Johnson 4 dies except if choke is quickly pulled out

[Ian 31]

Hi everyone, my Johnson 4 is 1997 and has done only 8 hours running, it has sat around in a dry garage for the last 3 years. When I tried to run it up it started no problem but after anything between 30 seconds and 10 minutes the engine dies and if left unattended will stop. Just before it dies totally, if I pull the choke out and then push it back in the engine picks up and runs for about 15 more seconds before the same happens and choke is required to keep it running.<br /><br />I would have thought that having only done 8 hours cylinder compression is not a problem, and I suspected the float jet was sticking but have cleaned it oue with carb cleaner and it seems free but still the same problems . Apart from that everything in the carb seemed clean.....<br /><br />Any ideas gretefully received..........

 

[jim dozier]

Re: Johnson 4 dies except if choke is quickly pulled out

You cannot tell if a carb is clean by looking unless you got a microscope on the jets. Its not how it looks, its how it flows and yours isn't. From your description it sounds like a classic case of I been sitting in the garage too long. Inactivity is death to outboards or at least a bad case of hardening of the arteries. It is probably just in need of a COMPLETE carb disassembly/cleaning and rebuild kit. I suspect your idle jets are just crudded up with goop where you can't see it.