I finally got my engine running after finding out that the new solenoid that the previous owner installed was a ford truck solenoid and NOT EVEN grounded. So I installed the new Johnson solenoid and after testing every single ignition part and wire I finally grounded it and discovered that the absent ground was the problem. So I changed out the lower unit lube, filled the cylinders full of sea foam as well as the carbs, let set for about 2 hours and then ran 2 gallons with 2 16oz cans of sea foam through the engine. I have new Champion plugs ready to be installed tomorrow ( to replace the NGK's.<br /><br />Boat now runs perfect. These old johnson's are darn good motors!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<br /><br />Thanks for the fast reply. I actually took the tach out and verified that they are only 2 wires coming from the back of it and no place that a third wire could come from. I had read so many different threads on this that I was sure there had to be three but nope. This is also the factory tach as it matches all the other gauges.<br />I thought I read somewhere that the tach would also run off the stator wire and thats the only other place I touched the tach wire too. <br />oh, I believe the carbs have already been rebuilt as they sure look like it and have numbers scracthed in it showing someone has had them off before. UI also spent about 25 minutes spraying sea foam deep clean into the carbs while it was running to help clean them out. The engine fired up at the very first turn of the key and purred like a kitten.<br /><br />After typing all of this I just realized that you meant to rebuild the carbs because of the engine dying.