is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

[kfa4303]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

hello again Krs1. the seals he's referring to are seals in the lower unit gear case which keep water out. they're basically a series of grommets, gaskets and bearings. In a perfect world they should be changed when you find water in the gear case, however, let's focus on one thing at a time and get her running smoothly first, then we can worry about the lower unit seals. you can replace the gear oil for now which will be good enough until you get her running again.

Are you still hearing the "grinding"? where would you say it's coming from? does it sound like it coming from the upper or lower end of the motor? did you try taking the pull starter off to see if it is the sourse of the squeek or grinding? you can remove it entirely and start the motor with the electric starter. try it and see what happens and report back. Also, are you using the proper fuel/oil mix? these motor can not and should not EVER be run on straight, plain gas. the proper fuel oil mix is 50:1, but 24:1 will also work. the oil is mixed into the fuel to lubricate the pistons and other mixing parts. again do not ever run this motor on regular, plain gas.

Keep us posted. We'll get her runnin'.

 

[lindy46]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

"the proper fuel oil mix is 50:1, but 24:1 will also work."

50:1 is NOT the proper mix for a 1955 Fastwin. I wouldn't run it any leaner than 24:1, and preferably 16:1.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

ooops! good catch lindy46. I thought it was a '65 not a '55 woops. yup 24:1 or 16:1 to be extra safe.

 

[Krs1]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

Hello again everyone I have the mixture correct at 24:1 so that's not the issue, but it does smoke a lot is that normal? As far as electric start that's over my head! I'm a fireman in riverside ca so I work three days on and have 4 off so I can't get home to tinker with her. When this all went down it was fri, I got really frustrated and had to walk away before I really f@*#d things up. The sound is in the top end but no clue where. I quit while I was ahead lol. I'm taking this on as a challenge to my non existent mechanic skills

 

[kfa4303]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

don't worry Krs1 we all have to walk away at times and take a deep breath LOL. It's normal I have a question. It may seem super obvious, but is there a kill switch anywhere on the motor that may have been flipped therefore causing the sudden inability to start? Just want to check all simple obvious stuff first.
Yeah, the smoke is normal. B/c these guys don't have an oil tank like a car or motorcycle you have to mix the oil with the fuel to lubricate the internal bits, but it does cause a fair amount of smoke, and some of the oil goes unburnt and gets spit out into the test tank with the exhuast with water from the cooling system. the good news is that they usually smoke less when on the open water when they are run at higher speeds and there is unlimited fresh water to cycle through the motor rather than the same oily water from the test tank.
Don't worry about the electric starter either. It's not neccessary, just nice to have. saves your shoulder some work, but since you're a firefighter that's probably not a problem. You can fix that later once you get her running again. they're actually not as complex as you might think.
As far as the mystery grinding sound, take the pull start mechanism off. there are three flat head screws which hold it on. just remove them and lift the pull start off. it will all come off as a self contained unit, so don't worry about anything falling apart or anyting. try pulling the pull starter cord slowly, and see if you can hear/feel any of the grinding you mentioned. Before you put it back on put the motor in neutral and turn the flywheel (big round thing) on top of the motor, clockwise, slowly by hand. again, check for any grinding. it should take a bit of effort to rotate the flywheel if the compression is good, but she'll turn over with a sort of a smooth, lub dub feeling.
This should tell you if the noise is in the pull starter or the motor itself. Once you know that we can tell you where to go from there. don't worry she'll run again.

Let us know if you get any new info.

