85 hp Johnson problem

[kongs156]

I have a 73 85 hp johnson that wont run without the warm up lever on, also one spark plug wire will zap me if i touch it while running. Does this mean I have one bad coil or spark plug, or three? ( one of the three is brand new). boat runs ok in the back yard, but dies in gear in the water. havent pulled the carbs, but have checked the jets which are clean.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: 85 hp Johnson problem

Bad plug wire, but coils go bad and its a common problem.

Clean the carbs, you can't get to all the jets from the outside.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 85 hp Johnson problem

read this. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=299680

 

[ezeke]

Re: 85 hp Johnson problem

If you are well grounded you could get a shock from any of the spark plug wires. The key is that the spark plug wires have to be solid core and not automotive, and that the setup needs to be able to contain the extremely high voltage generated by the ignition system.

Check the porcelain insulators on the plugs for cracks and replace ignition coils if they are discolored, cracked, swollen or if the potting material appears melted.

It is very important that the ignition coils be properly grounded, so take them off and clean the mounting bases to bare metal along with the grounding straps.

You are probably running on three cylinders at the time the motor dies, so you need to address the problem. If it is in the carburetor, one of your cylinders is probably not getting fuel; no fuel, no oil.