Not quite right?

[mac64pc]

Was out on the weekend and the motor 2005 johnson just seemed a little off.

Have only had it out a few times and very new to boating so not sure of how its supposed to be and just looking for reassurrance/advice.

Motor although it was a little slow to get started fired ok , but I have noticed when in gear it seems to smoke quite a bit ( very little on idle) its fine at speed but at 5kn or so getting quite a lot of light grey smoke and smells of unburnt fuel.

Also seems to miss occasionally on the muffs ( I know the compression is 120 x4)

Apparently while they were fixing the vro they said one of the carbs started flooding for no apparent reason and fixed it. Wondering if it could be flooding again causing the smoke.

Was out for a while and after about 2 hrs, decided to move - again slow to start (15degree day) so ended up heading in instead of risking it

Seemed to use quite a lot of fuel for the usage on the day

Any help would be appreciated.

[Camhawk88]

Not trying to be a smart arse here mate but it sounds to me like a perfect description of a 2 stroke carby outboard.

If there is a problem Im sure there will be some mechanical experts that will sort you out but my thoughts from your description are that nothing is wrong.

They take a while to start esp when cold, they smoke plenty (black smoke would be an issue) and they drink like a fish- think of them as George Best, its all normal.

[Roughasguts]

Can you pump the fuel bulb tight!!!! No need for the engine running!

If you can't then yes it's possible that one of the carbs floats are not shutting the fuel off with the needle and seat.

So yup she be flooding, harder to start, smelling rich, and using a bit more fuel.

Cheers

[cormorant]

Give the mechanic who has fixed it a call. Tell him the symptoms.

Was the bloke BRP qualified as half the people who touch VRO have no idea!!!!:-X>:( Half of so called marine mechanics have no idea full stop. If he isn't don't deal with him. If your purchase had a warranty discuss if it is covered.

Any smell of fuel or unburnt fuel is a worry. If carby is right have them check ignition coils, leads and plugs for the splutter..

Have the choke checked that it is operating properly. Have you been shown how to hold the key in on cold starts and to make sure the fuel primer bulb is pumped.

At low revs 2 strokes can "choke up" a little and if doing lots of slow running it is best to give them a good long distance high speed run to keep them cleaned out each session so you don't foul plugs , carbon up the exhaust ports and piston crowns

Fresh fuel is always better. If you are a irregular user when you fill up use fuel stabiliser and don't go near ethanol fuels. If you haven't got a primary fuel filter with a water trap it may be an idea to fit one as many issues with motors start with bad fuel and gunk in tanks - cheaper to replace filters than clean carbies

With the right oils there is very little smoke these days on a warmed up motor that has thermostats working. Well worth using a quality oil like the BRP XD50 and quicksilver oils. They have less smoke and more detergents to keep motor clean.

Get it done right and done once so you know you have it reliable and issue free in the future. A good mechanic will have a test tank to run , tune and check the motor out in and possibly test props to prove it is OK under load. Muffs are a bad way to diagnose motors a sthey don't provide load on the prop or any backpressure in the exhaust etc etc

[FNQCairns]

Does sound within typical but that doesn't mean it cannot be untypically better than you describe as 2 strokes can be this quite easily.

lots of fuel? hard to say as they do drink quite a bit if unaccustomed to outboards, nothing much else drinks as much as one.

Low speed and smokey can also be the result of the motor running too cool at low RPM.

Sometimes it can be the VRO over oiling at certain RPMs...it happens. Also it can be to some degree the brand quality of the oil used, oils still are not oils.

A decent mechanic will get to the bottom of it as these things are pretty simply overcome.

[mac64pc]

Thanks

The bulb pumps firm and no issue with the priming at the key
Choke seems ok I tend to try 1/2 on first but usually needs to be most of the way up. ( 2 batteries so no issue there)

Have a fuel separator but want to get one with a glass bulb so I can keep an eye on it

The VRO was replaced under warranty and I did discuss the oil with the dealer at the time and he said he only uses matching brand oil ( might check the colour) . He also found the flooding issue at the time and serviced the carbs supposedly. I bought xd30 for it (115hp) as thats whats recommended but havent topped up yet

I have a 70ltr tank and have put through 90 litres in past month and keep it at between 1/2 - 3/4 full.


I am not 100% confident with them but its where I bought it so under warranty at the moment. I dont want to be dropping it in every few weeks if its "normal" but its not the same as the first few runs.

Probably best to get it checked again - have a brp mechanic closer so once warranty is out then i will be going there

[lethal098]

Mac64pc, The choke is not the fast idle lever you pull up, the choke is on the ignition switch, When starting you push the key in a turn to crank it over, this is the choke mechanism on start up. Its a trap a lot of people fall into when they havent been shown it before.

Cheers Lee

[cormorant]

They sound like they are happy to look after you and talk to you.

Give em a call and ask their advice since they are covering the warranty. They may say give it another run or drop it in? Get em to run through the choke again or look up the owners manual online and have a read.

If they are really looking after you and good to deal with stick with em - no reason to change.

Tell us if they find anything?

