57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

[CBGale2]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

I would have ordered them when I got the rest of my parts but the site I got them for said they were special order and 10 days, I cant wait that long. There are fish to be caught and I want to catch some while the water is still liquid.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

All this for a little spark plug wire???? Call laingsoutboards.com and they'll send you two (plug ends and all) for like 2.99 each or thereabouts. IT usually arrives in about 3 days.
You also might try a tractor supply place. They sell it by the foot I believe, and I think they have copper core.
JBJ

 

[CBGale2]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

Too Funny! I did a little calling around for plug wire today. None of the autoparts stores had it by the foot. Called a boat service place and got some young punk kid on the phone. Asked him about it and when I told him the year it got real quiet on the phone,..... "its a 1957"? Yup, 18hp, "well I dont think I've ever got parts for one that old". I think he was shocked to find out they made boat motors before the 80's or something. I just laughed at him. He told me that there is a guy who has worked there a long time.... (must be some oldtimer in his 50's) and he'd have him give me a call when he got back from lunch.

Called another marine repair up the road and they sell it by the foot, so im good.

 

[phineas]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

i just got my second '58 today in holiday bronze and and i love them too, given to me with a good tank, i have had a good yr so far i bought a whole trailer load of motors, part motors , and a ton of NOS parts, but my favorites so far are the FD-12's

 

[CBGale2]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

Ok, so the Sierra part for the spark plug wire says its 12 inches long, so I bought two pieces of 12" wire, just went out to take a look at the motor and the old wires on there are much longer than 12 inches? Anyone verify that this is going to work or do I need longer wires?

 

[Sea18Horse]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

Yeah, they are around two feet long give or take. 12 inches will definitely be too short. I have a Sierra master catalog and I don't remember seeing any listing for individual wires in there for these engines. Are you sure it didn't say 12 feet ? They just have the kit with bulk wire and a selection of ends that Coolguy mentioned above. But if I remember correctly that was a 25' roll.

Cheers...................Todd

 

[CBGale2]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

Thats what I get for trusting what I see on the net. Oh well, ran up and got a 5ft piece, should be plenty long.

Well, just popped the flywheel off.....and when I say popped, it popped. I thought I had broke something for sure. I may have discovered what the problem was, one of the points contacts are tight against each other, cant slide anything between them. The other was gapped right.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

By the look of things through the portal, the coils look fine. I'd leave those alone - they have been replaced at some point since new and are probably good to go. I have only once ever come across a coil that "looked" good and wasn't. Most of the time it is painfully obvious that the coil is bad - VERY cracked casing.

Your condensers look like they need to be updated, though - new ones have rubber caps, not fiber. If you do replace the coils, save the ones you take out - you'll undoubtedly end up getting more of these old motors - we all do - and you'll be glad you've got an extra set of coils onhand...

 

[CBGale2]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

Ok got it all back together uder the flywheel... all new parts. Now how exactly do I go about setting these points, they are moving on me. When I was putting it all back together I set them both to .020, turned the flywheel a few times and looked back under there and now one is wide and one is touching..... now Im only getting spark on one cyclinder, if I mess with the points gap I get it on one but then the other side wont spark, mess with it again and the other one works. Im confused how to set the gap on something that changes?

 

[Sea18Horse]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

There is a good thread started by Harry B. on this very subject.
magneto cam
Lots of helpful replies. Joe Reeves posted an excellent write-up on magneto wobble repair and setting of the points. I assume it's in the faq or the "secret files" somewhere also but I couldn't find it.

Cheers................Todd

 

[CBGale2]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

Alright I figured it out now, operator error, as in the operator has not clue what he is doing.... I got the points set and was getting a nice blue spark on both wires, maybe I did it right?

Put it all back together and and gave her a good pull, she fired on first yank.... before we all start cheering it still wasnt running very good, and it was still making the sound every few seconds that I thought was a cylinder missing, but overall I think it was running better than before, but it still doesnt stay running. So any pointers on were to go from here, the thing that worries me the most is the sound it makes. Best I can describe it is this.
Its like half a back fire or RrRrRrRpopRrRrRrRpop..... and when it pops it jerks the whole motor. Oh yeah, pulled the plugs out again and the top one looked good but now the bottom was a little black but nothing like the top one looked before.

 

[Sea18Horse]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

Lean sneeze? It sounds like that's what you're describing. You might have some carburetor issues. Any idea if and when it was ever gone through? I take it tweaking the low speed knob doesn't help?

I wonder too, when you took the flywheel off was it all covered with an oily film in there? I know that mine has a worn out upper crankshaft seal and a loose upper crankshaft main bearing. It makes it tough to adjust the idle mixture correctly.

Cheers.................Todd

 

[CBGale2]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

Carb has not been gone through yet, Ive got the rebuild kit for it. Wanted to do under the flywheel first, see what that did, and then move onto that. Correct, adjusting the slow speed dial didnt really change anything, moving the high speed would. Would die when the choke was pushed in.

Didnt really have much of an oily film under the flywheel, there was a trace amount of something like that under the coils and condensors, and I do mean trace amount.

 

[Sea18Horse]

Re: 57 Johnson 18hp - Top Cylinder Missing/Fouling Plug

"Didnt really have much of an oily film under the flywheel, there was a trace amount of something like that under the coils and condensors, and I do mean trace amount.

That's good! Mine looks really grungy so chances are yours is fine. A trace of oil film is to be expected.

Carb overhaul should take care of it. Did you get a new float for it with the kit? Chances are you still have the original cork float in there and it's likely going to be looking pretty rough.

Cheers................Todd