Johnson 60H 1983 power problems - HELP!!

[Juzo]

Hi
Got a prob with the motor I've been working on, but am not having much luck solving, looking for some assistance from those in the know....:-/:)

The issue is that when I put it into gear and go to take off, the motor just dies, at about 1500-2000 RPM. This has only just recently become a prob, now it happens every time. But, this only happens when the boat is in the water, on the trailer it works ok. If i put the fast start up and get the revs up, then drop it off and throw it into gear, I'm away, nasty thing to do, but once I get above that spot in the rev range she is ok.

I've been talking to my local outboard mechanic who has given me lots of great advice, and I thought I had it, but no...Started on the trailer this morning... fine, stuck the leg in a bin full of water and same prob all over.....:-[:-[

So far, I have replaced the plugs, started solinoide and re-wired the electric loom. The wires were corroded to buggery and the solnoid was broken. I have also pulled off the carby and cleaned it out.

I've adjusted the bit (dont know name) that looks like a half moon and connectes the controls to the carby so that the start line is lined up with the centre of the pin that opens/shuts the carby.(see pic, arrow 1) This has made the idle a bit better, but prob still exists. There is a bit of play in the piston connecting the power lever to the linkage, can just see them at bottom of pic, so I adjusted the screww (arrow 2) to stop it going back to far as this drop the revs

Like I said it only happens when the prop is in the water, doesnt when its out.

any help would be much appreciated.
cheers
Juzo

[Hamish73]

does it do it hot and cold?
Carby (pilot jet blocked etc) would have been my first call, but since you have been there. Ignition timing would be the next culprit.
I have a service manual that covers that model, PM me if intrested

[jimbo59]

Is the vent blocked just undo thevent off the tank and blow thru the pipe make sure its free and put it back some times its the little things that cause problems..jim

[Juzo]

hey Jim

what do you mean by the vent being blocked? Are you saying to just blow through the fuel line?
cheers

[BM]

Check compression

[Noelm]

an easy thing to check is to make sure the mechanical timing advance is moving when the throttle is pushed forward, if it is tuck, the lever will still move but the timing will not advance and cause your exact problem.

[Juzo]

thanks Noelm
would this still be the case even if it works in the higher rev range?

[Hamish73]

thanks Noelm
would this still be the case even if it works in the higher rev range?
yep
it could be stuck on max ignition advance, which wont do the idle torque any favours

[BM]

OK Juzo...

As I originally mentioned you need to check compression, first and foremost before anything.

Then as Noel has pointed out make sure the timer base is free.

Now, the things you have touched you should not have touched....... The START marker on the throttle cam is to line up with the carb linkage roller when the FAST IDLE is engaged. Not in the normal, no throttle position. Thats what the line below the START line is.

The screw you adjusted is your base timing or pickup timing screw. This should not under any normal circumstance be touched or need to be touched.

The screw above the "inspected" sticker, which has a black rubber cap on it is the max advance screw. Do NOT touch this screw.

Also, the freeplay you refer to in the control cables is normal for the OMC cables and when adjusting the black thumbwheel you adjust it so that it takes up the slack in the cable, but don't over tension it.

So,

1) Compression (since something has occured to make the engine run poorly so this needs to be checked first in case you have cooked a cylinder)

2) Timer base moves freely

3) throttle synchronisation

4) reset pickup timing to spec

5) inspect fuel pump (disassemble) and associated lines right back to tank

Cheers

[Noelm]

yep BM is spot on, but do not go crazy and adjust things or pull them to bits 'just because" you may introduce a whole new problem and will make trouble shooting that much harder, you have a fairly simple motor so lets find out by "non invasive" methods if it has a big drama that requires "surgery" before you go adjusting everything in sight.

[Noelm]

OH and running on a flusher in the driveway does not really test anything, other than it is going and makes a lot of noise, it needs to be under load, any old 2 stroke out of the water sounds like it is going full revs even at idle.

[Kleyny]

I'd go back to the real basics like:
Replace the fuel. Especially if the fuel has been sitting for a while.
Check the output of the coil/s easy to do just put a screwdriver were the plugs go and put it roughly 5mm of an earth point and crank the motor over. (should be a good fat spark)
If you can remove the leads check them to see if they are broken (multi metre required for this one)
check the compression as BM said

[Juzo]

righto guys
thanks for all the advice, looks like I got a lot of learning to do.
Hamish, thanks for the manual, will get that this week.

You'll all probably give a big 'arrrrrrrrrrrgggggg' when I say that I have used a bit of ethanol petrol mix in recent months...........:-/:(:(:(

Have read up some of the threads here on fuel and now see the error of my ways::)

BM. thanks for the work list, not sure how to do the first 3 items, could you expand please:)

4 and 5 I should be right with

Is the mechanical timing advance the bit under the fly wheel? It seems to be moving correctly

Noelm, I stuck the leg in a bin full of water to test and managed to replicate the problem, figured what you said about load was the case.

WOnt be to hard to restore the things I've "fixed" back to thier correct position

I'll be getting into it on the weekend so will report back some progress after that
cheers

[Juzo]

Been a while but update is here.

Finally got the old donk sorted, I think the problem was a combination of the linkages, and dirty fuel (read ETHANOL). I re-aligned the linkage on the carby the other day, cleaned the carby, rewired electrics.....and put some premium in the tank. took her for a squirt up the river on Saturday, wa a bit groggy to get going but it did work through the power band. Opened it up and went for a run, and WOW... she has power all through acceleration, and is nice and smooth WOOOOOHOOOOOOOO I cheered to all on the river.

Coming back to the ramp, I dropped back to neutral, but the control went straight through into reverse, heard a big CRUNCH, GRIND, GRIND, and no power to the prop.:'(:'(:'(:-[:-[:-[

Seems I've stripped the cogs in the gear box, most likely on the drive shaft:-/:-/

luckily we were almost to the ramp, so dropped the electric and limped back in.

Pulled the leg off the motor last night and will start to strip the gear box down.

Thanks to HAMISH73, I have a service manual to guide me through this procedure.

Stay tuned for some photos of gearbox carnage:)

Juzo