[Swanie1975]

hi mac, what hp is the motor?

i had similar troubles until my boat mechanic showed me a starting procedure on my carby 2stroke 140hp but now its no drama (touch wood:) ) i lift the fast idle 1/3 of the way, prime till the bulb is firm then turn over (pushing the key in to choke as Lee said) and it starts in 4-5 seconds. i then run it on a fast idle @2500rpm (with the lever) for 30seconds or so then off i go. When warm i just turn the key with no choke and she fires instantly. i pull the spark plugs out every now and then and clean them up as they oil up when trolling too long (if i run below 2500rpm for more than 10-15mins)
ive found thats just the nature of a carby two stroke, but i love the noise and smell;D, just like a car fuel usage depends on the way you drive it.

every motors a bit different and youll get it down-pat pretty quick but picking your mechanics brains is always a good start! even a well tuned 2stroke outboard will give a bit of smoke when running but it shouldnt be like a chimney lol. as others have said quality oil makes a huge difference here

cheers ryan

[mac64pc]

Thanks - another thing I have learnt today :)

I was pushing in the key a few times and in when turning - so I had something right.

swanie its a 115hp - plenty for my 530 and I was surprised it isnt as noisy as I expected. I wouldnt be concerned about a little smoke and the comparison to a chimney is pretty well spot on. :)

Managed to get an owners manual d/l from brp site also

I am grateful for the help and enjoying reading the huge amounts of info on the forums. Lots of ideas to spend money on...

Will let you know how i get on

[mac64pc]

After trying to get hold of the dealer for over a week turns out they have closed down (fleet marine)

Auction tomorrow in Melbourne

http://lockwoodcompany.com.au/S2558.htm

looks like I need a new mechanic after all :)
btw checked the oil and its not xd30 - possibly xd50

[oldie]

my old 120HP E Rude starts in a puff i disconnected the VRO as it blew a lot more smoke when it was connected and a mate i work with had his motor blow due to the VRO not injecting properly. I just Pre mix 50:1 and the old girl fires up instantly with some lever and choke, biggest thing is priming the bulb hard. I felt for the boat behind me on monday when i starting her up after a couple of hours catching squire, they copped the smoke cloud!!! amazing the difference in fuel consumption i sat on 3000rpm all day and used 18litres, when i fly around at higher revs she guzzles it. Only on a 4.88 Glass Boat so 3000RPM is perfect speed offshore

[mac64pc]

After persevering with the smoke for a couple more outings, and the sluggish starts, I was quickly losing confidence. Got back in to a trickle of oil down the leg and had no choice, it was time to take it in.
Found a new mechanic who is also an evinrude/johno dealer and so far very confident with them

Turns out a combination of factors so far - new vro pump installed in May stuffed! , old grey fuel line corroded internally, small split in other fuel line, and some needle on a vapor lock? bent at 90 degrees - weird, and as suspected wrong grade oil.
After a full service and carb service - thats just not on - not surprised the dealership went under, but that doesnt help me now.

Anyway the parts are on back order till late in the month, so I am hoping that once this is sorted she purrs like a kitten. unfortunately it looks like the money I had set aside for new electronics will disappear in the process. :(

on the positive side looking forward to my first snapper season in Oct with a trouble free motor :)

[cormorant]

Hi

I just want to check exactly what year this motor is? There is advice above that covers a few different years and some info may not be valid.

Is it a carby motor?

Is it a johnson or evinrude?

Is it injected?.

Got a photo?

The fuel vapour seperator basically makes sure any air in fuel lines is vented and only fuel goes into the motor. A bent needle in it will mean it was a airleak into the fuel system possibly causes idle problems and others. It works like a float and needle and seat arrangement in a carby.

If you can give the exact year and motor you can look at the parts diagram to get a better understanding of parts here

http://www.crowleymarine.com/parts.cfm

Hope it all gets fixed properly and you will be surprised the difference in that motor. Terrible for customers when dealers go broke.

Let us know how it works out and tell the new dealer you are a novice / not mechanical and ask to be shown the things you need to know in the day to day runnig of your motor. A good dealer will spend the 10 minutes and it will give you the confidence you need. Especially ask if he thinks the boat is propped correctly , correct height, fuel system Ok including fuel filter and if there is any other major costs due with the motor in the near future. I'd get them to redo that compression test to ensure you haven't been sold a pup by a dealer going out the backdoor.

[Steve B]

Its not the white model is it????...If so, your screwed!

Sorry mate, you have to read the "without going crazy' thread from about page 20 to see the humor (or my pi$$ poor attempt at it!)

Hope it all works out for you and you get back on the water with confidence soon. Thankfully there is some experienced blokes here with solving motor problems. I am not one of them.

Cheers Steve

[cormorant]

Yeah - That's a thread that lowers the collective IQ of everyone on here. About as witty , fatual, relevant and honest as parliment question time. Can barely wry smile reading it. Think they need a big snowfall so they can all go outside and settle it once and for all with who can write the longest name in the snow.

[mac64pc]

Bugger me dead - you are right, i am totally screwed

Cant believe that I didnt ask on here first whether a WHITE one would go ok

...maybe if I go to bunnings and get a black spray can and change the colour I can save $1400 - Should have thought of it earlier