1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

[jgtec]

Hi!

This engine came with a boat that I recently bought and appears to run OK in the tank, but the tell tale does not always have a good flow. Sometimes no flow at all. Often I just need to flick it to bring it back to life.

There is always water sputtering out of the exhaust. Is this a better indication of cooling water entering the engine than the tell tale, or should I be worrying about the tell tale before I use the engine on the boat?

Also, I read about the temperature of the block being a good indicator of cooling. Does the 'you can hold your hand there for 10 seconds comfortably' rule apply to this small engine too?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Cheers, John

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

I would change the impellar which could be worn. Yes you should be able to hold your hand on the head without getting burned but....... I would be concerned about it being on/off.

 

[Vic.S]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

It would be wise to find out why there is a poor flow from the telltale and rectify but provided the engine is not overheating, there is water spluttering from the exhaust relief port and no steam blowing out of there you are not in any trouble.

Check that the telltale is not blocked, esp the fitting on the exhaust cover ... but be gentle with it ... it is only plastic.

You should be able to touch and maintain contact with the engine for a couple of seconds or so and a splash of water should not immediately boil. The only exception is probably the cylinder head around the spark plugs.

water pump recently serviced and a new impeller fitted ?

On some engines the grommet at the top of the water tube can restrict the flow. Not sure if that will apply or not but worth checking that you can get a good flow by connecting a hose to the water tube while servicing the pump.

 

[jgtec]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

Check that the telltale is not blocked, esp the fitting on the exhaust cover ... but be gentle with it ... it is only plastic.

As you say it might be a blockage somewhere near the exit, as the inlet filter is clean.

On this engine the final 2 inches of the tell tale is a vertical rubber tube which has on i.d. of only 2 mm's (1/10th inch). I will investigate the tell tale and follow it back to the block. The hose might come off easily, which should give me a better idea. I take note of your warning about plastic - I have a long history of breaking plastic fittings, so I will be very careful.

The engine was serviced in late 2009 (I have the paperwork from the previous owner), so I am assuming that the impeller is still fine.

I will get back to you next week, once I have had a chance to investigate.

Cheers, John

 

[Vic.S]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

tell tale is a vertical rubber tube which has on i.d. of only 2 mm's

Millimetres ! That made me look at you location obviously not in the USA.

You're a near neighbour then!

Where do you go locally for spares/service?

 

[jgtec]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

Yeah! Millimetres! They have them in the States too, they just forget to use them!

So far I haven't needed any spares, so if you have any recommended suppliers in the UK that would be appreciated.

I have previously always used Seagull engines. Spares for these are very easy to find, even for 1960's engines. Having a small boat with a displacement hull, what more does one need? Don't answer that anyone.

Cheers, John

 

[Vic.S]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

The two sources of spares I have noted are

www.outboards-direct.co.uk ( aka Oakley Marine) in Brighton
and
www.Willsmarine.co.uk in Kingsbridge,Devon

I recently had good service from Oakley. Users of www.ybw.com/forums have in the past found Willsmarine good.

And I have a couple of Seagulls!

 

[jgtec]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

Thanks for that.

I know Wills, as I come from South Devon and have bought Zodiac parts from them in the past. Their service has always been excellent.

I did not realize that they were Johnson/Evinrude dealers though, good to know this.

Cheers, John

 

[jgtec]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

Hi!

This proved to be an easy job and no plastic fittings snapped off either. The rubber tube from the block and the small bore plastic fitting came apart easily. One blow and the pipe was cleared, it looked like a small plug of silt/mud - nothing much else can get is due to the filter grille. Tell tale working just fine now.

Thanks for the advice.

Another question. Is it safe to backflush this engine? I will be using it in salt water and am keeping my boat on a mooring, so can't flush it out back at base very often.

Cheers, John

 

[Vic.S]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

I assume you are thinking of backflushing via the telltale.

Not sure that it will be very effective. The thermostat will be closed so you wont flush the waterways in the cylinder head without a good pressure water supply.

Better than doing nothing I suppose if you can do it easily and have the water to spare.

FWIW my '84 6hp lives on its bracket and is only flushed at the end of the season when I get it home.

 

[jgtec]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

OK, I'll try and backwash through the tell tale.

If I did this right after the engine has been switched off, will the thermostat still be open, so that back flushing might be more beneficial. Or have I got totally the wrong idea of what's going on?

Cheers, John

 

[Vic.S]

Re: 1997 5HP Johnson - intermittent tell tale

The tell tale is from a point part way round the cooling circuit.
So if you push water in that way some will go backwards and out via the pump and some will, with sufficient pressure, go via the thermostat/ pressure control and the cylinder head out into the exhaust housing.

I doubt if the thermostat will remain open for long enough but it might.