@robhawthorne6892 11 ай бұрын

You definitely have plenty of room to add a few extra batteries.. really interesting project.. thank you

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 11 ай бұрын

You bet

@johngrant1337 11 ай бұрын

looks good ,but need more power

@derbyshirebirdwatcher6054 11 ай бұрын

What a pretty little boat and what a neat conversion. Maybe one day ePropulsion will offer a 30kw version to match the old 40hp.

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 11 ай бұрын

Thank you so much it is a fun little boat. ePropulsion does offer a 100kW inboard motor. I'm planning on my next boat to have inboard power. I thinking is that this was a good test of the electric power. I will go 10 knots at full power. Perfect for what I wanted in this small boat. Thanks for watching!

@robertbamford8266 11 ай бұрын

Neat break from the Haven. Buy a trailer. Get a boat. Not bad. You pressure-washed, but it didn’t look like you had to deal with the gobs of low-tide grease from the case. Also a question: that area in front of the transom where you put the battery and control units used to get very wet even with the drain (which had a habit of clogging). Especially if the boat was left out in the rain. I assume that wouldn’t be a problem. Glad you kept the vintage look of the Johnson 40.

@danielramsey1959 11 ай бұрын

Needs a smoke generator..... I really like this!

@MaShcode 11 ай бұрын

A runabout to a putter-round with room for beer cooler ballast in the empty engine head. 😂❤

@moplum 10 ай бұрын

Question: can you parallel additional batteries on the terminal board to increase run time?🤔

@mitchkelleher7972 11 ай бұрын

I'm sure it must be slow with only 1kw and a planing hull, but what is the battery capacity and how long can it run? Does the prop get jammed by vegetation? Conversion looks a lot easier than a 13' sit inside kayak I converted using a Minn Kota 30 (360W). A lot of fabricating and thinking as I had to convert it to a full remote throttle, shift, and motor lift lever since there was no way to reach the tiller unless I extended it several feet and it would have been very awkward to operate to say the least, plus I wanted to add a PWM for full throttle control instead of steps and better efficiency. Hits hull speed at 1/2-3/4 throttle and the battery outlasts my attention span, but of course, that's a displacement hull. Biggest problem is picking up weeds and such-I have to lift the motor and reach back with the paddle to knock the stuff of the prop.

@worldexplorer75 11 ай бұрын

I'm curious of the weight differences. The old motor/gas tank (when full) vs the new electric solution with one battery. Did taking all the weight out of the back affect the balance of the boat? I would think that the design would have been made with a heavy outboard hanging off the back in mind. Nice thing is you can have a second battery on board and swap out if needed.

@markmcginn8012 11 ай бұрын

Once again, well done, Bob! What’s the new horsepower of the electric motor?

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 11 ай бұрын

3 hp. At full throttle she should go 10 knots for 1.5 hours. At about half throttle (4-5 knots) she can cruse for about 4.5 hours

@Dan6erous 11 ай бұрын

Maybe a post-cruise cooler underneath the cowling now that the battery is not there :)

@marekmarko2274 5 ай бұрын

I am looking at the clock in the garage and I can't understand what time is it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and that is thermometer. ..

@davidc6510 11 ай бұрын

I saw the vintage boat picture on the trailer that needed work, the sales brochure, and then my jaw dropped when I saw your restoration. That's dog gone beautiful work Bob. The electric motor addition was pretty clever. Have you considered remounting the battery and components on a little shelf in case a lot of water were to get inside the boat? Thanks for sharing another great episode of TAOBB.

@raymondcrowley1880 11 ай бұрын

Bob, what HP was the original motor? And what HP electric did you replace it with?

@fredflintstone1428 9 ай бұрын

Did you ever consider marrying up a larger electric motor with the original outboard gearbox? There seems to be a few people on KZfaq trying that now.

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 9 ай бұрын

That is what I first thought of. In researching it I found that a lot of power is lost in the turning of the gears. Epropulsion does make a motor that could do that ,however, it is designed for inboard propulsion and does not involve a gearbox. One of the beauties of an electric motor, easily reversible. Thanks for watching

@tobiasedler7942 11 ай бұрын

So you are downgrading the boat from 40 hp to 2, maybe 3 hp?

@paulschena8493 11 ай бұрын

Yea, I don’t get it at all.

@matthewmoeller821 11 ай бұрын

@@paulschena8493 I get it. The conversion challenge was more rewarding than somewhat noisy, smelly speed. The older I get the more I value quietness. But your priorities are okay too.

@SpecimenSpiff 11 ай бұрын

The EPropulsion site shows that as a 1hp motor. Their most powerful motor in that pod form is 9hp.

@symbolsandsystems 11 ай бұрын

make the motor housing into an ice chest?

@chiphill4856 11 ай бұрын

I gotta say, that battery looks microscopic. What's the range?

@bake162 11 ай бұрын

I like how you unceremoniously dumped the old 2 stroke on to the gravel

@anderson43333 10 ай бұрын

Da pra passar nadando do lado

@orlandosampaiodasilva3468 11 ай бұрын

Hi my friend ,How much does all this modification cost? Thanks

@stillfishing4sheep 10 ай бұрын

Not against electric, couldn’t you find an engine that was scraped because of a frozen power head, but the lower unit was still good? That being said, good job on your conversion!

@patrickjoneill5836 11 ай бұрын

Not sure I'd have screwed all those components to the floor at the back, right in front of the drain hole for any water that is shipped inboard.

@larrydavisflysite 11 ай бұрын

What are the specs on the motor ?

@scotttaggart71 11 ай бұрын

1 small solar panel would be nice to keep charging

@TheArtofBoatBuilding 11 ай бұрын

Indeed, I’ll have to look into that.

@drxym 11 ай бұрын

It's when you see the absolutely ludicrous difference in size between the electric motor and the gas one, plus the complexity of maintaining & repairing it, plus the noise and stink that electric makes so much sense. Range and the need to for batteries is the tradeoff. The ideal solution would be to mount sufficient solar that the motor can essentially run at low speeds forever in daylight, and enough battery to allow the boat to run faster for shorter durations.

@SpecimenSpiff 11 ай бұрын

It only makes sense if you're willing to give up all your speed. It went from 40hp to 1hp. A 40hp motor and enough batteries to match the range of the old gas tank would be an entirely different beast. He's turned a wonderful little runabout into a marina toy. That's fine if that's all he wanted, but I'd think you could get in actual danger taking that thing out where currents could overpower the motor.