08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

[james1115]

as the thread title says I have a 2000 johnson 225 on my 22 ft mako cc. This is the first johnson motor I have owned so I don't know if this is normal or not. None of my old motors ever smoked this much. It runs good but just smokes a lot, is this common? is there something that I need to adjust? please help me because the only good thing about this is it is a natural bug repellent for my entire club when I fire it up. The motor only has 106 hours on it also just to let you know. Thanks
James

 

[james1115]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

any help guys???

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

has it just started this, or is this an old problem. is this a new motor to you?

 

[james1115]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

I bought the boat this season and have run it twice now and the smoking has been a problem since I got it. I figured it was just because It was winterized at first but it hasnt stopped. At idle it really smikes a lot, and if I am out fishing after being turned off and started again it literally blows out a cloud upon starting and runs rough at idle and sometimes stalling out. Could it be old gas? I put seabrite in it at the beginning of the season to avoid the gas issue. Coulod it only be running on 4 cyl and the oil is dumping out enough for 6 so over oiling? I only get about 38-40mph top end and the shop that put the motor on brand new said on the sea trial with my boat they hit 54mph. Any suggestions? the motor just doesnt sound like it is running great even at 5000 rpm it just sounds bad. For having 110 hours on it I am not impressed with it. My old yamaha just sounded much better so I am hoping that something is wrong to make it act the way it is. Thanks for all the help guys

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

is this a Ficht motor or a carbed motor?

 

[james1115]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

carbed

 

[jtexas]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

If the fuel line sucks air, the pump will cycle faster, adding more oil.

Did you add seabrite to last season's gas, or to fresh fuel?

What do the spark plugs look like after idling, especially if any look different from the others?

 

[james1115]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

I put starbrite in last seasons gas which was winterized with stabl. I have not looked at the plugs at idle yet, how would I know if I sucked in air into one of the lines? I have never had a motor smoke so much! if it was over oiling fogging out the plugs would it not run properly?

 

[james1115]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

anyone else? please. What about a bad VRO? if I had a bad powerpack could it cause this?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

thats is what J was trying to eliminate. check all you hoses for loose fittings, cracks. it could very well be old gas causing the smoke. the gas now days does not hold as well as the olden day gas. also top off the oil tank, and fuel tank. run the boat, then refill the gas. now calculate how much oil was used. it should be about equal to what you would have used if you had premixed the fuel. 50:1. this will tell you if the pump is using too much oil.

a bad power pack it would not have spark on several cylinders.

 

[ezeke]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

Start with a compression test and spark test to be sure that all of the cylinders are working properly.

Make sure that the vacuum switch on your incoming gasoline line is functioning so that the constant alarm sounds if anything obstructs the gasoline line, otherwise you can pull too much oil for the amount of gasoline.

Then decarbon the engine following Captain Dunkleberger's instructions in the engine FAQ section. Several treatments in succession are advised to rid the engine of heavy carbon buildup. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=158076

When you have the engine clean, relace or repair the recirculation check valves so that they are functioning properly rather than allowing the excess oil to pool as it is now.

By the way, Your system is a OMS, not a VRO. OMC stopped installing variable oilers around 1993.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

Have you pulled the spark plugs to see what they look like? These are smooth running motors so you may have one or more fouled plugs which will make it run bad and prevent it from making full power. An oil injection pump that is pumping too much oil may be an issue. You need to do some troubleshooting and that is best done with a factory service manual if you intend to work on this engine yourself, or else have a shop have a look at it.

 

[jtexas]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

One way to detect an air leak is to listen closely for a "wheezing" noise at all the fittings while squeezing the primer bulb. More likely to be downstream of the bulb. Still could be undectable. Measuring fuel line pressure is another way but few DIY'ers are equipped for that. Those fittings (and bulbs) aren't very expensive, and do wear out over time, so a new fuel line & fittings every once in a while isn't a bad idea.

Stabil is good stuff - but if you want to rule out bad gas for sure, borrow or buy a portable tank, for testing purposes.

For best results use champion plugs - not merely a personal brand preference - OMC motors just do better with 'em.

 

[james1115]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

all great stuff guys, thanks a lot for everything so far. I am gonna start a process of elimination and see where I end up. Thanks again
James

 

[Dhadley]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

Get rid of any old gas. adding 20 gallons of fresh gas to 20 gallons of old gas means you have 40 gallons of old fuel. Use only 87 octane.

What spark plugs are you using?

What oil?

If the pump senses a fuel restriction it'll pump more oil to save the powerhead.

BTW - you don't have a VRO, it's an OMS pump. Calling it a VRO can cause confusion as they are different.

 

[james1115]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

ok thanks, what would cause a fuel restriction? carb? so what do you reccomend that I do for the old fuel problem? run it as low as possible then fill up? I am not sure what brand plugs are being used I just bought the boat and didnt change anything because the way I was thinking was a motor with 100 hours on it shouldnt be having problems but I guess even a new motor can have problems.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

If you just bought this boat and are unsure of it's history there are a couple of things (OK, 3) you should do. Clean the carbs. Always a must on a new-to-me motor. Carbs on an OMC not only deliver fuel but oil too.

Second, a cooling system service. Water pump (complete) and at least check the t-stats. Since you checked the compression before you bought the motor we'll assume it's OK which indicates the head gaskets are probably OK.

While you are working on the lower unit, change the gear oil.

Check out what spark plugs are in the motor. It's very important. With the wrong plugs we could be talking about replacing pistons next.

As for getting rid of old fuel, that's up to you as to how. If you want to run it out and take the chance of engine damage, that's up to you. Again, don't use anything except 87 octane.

Start with the basics. That will make fixing the issue much easier.

 

[james1115]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

is there a product that can be run through the carbs to clean them out or do I need to remove them and soak them? I will go down and look at the plugs today and (hope) that the guy used champions.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

I prefer to take them apart rather than risk engine damage. Especially in a new-to-me situation. You never know what someone else has done - or not done.

 

[jtexas]

Re: 08/2000 johnson 225 smoking a ton???

Only way to be sure carbs are clean is to disassemble - these carbs are remarkably simple devices so don't be intimidated. Anything sprayed into carbs of a running engine bypasses the passages that need cleaning, straight through to the cylinders where it strips the lubricating oil right off the walls. If the passages are clogged, any product run through the fuel might or might not get where it needs to be. Jets can be pulled with carbs installed but that's just part of it.

Any restriction sensed by the pump will be upstream - filters, faulty primer bulb, blocked tank vent, debris in the tank getting sucked up against the intake, etc.

After all that smoking, don't be alarmed if the plugs are fouled.

To be effective, stabil has to be added to fresh fuel - if that's what you did, don't be too quick to drain it - a portable tank is only $20 at wallymart. If the gas in the tank was a two-three months old already then its more likely to be stale. Your 2-stroke carbed outboard is more sensitive to fuel quality than your other vehicles, which can vary the mixture in response to sensors. If you drain the tank, keep the gas & add it to your truck, maybe not all at once. Gas mileage might suffer a little, but gas is just too valuable to waste.