 

[Krs1]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

I will post wend. When I get home!!! Thanks for all the help please keep your eye out for me on this thread then cuz I'll prob have questions :redface:

 

[samo_ott]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

If possible, post a video.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

I agree. vid/pics would be great. Don't worry, we'll keep an eye out You'll get her runnig again. The good news is that these motors are dead simple, so there are a limited number of things to go wrong, and virtually anything that breaks can be fixed by a regular person with regular tools. it can be frustrating at times, but you'll be glad you stuck with it and you'll learn tons. by the time you work on your second motor you won't need us at all

 

[DJacksonRN]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

Dude, don't panic, stay methodical, you'll get it. Eighteen months ago I couldn't even spell carburetor (wait, is that right?). This was my post from yesterday. Yes, it's a little "younger" than yours but altogether, not a lot of difference. Air, Fuel, Spark. Things that I have found help out: organize, organize, organize. I label everything, and EVERY part that comes off goes in a baggie or tupperware (small parts) with their location, all parts then go into a large rubbermaid 10 gallon tote, that way, I don't have bolts and other crap rolling around on the toolbench or beaing eaten by the dog. If you enjoy tinkering and figuring out how things work, you'll be as hooked as I am. Perfect thing for working the 24/48. Do your research on line between calls, do the work on the off days. Build yourself a small stand so you're not breaking your back. My favorite tool? A dental scraping tool, get's verey nook and cranny clean. Stay safe- everyone goes home.

Bought a '72 Johnson 65 about a month ago, removed from a decrepit Bonito. Couldn't check anything on site other than the prop spun and drove the cylinders with the plugs removed (in F/N/R, now I know why- Hydro-electric) so it appeared to be not frozen, and I picked it up for $125. Did a LOT of reading and dissection of parts diagrams, and ordered up what I thought was needed to revive it. New water pump impeller (kept the old aluminum housing and machined .006 off it to smooth it out), lots of tripleguard, flushed and refilled the lower end (no H2O or metal that I could see), replaced the washers on the in/out on the lower end. Hydro-electric cables were a BEEOTCH to rethread, even though I had snaked fishing line through to do it. Eventually used my trusty Camelback tubing and some ingenuity to get them back up. Rebuilt the carbs, reeds looked good, compression checked out at 135, 130 and 132. Good spark, newer plugs were already in it. Replaced the fuel filters and lines with ETOH resistant material and regreased the starter. Replaced the t-stat and gasket and grommets in the bypass. She fired up on the first try on Friday, ran great, works in F/N/R. Didn't bring her up to speed (on muffs), but pleased with the results so far. Total cost so far: $275 (including the big tub of Tripleguard that should last a while...) Now, where can I find an outrageous deal on a 16 foot skiff to mount her on....

 

[Krs1]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

Ok I can deff do some pics but video would be hard with just me. What pics/ video would be beneficial to you guys helping me in the problems I'm having?

 

[kfa4303]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

No worries Krs1, pics are fine. a good, full shot of each side of the whole motor would be nice, that way we can point the major areas out to you, and what does what. otherwise, take pics of what you have questions about. no question is too basic or simple. if you have a question, ask. proabaly easier for us to answer your questions that for us to just lecture at you. hang in there.

 

[Krs1]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

Ok everyone I have gotten home and messed with the 55 fastwin. As mentioned before I heard some grinding when I pulled the cord to start, and also couldn't get it started again. I believe I narrowed the grinding noises to be the paws missing the first set of prong they are supposed to grab and then catching as I pull. This only happens 50% of the time, I guess just wearing out and original part. As for the starting I pulled the plugs and tried to ground to the motor for a spark, but no spark. So I am going to get new plugs and wires. Are these just normal plugs or special ones? I want to try just plugs first as I believe the wires are still good cuz no cracks etc. Last question at this point what are these plugs gaped

 

[lindy46]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

Use a spark tester to check spark - available at any auto parts store for around $10. Spark should jump a 1/4" gap minimum. Get either Champion J4C or J6C and gap to .030". If no spark, then you'll have to remove the flywheel and replace the points, condensers, and probably coils. If you have to replace all the ignition parts, also replace the plug wires.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

