40 Horse Year Identification and recoil starter

[BigDaddy]

I was given a motor by a friend...He has NO IDEA what year the motor is.

The Motor cover calls it a Johnson 40 Workhorse.
I have looked and looked EVERYWHERE for an ID Plate to tell me what year the motor is...the ONLY...I repeat ONLY numbers I can find anywhere on the motor or any part of the motor is on top of the motor on a Bronxze looking disc...The # is C8138909.

Does that mean anything to anyone?

I took the motor to a local Marine parts place/junk yard...He said it is an old Commercial motor that he has only seen a handful of times and he has been doing this for over 40 yrs. But, that is where his knowledge of this motor ended.

The Motor cover leads me to think it is a 1985 motor....But that is just from looking at the motor cover at several sites and just going on what the motor cover is shaped like and resembles. (I know that is very vague)

I have purchased parts for this motor by that description alone and they have worked. But I have also been told that 90% of the parts I have replaced were used in multipile years and not to go by that.

I am at my whitts end...I have looked High and Low...No Luck finding any info.
I think I have been on every site ever made......

I am also needing a recoil starter...I was trying to repair mine and the spring almost took my danged head off.....OR does anyone have what I need to make it an Electric Start...???...I am getting too old to yank that string.

Any and all help is GREATLY APPRECIATED.....

[boats.net]

There should be a data plate with the model number on the port side of the mounting bracket, where the motor mounts to the transom. There may also be a freeze plug on the block with the model number. The model number will have the horse power in it. With this I can find the year.

[BigDaddy]

I looked in the location you said the data plate should be...there is no plate or not any sign of where a plate was attached to the motor. Upon further investigation....the number....C8138909 is stamped into the freeze plug on the top of the motor. I have photos of the motor...the Freeze Plug and the place you said the plate should be...But I can not get them to load here.