motor wont run in water

[chermac01]

So my 1973 Johnson 115 runs great out of the water with the garden hose hooked up to it but when I took it out for the first time today it started right up and idled great for about 15 min the it all of a sudden died and wouldn't start back up. I just got it home and hooked the hose up to it and it started right up and runs great. Please Help for I have no idea what is wrong!

 

[woody66912]

Re: motor wont run in water

When you run it at home is engine cover on or off. If the cover is off then I would lean towards a leaking base gasket. This would allow exhaust gases to be sucked in and cause the engine to die.

 

[chermac01]

Re: motor wont run in water

its with the cover on

 

[woody66912]

Re: motor wont run in water

Try to get it in a garbage can full of water so you can just let run and see what happens.

 

[captk]

Re: motor wont run in water

Check the Ignition systen. Do you have good spark on all 4, even when warm?

 

[woody66912]

Re: motor wont run in water

Try to get it in a garbage can full of water so you can just let run and see what happens.

You have to see if it's spark or fuel, If you have a timing light hook it up and just tape the trigger down and so you don't have to hold it. If you can get to die in the tank, don't touch anything, crank it over and check spark, also have a can of carb clean ready and give it a shot and see what happens.

 

[chermac01]

Re: motor wont run in water

is that the manifold to case gasket gasket ? It now wont run with the cover on and it also is now dying after the choke is pushed back in

 

[boobie]

Re: motor wont run in water

Sounds like a fuel supply or carb prob. What happens if you pump the primer bulb when it acts up ??

 

[chermac01]

Re: motor wont run in water

Well i cant get it to run now so I don't know what happens when I pump the primer bulb. Question though, I am new to carb engines and when I put the motor in gear and put it at full throttle the flaps on the carb do not open. Is that normal when the motor is off?

 

[FlaCowboy]

Re: motor wont run in water

Did the motor run good when it was last used? How long ago was it last used? The more info the mechanics here have to go on the better the help will be.

 

[chermac01]

Re: motor wont run in water

the guy that I got it from said it ran great last summer. It ran great out of the water on muffs and when I put it in the water it idled for about 15 min than as soon as I put it in gear it died and it has not started since. that was yesterday. I noticed fuel dripping from the cover over the carb.

 

[rockyrude]

Re: motor wont run in water

Doesn't matter running or not throttle plates should move with the throttle control. That said, typically when they run great on the muffs but not on the water, they are slightly lean. You are putting back pressure on the exhaust in the water that you are not when on muffs.

 

[chermac01]

Re: motor wont run in water

so since the throttle plates are not moving(at all) is there a problem with the linkage that the controls connect to?

 

[rockyrude]

Re: motor wont run in water

Probably. Dripping fuel from the carb cover, I might suspect a stuck float. How long was this motor laid up? "ran great last time I used it" to most means nothing. Probably needs carbs rebuilt, if you haven't already done it , put a new impeller in it also. Never trust previous owners unless you know them personally.

 

[chermac01]

Re: motor wont run in water

I do know him personally and I know he had taken good care of it. I have also seen it run with no problems although that was a year ago. It was stored upright in my heated garage through the winter.

 

[Gazza 2]

Re: motor wont run in water

Well i cant get it to run now so I don't know what happens when I pump the primer bulb. Question though, I am new to carb engines and when I put the motor in gear and put it at full throttle the flaps on the carb do not open. Is that normal when the motor is off?

Chermac,I think you have a solenoid operated choke,the butterflies that are closed sound to me like the choke is stuck on.Check the solenoid on the starboard side of the motor and see if the plunger has fully retracted into the solenoid body,also check that the butterflies return to fully open position with choke off.
Cheers,Gazza

 

[chermac01]

Re: motor wont run in water

the choke flaps are operating correctly it is the butterflies on the actual carbs that dont move. I have resolve this issue though and found a loose connection in my control. Still though the motor wont start

 

[chermac01]

Re: motor wont run in water

Probably. Dripping fuel from the carb cover, I might suspect a stuck float. How long was this motor laid up? "ran great last time I used it" to most means nothing. Probably needs carbs rebuilt, if you haven't already done it , put a new impeller in it also. Never trust previous owners unless you know them personally.

That is spot on about the stuck float took it apart and wouldn't you know it...stuck

 

[rockyrude]

Re: motor wont run in water

That's good news, simple fix and it'll probably pop right off.

 

[chermac01]

Re: motor wont run in water

Alright all is well with the carbs now. I still have a problem though every five or six seconds when the motor is running it "pops" and a puff of white smoke comes out the exhaust. Is this spark plugs or plug wires or is it something more severe. side not as the motor warms these pops are fewer and farther between but never fully go away at Idle. When power is put to the motor there doesn't seem to be any issues. purrs like a cat!