Update on my Johnson

chesapeake724 · #1 10-09-2005, 02:38 PM

...it's lonely. I'm married. ;D LOL

Just goofing off. Now to the topic, which is my '87 175hp...

To refresh, I have little leaks around the engine I'm trying to get rid of, and the alarm goes off after about a minute. If you shutdown and start again, it still takes a minute to go on. I replaced the t-stats and cover gaskets, which eliminated the leaks there. The alarm still goes off. I paid a little better attention, and the alarm is an intermittent, steady pulse. I go to the web and read all about it. I understand a constant alarm is overheat, while a pulse is low oil. The VRO was disconnected on this motor, so I read up on the alarm differences. I checked the procedure to disconnect the VRO system and voila, my VRO pump harness was still connected. Gotta' disconnect it or the alarm goes off. Disconnect, alarm gone...cool. It's on the muffs for five minutes and is running nicely. I can touch the power head barehanded. Shut it down and it starts right back up on the first turn. I notice an oily mix oozing out of the exhaust ports at the top of the leg. Back to the internet and find that this could be normal. Just unburnt gas/oil because of some pressure equalization thing. It's common when you run on muffs at low rpms. The exhaust cover still leaks, but it's a slow drip. It might just need some tightening up.

So, it looks like I'm off to the boat store to get new trailer tires and a prop to drag this thing to the water* somewhere for a sea trial. *The alternate would have been to go get tires to drag it to go get a used outboard and a $5-7000 kick to the Nortons. I don't think I'll be able to sea trial until two weekends, so we'll see.

phester · #2 10-09-2005, 05:25 PM

ches, lord skools just ran a how-to step by step,picture by picture on the vro disconnect...don't know if you saw it. Question, is your compression good in all 6 holes? If you've got a good powerhead,and you have no lower unit issues,and now the alarm is off,it may be worth hanging onto, even invest a few hundred if you have to,to address any other unforscene minor problems[we all know a few hundred can get eaten up pretty quickly w/boats] . Something to kick around before taking that $7000.00 kick in the nortons. Best of luck.

reelapeelin · #3 10-10-2005, 11:38 AM

Chesapeake...good luck when you go to seatrial...NOTE; the unburned oil you found oozin' from the exhaust ports...to help minimize that at low/idle speed, tilt the motor up so the ''top'' of the cylinder is above level...if tilted all the way down, that unburned oil can accumulate around the plug and foul it...tilting up a bit will eliminate that accumulation...got in the habit of doin' this on my '86 Rude 150 (probably same as your motor, except carbs)...worked good on mine...hope it helps yours... ;) ;D...

jaysea · #4 10-10-2005, 10:21 PM

ches,so hows your johnson? ;)

reelapeelin · #5 10-12-2005, 12:41 AM

Update on MY Johnson...no action noted... ::)...

phester · #6 10-12-2005, 03:51 PM

sorry to hear that RAP

Franco · #7 10-12-2005, 06:05 PM

MY JOHNSON DOESN'T RUN AS GOOD AS IT ONCE DID, BUT IT RUNS AS GOOD ONCE AS IT EVER DID.

Blue_Runner · #8 10-12-2005, 06:10 PM

Wife promised to tune-up my Johnson last Friday night......but didn't get around to it until Sunday morning - THE NERVE OF HER!

Running good now ;D

willy · #9 10-12-2005, 06:36 PM

Yes Dear these men I talk with all the time are a bunch of horny old men like me , yes dear I know 8)

reelapeelin · #10 10-12-2005, 08:02 PM

Let's see...is it the Norton-Johnson Brotherhood or the Johnson-Norton Brotherhood... ;D...

Poll: is your Johnson a two-stroker or a four-stroker? Do you use only mfgr's recommended lubrication...20, 25 or 30'' shaft? Key-start or ya gotta pull the rope? Remote or tiller-handle steering? I bet you dirty old geezers ain't thinkin' about outboards!! ;D...