I wouldn't spend anything until you checked the compression and checked/replaced the coils. Did you take off the pull start and look at them through the inspection hole? If yes, what'd you see? If no, you should do it.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

hello again Krs1. To answer your question, yes it does matter what type of spark plug wires you get. you MUST get copper core wires, rather than the modern graphite core ones used on cars. NAPA carries many of the Sierra brand replacement parts for Johnson/Evinrude (OMC) motors and they will often have the right s'plug wires and can cut them to length, but you should also be able to find them at other automotive stores. just be sure they're copper core.
However, before you do that I would also suggest getting a spark plug gap-style tester too. they hook up in line so that as you turn the motor over, you can see the spark jump a preset, adjustable distance. you want the spark to be able jump a 7/16" gap. they're cheap and the best way to test if you're getting proper spark. based on what the tester tells you, you may not have to buy as many parts as you think. the grounding on the body trick is pretty crude and not really the best method, so you may actually be getting some spark.
thankfully, there are really only two that can happen; 1.) you have good spark, in which case you don't need to buy any new parts. sweet! you're lucky. not likely 2.) you do not have good spark, in which case you'll probably want to give your ignition a tune up which is normal and entails new points, condensers, coils, s'plugs and s'plug wires. thankfully, all of those parts are cheap and easy to replace and are available at a variety of stores, including right here at iboats. points and condensers are often sold together as a "tune up kit" for about $15-20, s'plugs are about $6 for a pair, coils are about $15 each x 2, s'plug wires are probably $10 or so. sounds like a lot, but don't worry, all of these parts are considered "consumable" and can/do wear out over time, especially if they sit for too long. they all get mounted on a plate beneath the flywheel and work together to form the magneto which creates the spark which fires the fuel/oil mix in the cylinders.
test for spark with a proper tester and let us know what you get, then we'll take it from there. always best to start with the simple stuff first.

 

[Krs1]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

So I did not look through the inspection hole but I did buy new spaerk plugs with still no spark. I took the pull start off and put it back on which stopes the grinding. All these little tools add up after a while which I can't afford right now. It started and ran good last week. Can the compression go bad just like that? Can I not just replace the plug wires. What should I do just coils or everything?

 

[ooldschooll]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

If the Coils are cracked they WILL need replaced. You have to get to the coils to replace the spark plug wires anyway. Nothing else you can do is MORE important than checking for cracked coils through the inspection hole. Because intermittent spark is the main symptom of cracked coils meaning it might run sometimes and not others. If they are not cracked while there you can clean and re gap the points. Did you watch the how to vids I posted in an earlier post? Those vids show step by step what is involve in redoing an ignition. 1 spark,2 compression 3 fuel. If they are cracked it will never run reliably till they are replaced.

 

[Krs1]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

If your talking about the piston pumper yes. I read all about in the old omc article as well that the long named guy wrote about everything. If I open up the fly wheel I might as well change everything to make sure and get the matinence out of the way, it has to be done eventually and figure all at once would make it easier on me. I'm going home in 30 min and gonna look through the inspection hole and check the spark with the spark/gap tool. Will check in shortly

 

[kfa4303]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

for starters, it's not likely that your compression just went bad on you. the compression is achieved through tight tolerences between the piston rings and cylinder walls. they are usually only effected if they get wet and rust, or are run without enough oil mixed into the fuel in which case they run hot and can sieze up due to excess friction. if you can spin the flywheel and feel a nice sort of smooth, "lub-dub" action chances are the compression is ok.
b/c the motor was running recently, someone has probably replaced the coils. most replacement coils are pretty reliable so with a bit of luck, you may still have good coils and might just need new points and condensers. thankfully, they're are cheap and easy ($10ish).
the hardest part is taking off the flywheel to get at the bits you need to fix, but it isn't that bad. let us know what the 'ol spark plug tester tells you. don't be affraid to ask questions.

 

[Krs1]

Re: is working on a 55 fastwin diffiuclt?

Ok so I checked for a spark using the tool and no spark from either plug wire. I looked through the inspection hole and didn't find any evidence of cracked anything. Everything looked brand new! So there is a shop that has all ignition componets in stock so what do I need other than plug wires? I have pics but can't post do to me using an iPhone, I can post them at 4:30. Would someone like me to text them? I can pm my number but not sure if that's cool?