1983 35 hp Johnson will not shut off

[OldMercsRule]

Hi folks.
Re: J35ELCTS

I think my relatives used a undercharged battery on this engine which led to a CD pack failure.

I replaced the CD pack and she fired right up and ran great, butt: it will not shut off with the key or kill switch, (also an issue prior to CD pack failure).

CDI has a trouble shoot procedure with I will follow now that it runs again, butt: I'm purdy sure it's the ignition switch/kill switch on the remote corntrol since the CD pack is new.

If I hook up a toggle switch from ground, (negative), to the black yellow wire on the power pack will it shut this old girl down?

Any comments would be appreciated!!!

JR

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: 1983 35 hp Johnson will not shut off

I bought a toggle switch and enough black 14 gauge wire to rig a kill switch forward (near the factory remote), butt: since I didn't get any replies from you Johnnyrude guys, (sniff.... sniff....), I have done some further reading n' head scratching, (ta stimulate the ol' remainin' single functional brain cell).

I think there is likely a bad ground between the spendy OMC ignition switch/kill switch on the forward remote corntrol n' the engine, (it seems ta me both switches on the remote would not likely lay down at the same time butt: the common ground they use surely could), so I'm gonna search for the bad connection or the bum wire before riggin' the ol girl with a haywire n' bubble gum fix, (never very satisfactory ta do that).

This does seem to be a fairly common problem on this vintage electric start Johnnyrude if ya search "kill switch" on this forum.

 

[Daviet]

Re: 1983 35 hp Johnson will not shut off

Sounds like you are on the right track.
The black/yellow wire on the power pack grounds through the ignition switch to shut the engine down. Make sure to check the grounds all the way to the block.

 

[boobie]

Re: 1983 35 hp Johnson will not shut off

What you've done so far sounds like a broken connection in the ground wire somewhere or a prob in the red cannon plug.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1983 35 hp Johnson will not shut off

Try grounding the black/yellow wire terminal right at the power pack. If that kills the engine, then yes you have a circuit problem somewhere forward of that.

EDIT: That black/yellow kill wire carries about 300 volts. The cheap toggle switch you are advocating may or may not be able to handle that without arcing inside. If that happens, you will have an ignition problem.

BTW, a low battery won't damage the power pack.

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: 1983 35 hp Johnson will not shut off

What you've done so far sounds like a broken connection in the ground wire somewhere or a prob in the red cannon plug.

Thanks for the comment. Is the "cannon plug" that huge rubberized cylinder shaped plug over the water jacket?

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: 1983 35 hp Johnson will not shut off

Try grounding the black/yellow wire terminal right at the power pack. If that kills the engine, then yes you have a circuit problem somewhere forward of that.

EDIT: That black/yellow kill wire carries about 300 volts. The cheap toggle switch you are advocating may or may not be able to handle that without arcing inside. If that happens, you will have an ignition problem.

BTW, a low battery won't damage the power pack.

I knew the voltage was cornsiderable so I got a decent quality automotive 50 amp toggle with copper contacts, (hope that works if I can't find the bad ground n' have to haywire the old girl). I run it only in fresh water so I didn't go to the expense of a marine switch, (I will replace the ignition switch in the remote, [if bad], if I have to go to that much expense).

I read in the trouble shoot literature that low voltage in batteries could be fatal to those vintage CD power packs, I guess that was wrong then? (As I know they are stator driven).

My old Merc distributor inlines, (battery driven), don't have thermostats or these type of ignition issues, my later model 25 HP Mercs have a small housing over the thermostat making a change out far easier then these Johnnyrudes. The 25 HP Mercs do have stator/CD pack issues from time to time, so I have had to trouble shoot those problems before. That said, I have yet to have ignition issues with the remote corntrols on my Mercs. I also don't like the fact that the drive shafts will come out of the lowers on these Johnnyrudes when ya change the impellers if a person isn't super careful.

I guess ya get used to the characteristics of what ya have experience running.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[boobie]

Re: 1983 35 hp Johnson will not shut off

Yes, that's what the cannon plug is . The "Red Thing".

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: 1983 35 hp Johnson will not shut off

Yes, that's what the cannon plug is . The "Red Thing".

Thanks again for the response.

I will first ground the black/yellow wire after I fire her up to see if it kills the engine, (if not the CDI trouble shoot says that the CD pack is at fault).

That would be a real bummer, grrrrrrr....... as I just put a new CD pack in and only ran her ten minutes, to make sure all was well after the water pump R & R.

I was unable to do the black/yellow ground test as the old CD pack laid down and killed the spark before I could test her, (the new one got her started again).

The next thing I will do, (if the black/yellow wire kills her), is check resistance on the disconnected side of said wire that runs to the remote with ignition off, (as well as a second test with the kill switch on with the ignition on), to see if the circuit grounds out with both switches. Hopefully that will show the likely ground fault and the need to clean all the grounds on the engine side of this circuit, and or trace the wires to correct the faulty ground.

The "cannon plug" would be next, (unless I've cured the problem with the ground as stated above). I guess I would open it up and look for corrosion, I prolly need to search the forum for issues with said plug, if there are voltages, resistance et al to be checked. My old Mercs don't have that type of plug, so I'm not sure about what to look for.

Hopefully this will eliminate the no kill issue.

Thanks for all of the help from you three fellers, (I assume yer a feller: Boobie, if not: my appoligies).

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: 1983 35 hp Johnson will not shut off

Problem solved, (at least fer now), 'till somethin' else turns up.

I shorted the black/yellow wire to ground and it didn't kill the engine, ??????, (new cd pack) ??????, so I unwrapped all the wires back to the cd plug where the new cd black/yelow wire plugs in, and found that the black/yellow wire was bad after it came out of the other side of the plug, spliced in a new section n' now she stops when the key is off (or the kill switch is tripped).

I really dislike electrical issues.