Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

rhedges

Seaman
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
52
I have a '99 50 hp Johnson, the fella I bought it from had the oil injection disabled but still had an oil tank hooked up to it. <br /><br />I tried running it today without an oil tank (mixed oil manually) and it smelled like it was running rich and the only way to start it was starter fluid. When I gave it gas it would die.<br /><br />I know the whole trusting the oil injection thing is debatable, and when I can afford it I will get an oil tank. For now when manually mixing oil do I have to cap off the oil inlet? Is it running too rich because it is sucking air? Just put new plugs in as well.<br /><br />Thanks for any input.
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

See post below.
 

rhedges

Seaman
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
52
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

Thanks so much, luckily I didn't use very much starting fluid. I wasn't aware that I shouldn't use it. <br /><br />I think the VRO is fine, Just don't have a tank. The guy I bought it from showed me the wires that he had a mechanic unplug to disable the pump.<br /><br />Thanks again for your help. This site is an unbeleivable resource for people like us with "boat on the brain".
 

Walker

Captain
Joined
Jun 15, 2002
Messages
3,085
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

The wires only disabled the alarm system on the VRO. If it still had the tank connected I suspect the VRO was still in a fully functional mode.
 

rhedges

Seaman
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
52
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

I'll post a picture of the disconnected wires. So what you are saying is, the pump may still be running? The disconnected wires are just to defeat the alarm?
 

omc man

Cadet
Joined
Dec 6, 2003
Messages
15
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

I have a 97 50 horse johnson that I disabled the vro on, like it a lot better without it, the plug for the oil inlet should be mounted on the side of the motor under the cowling, on a yellow plug that is to plug off the oil line to the oil tank, it should be on the gas line above the vro. After my experience with the vro, I personally would never hook it back up. hope this helps
 

WillyBWright

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 29, 2003
Messages
8,200
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

The pump is run off of alternating crankcase vacuum and pressure. It's not electric. The wires to it are strictly for the warning system in case something goes wrong. If that "mechanic" thought that disconnecting the wires disabled the pump, he needs to go back to Boat Tech school or find antoher job. Frankly I think the previous owner did it. It's awfully easy for some people to blame that elusive unnamed "bumbling idiot of a mechanic" when they stick their fingers where they don't belong.<br /><br />People waited for decades for oil injection to find it's way onto outboard motors. It was on motorcycles and snowmobiles for a long time before it was adapted to outboards. Sure there were some problems in the beginning. What new innovation works 100% right from the start? Now some people can't wait to get rid of it and go back to the age of stone axes and premix their gas just because a small percentage of people experienced problems (some real, most conceived). Seems incredibly stupid to me.
 

rickdb1boat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jan 23, 2002
Messages
11,195
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

There is no real "diableing" the pump. It still continues to run, as it's part of the fuel pump. Whether there is oil going to it, is the real question. If the oil tank and lines are gone, it has no oil to mix with the fuel and he must be running only on the pre-mix at 50:1 hopefully. As Walker said, it still fuctions, it just doesn't have the oil to pump. It could be since you just got this motor, we need more info to help getting it running right. Sounds like more of a carb problem to me. More info please....<br /><br />BTW- This part confuses me:<br /><br />
I have a '99 50 hp Johnson, the fella I bought it from had the oil injection disabled but still had an oil tank hooked up to it. <br /><br />I tried running it today without an oil tank (mixed oil manually) and it smelled like it was running rich and the only way to start it was starter fluid. When I gave it gas it would die.<br /><br />I know the whole trusting the oil injection thing is debatable, and when I can afford it I will get an oil tank.
First you said it had an oil tank hooked up, but later you said you will get a tank when you can afford it. So did he keep the tank when he sold it?
 

rhedges

Seaman
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
52
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

He wanted more money for the tank, and I had a hard enough time getting the money out of my wife for the motor as it was.lol..<br /><br />So I knew I could mix manually untill I got the extra cash for a tank.<br /><br />Willy, so with your experience the oil injection is foolproof? I've never delt with it, so when someone tells me it could fail and my motor will burn up, it didn't take me long to not trust it.
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

cerealkiller,<br /><br />I'm with Willy on this one. The oil injection system is the most falsely accused item on an engine.<br /><br />If maintained and alarms working, it is VERY reliable.<br /><br />Water pumps burn up a lot more engines than oil pumps. No one freaks out over that.<br /><br />Your car engine will burn up too, if it loses its oil pump.
 

rhedges

Seaman
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
52
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

Ok, as soon as I get the cash I will get a tank and start using the injection. <br /><br />Can you tell me for the meantime which is the fuel and which is the oil so I can cap the oil untill I get a tank?<br /><br />
connector.JPG
<br /><br />
wires.JPG
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

The bottom (largest) opening is the oil line. Cap it securely.<br /><br />Check ebay for oil tanks.
 

rhedges

Seaman
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
52
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

Sweeet thanks so much. Being the moron I am I hooked the fuel to the wrong one. I guess that explains why it won't start. Man this board is a life saver. Thanks guys. I'm new to outboards so go ahead and get a chuckle..lol<br /><br />Thanks again fellas I'm gonna go try her now....
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

The only dumb questions are those not asked.
 

rhedges

Seaman
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
52
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

YeeeHaaa I didn't even have to give it any throttle. She fired right up and sounded killer. After about 30-45 secs though the beeper went off. beep beep beep. Do you think that is the oil injection warning? Maybe the above pic isn't the oil injection warning wires?
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: Disabled oil injection making it run rich???

That alarm is NO oil. However, if you are premixing-no worries. <br /><br />I can't tell from the pic. <br /><br />Look at the oil injection pump (fuel line goes to it) and see if anything is hooked up.
 
Top