'71 60hp No Spark

[phipps]

I am trying to get a new to me 1971 60hp Johnson running. It is turning over fine and the lower end appears to working fine as well. My problem is I am getting no spark.

Another poster here graciously sent me a copy of the ignition chapter of the manual until I get mine so I decided to start testing components.

I started with the amplifier, but I've got a question. It says to remove both purple leads at the terminal board and connect a low reading ammeter between the purple connectors. Am I supposed to connect the ammeter between the two purple wires themselves or between the 2 wires and the terminal board?

I also have a purple wire (looks purple anyway) that is not connected to anything. It runs in a harness that runs down to what appears to be a sensor in the lower block. I have attached a pic of the wire as well as where it goes below. The second wire in the harnes, that comes from the same sensor, is grounded right behind where the loose wire is.

Also, any thoughts on common components that tend to go bad easily and how to test them would be appreciated as well. I know sometimes people learn little tricks that the manual doesn't have in it.

FWIW, the amplifier has been replaced and it looks like the coil as well.

 

[phipps]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

I did the amp test that Joe Reeves suggests and was not getting any glow from the test light. Before condemning the amp, I decided to check the points with an ohmmeter. The points are remaining open the whole time as I spin the flywheel (by hand). Am I correct in that they should be closing at some point while spinning the flywheel?

As far as the disconnected purple wire, I think I've traced it back to the thermo switch for the choke.

 

[phipps]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

I got the flywheel off tonight and the points are bad. Even when they are closed there is no continuity. Can they be cleaned or do I need to start trying to find a new set?

The good news is that the distributor appears to be in very good condition.

 

[P 0 P E Y E]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

You can use some fine sand paper and clean up the contact surface of the points.

Try not to run out and purchase parts till you have a handle on the extent of why the thing does not run. Usually as a rule of thumb, I like to start by making sure the fuel system is clean of all bad gas before turning the engine over and sucking any bad stuff into the idle passages.

Look at and understand the total picture of how the fuel gets from the tank to the combustion chamber, then make darn sure your not pumping some old gas full of water, rust and MTBE into your just cleaned out system.

If moisture and corrosion got to your points, then the condensers are next to poop the bed.

Clean up the points and see if you get spark. Sand off any rust on the fly wheel magnet, blow any dust out from around the points, check the fly wheel key and place the flywheel back on the engine, leave the nut off for now. Turn the engine and test for spark, if you have spark put fly wheel back on for now. Secure nut

If you have spark and clean fuel system, squirt some brand new 50:1 oil in each spark plug hole to raise up the compression and see if she will fire.

 

[phipps]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

Thanks for the pointers. I'm trying to do this one step at a time. I had no spark so I'm trying to remedy that first. Once I get spark I'll rebuild the carbs.

I hadn't thought of making sure all the old fuel was out. I'll make sure I drain the carbs and all the fuel lines before trying to fire it up. I'll probably just go ahead and replace all the fuel lines, they are pretty old and brittle.

 

[P 0 P E Y E]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

good ideas

It's a good idea to purge the system by not connecting the fuel line at the carb till you pump a bunch of new gas-oil mix up to that point, then connect.

The fuel hose and hand pump are notorious for hassles.

I lent my buddy my great running 198? 9.9 for a kicker on his fishing boat. He used his tank and fuel hose to trash my carb. On those low boy engines, the carb is a real behotch to access.

 

[R.Johnson]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

Has that engine at that age have proper compression? Don't try to groom a dead horse here. Compression, ignition, fuel. Solve one at a time. This is a capacitor discharge ignition. You won't find a condensor across the point's.

 

[phipps]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

Good advice on the compression, BTW. I checked that before I started taking the thing apart. I wasnt going to spend money on ignition parts if the motor was trashed internally.

Compression is 105, 105, 100. My brother told me that was very good.

 

[phipps]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

Well, I received the new points today and have them installed and properly gapped. I checked them with a multimeter and they are opening and closing properly. I put the distributor and flywheel back on and hooked everything up. I cranked her over and still no spark. I decided to check the amp using the test light method but wasn't seeing anything so I hooked up a voltmeter.

Here is my question: when the amp is not grounded I am showing 3 volts. When I ground the points lead it drops to 0 volts. From this, can you tell whether my amp is good or bad?



Thanks,

Gary

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

Clean the points with either lacquer thinner or acetone. A finger print on those things will create problems in continuity.

(Point Setting Of Battery Capacitance Discharge)
( Ignition Models - 1968 thru 1972)
(Some have points - Some do not)
(Joe Reeves)

The points must be set to .010 but no wider than .010..... BUT in some instances due to a possible slight inaccurately machined crankshaft lobe or a slight offset of one set of points, a setting slightly less than .010 would be required as follows.

Whether the crankshaft has two or three lobes, when setting the points, check the setting of the points on each individual lobe by rotating the crankshaft by hand.

You may find that setting one set of points to .010 on one lobe, then turning the crankshaft to the next lobe, the gap measures .011 or .012 (too wide). This is where you would need to close that gap down to the required .010. A gap too wide can result in a ignition miss when throttle is applied.

Bottom line, pertaining to the point setting at the various lobe locations____ .010, .010, .009, is okay____ .010, .010, .011 is not!

 

[phipps]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

Thanks for the info, Joe. I checked the continuity and it seems fine. I also checked the gap on all 3 lobes.

I am now trying to verify whether there is a problem with my amp. I tried checking the amp using your method with the test light, but was not seeing any glow so I did it using a volt meter, except that I disconnected the amp to points lead and grounded it manually. That is when I was getting 3V when not grounded and 0V when I grounded it.

Does this indicate anything as it relates to whether my amp is good or bad?

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

If you have 12 volts applied to the proper terminal of the pulsepack with the key in the ON or START position, disconnecting that amplifier to timer base lead and tapping that lead from the amplifier on the powerhead would act as having the points make and break.

If the pulsepack (amplifier) is functional, that should have quite a spark flying out of the coil wire leading to the distributor. You'll need to temporarily remove the coil from its mounting in order to unscrew the coil wire from the distributor to test it however.

 

[phipps]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

Does anyone happen to know what kind of voltage should be on the wire that runs from the amp to the coil?

The way I'm reading the manual, the amp sends 350V to the coil which jumps it up to 25,000V, so there should 350V on that wire, correct?

 

[phipps]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

Some good news!! I found an OEM amp on eBay for $10!! I hooked it up tonight and I have a nice spark on all 3 cylinders now.

Now I'm planning on rebuilding the carbs. I drained the gas out of the bowls and it was nasty, no wonder it wouldn't fire up. (I can always hope, LOL)

I've confirmed the lower unit is good also. The prop stops turning when I'm turning it over and goes into reverse and forward when I move the shifter. (The throttle cable is not hooked up to the motor so it doesn't activate the safety switch when I shift the controller.)

 

[Daviet]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

Glad you had sucess with your spark problems. When you overhaul your carbs, make sure you remove all the jets, High and low speed, clean all passages and blow out with compressed air. Taking the time to do this properly will save you problems later.

 

[phipps]

Re: '71 60hp No Spark

Glad you had sucess with your spark problems. When you overhaul your carbs, make sure you remove all the jets, High and low speed, clean all passages and blow out with compressed air. Taking the time to do this properly will save you problems later.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will make sure to do that.