I don't wish to be lugubrious, but maybe someone can spot where a problem was introduced or overlooked as a result of a VRO disable procedure.
I was talked into having the VRO disabled on my 90HP '88 Johnson by a self employed O.B. motor mechanic. He sold me this motor, and his rational was that he could not certify that the VRO would perform reliably. He did say that the compression check was sound and the motor was good to go. As per his instruction, I topped off the tank with 50:1 mix of the recommended oil and 87 octane gas and I would boat around until the fuel in the tank was down to 1/4 tank so that I can be sure to top off the tank with a verifiable 50:1 ratio of pre-mixed gas. Only then he would feel secure in disabling the VRO. I ended up topping off the tank with fresh pre-mixed gas about 4 or 5 times, and despite hard starting and sputtering when cold, it always settled to an continous idle when it warmed enough. I trolled around without a problem at the lowest throttle setting and it ran great at WOT with both the VRO operational and pre-mixed fuel in the tank. For several weeks I just topped off with pre-mixed gas until I finally decided to have the VRO disabled. So it went back to him for the procedure.
I caught a glimpse as he disabled harness connectors on the engine as well as cutting the oil supply hose off. He plugged the oil intake nipple with remaining short stub of the old oil hose and plugged it with a capped barb and tie-wrap. It couldn't have took more than ten minutes tops, and he was done.
And here's where the the trouble started. Not long after, I realized I had poured twice as much oil for the pre-mix into the gas tank on the motor's very first trip to the lake since the VRO was disabled. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. But after a couple of minutes of unscessfull hard starting, it was only when I got up to rope start my kicker when I saw that the fuel line was not connected to the Johnson.
Dang it! The boat mechanic forgot to plug the fuel line back on. I plugged it in and primed the bulb. After several seconds of cranking the motor, it eventually started. But the motor just kept dying. It took about a couple of minutes of fiddling with the choke and start primer before the idle started to settle reluctantly into an slightly irratice idle. I opened the throttle up and could only get to 2000 RPM. Couldn't get anywhere near planing speed. More like limp home speed. It kept dying while maneuvering at low RPM's getting back to shore. Not good. Fouled plugs, I thought.
So, I loaded it back on the trailer, tucked my tail between my legs and went home to pull the fuel line off the barb and siphoned out all the remaining gas (I assume when the gas ceased siphoning out, the tank was empty of my incorrect premix for sure). In order of sequence I installed a new set of four QL78V spark plugs (specified in the owners manual for continous high speed operation) , 1 pint of the recommended pre-mix two stroke oil and six fresh gallons of gas. The gas thoroughly got mixed for 30 minutes of driving on and off the freeway as I went back to the lake. Before putting in, I pulled the fuel hose off the fuel barb and stuck the end back down the gas intake filler and primed the bulb to get fresh pre-mixed gas in the line, shoved the hose back onto the barb, plugged it back into the motor and I squeezed the bulb a few times.
I got on the water and tried to start. Huh? Exactly the same the problem as before! WTF!
So now it's not the fuel pre-mix ratio at the tank. Can an inadequateley plugged off oil intake nipple lead to problems? Has anyone encountered this before and what do I do about it.
Someone please tell me where to start troubleshooting.
I was talked into having the VRO disabled on my 90HP '88 Johnson by a self employed O.B. motor mechanic. He sold me this motor, and his rational was that he could not certify that the VRO would perform reliably. He did say that the compression check was sound and the motor was good to go. As per his instruction, I topped off the tank with 50:1 mix of the recommended oil and 87 octane gas and I would boat around until the fuel in the tank was down to 1/4 tank so that I can be sure to top off the tank with a verifiable 50:1 ratio of pre-mixed gas. Only then he would feel secure in disabling the VRO. I ended up topping off the tank with fresh pre-mixed gas about 4 or 5 times, and despite hard starting and sputtering when cold, it always settled to an continous idle when it warmed enough. I trolled around without a problem at the lowest throttle setting and it ran great at WOT with both the VRO operational and pre-mixed fuel in the tank. For several weeks I just topped off with pre-mixed gas until I finally decided to have the VRO disabled. So it went back to him for the procedure.
I caught a glimpse as he disabled harness connectors on the engine as well as cutting the oil supply hose off. He plugged the oil intake nipple with remaining short stub of the old oil hose and plugged it with a capped barb and tie-wrap. It couldn't have took more than ten minutes tops, and he was done.
And here's where the the trouble started. Not long after, I realized I had poured twice as much oil for the pre-mix into the gas tank on the motor's very first trip to the lake since the VRO was disabled. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. But after a couple of minutes of unscessfull hard starting, it was only when I got up to rope start my kicker when I saw that the fuel line was not connected to the Johnson.
Dang it! The boat mechanic forgot to plug the fuel line back on. I plugged it in and primed the bulb. After several seconds of cranking the motor, it eventually started. But the motor just kept dying. It took about a couple of minutes of fiddling with the choke and start primer before the idle started to settle reluctantly into an slightly irratice idle. I opened the throttle up and could only get to 2000 RPM. Couldn't get anywhere near planing speed. More like limp home speed. It kept dying while maneuvering at low RPM's getting back to shore. Not good. Fouled plugs, I thought. So, I loaded it back on the trailer, tucked my tail between my legs and went home to pull the fuel line off the barb and siphoned out all the remaining gas (I assume when the gas ceased siphoning out, the tank was empty of my incorrect premix for sure). In order of sequence I installed a new set of four QL78V spark plugs (specified in the owners manual for continous high speed operation) , 1 pint of the recommended pre-mix two stroke oil and six fresh gallons of gas. The gas thoroughly got mixed for 30 minutes of driving on and off the freeway as I went back to the lake. Before putting in, I pulled the fuel hose off the fuel barb and stuck the end back down the gas intake filler and primed the bulb to get fresh pre-mixed gas in the line, shoved the hose back onto the barb, plugged it back into the motor and I squeezed the bulb a few times.
I got on the water and tried to start. Huh? Exactly the same the problem as before! WTF!
So now it's not the fuel pre-mix ratio at the tank. Can an inadequateley plugged off oil intake nipple lead to problems? Has anyone encountered this before and what do I do about it.
Someone please tell me where to start troubleshooting.
