New Guy

[edl]

Hi all - a couple of buddies and i bought a boat - none of us has ever had one...and we did very little due diligence - it is 20 feet and has a 1997 Johnson 150 (non- FI) - mechanic came and eyeballed it - said

- compression was good
- it would need a new water pump
- hydraulic steering would have to be replaced at some point
- prop needed to be refinished for $150
- other than the prop, we have no other quotes from him for work

Questions:

- is there a place i can download the 1997 owner's manual for this engine?
- is it true that a nicked, pitted prop can cause engine problems? - if yes, what? uneven "wear"?
- seems like we could just buy a new prop for $150...is there any magic to keeping the original and having it refurbished? or is this him wanting to capture labor dollars as opposed to those going to a retailer as purchase dollars?
- how critical are any of these repairs if everything is running - that is, short of breaking down and needing a tow, can any of these lead to larger catastrophic engine damage? (obviously, understand what sudden loss of steering means)
- what should we watch to know we are at the point to have the hyd steering replaced? - certain sound or steering tendancy?
- what should we watch to know we are at the point to have the water pump replaced? - certain sound or heating condition?
- what should we watch to know we are at the point to replace the prop?

Finally, are there any known issues with this engine that if it hasn't already been done we need to do right away?

MANY THANKS! - Ed

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: New Guy

water pumps should be replaced, every 2-3 years, consequence, running hot, blowing a head gasket or seizing the motor. being a new to you boat, change it.

the prop being nicked can cause excess wear on the lower unit bearings, make the motor work harder, less fuel efficient. you need the proper prop for the motor/boat combination. the motor needs to around 5800 rpm at wide open throttle. this is done by using the correct prop. turning over 6,000 over revs the motor, under 5,200 lugs the engine. both can cause damage. post question of the prop in the prop forum.

you need the Johnson OEM manual to do your own service, get the book, much easier to use, outboardbooks.com.

i hope you are really good buddies, as most boat parnterships, turn sour.

there are no dumb questions here, just ask.

 

[iwombat]

Re: New Guy

First of all, go to ebay or outboardbooks.com and get yourself an OEM manual for your year and horsepower.

Next, just replace the waterpump. A weak, toasted, or underperforming waterpump can overheat your powerhead and ruin it very quickly. You can do the waterpump yourself if you're at all interested. Standard practice is new motor to you - replace the waterpump. Then, every couple of seasons.

As for the prop. I'd run the setup as-is for now and make sure it's the right prop for the boat. You should hit 5500+ rpms at wide open throttle (WOT). If you don't you probably need a different size prop. No sense in tossing dollars at the wrong prop.

A nicked or damaged prop can cause cavitation and rob you of performance. If it's badly damaged it will be unbalanced and cause quit a bit of vibration.

I've never run hydraulic steering. I'll let someone else answer that one.

You should also change the lower unit (LU) lubrication if you haven't already.


And, welcome to iboats.


I see TD got in under the wire.

 

[F_R]

Re: New Guy

I'd want a bit more information concerning why the hydraulic steering needs "replaced". Is it leaking or what? Leaks can be repaired. Do you know what brand the steering is?

 

[edl]

Re: New Guy

Thx guys - ok:

1. definitely need to change waterpump - got it
2. find out "correct" prop and ensure the current one is correct - i have the "Operation & Maintenance Manual" published by OMC (the mfg) for "150, 150WT, 175"...would it be in there? - i couldn't find it (the SKU on the booklet, fwiw, is 213023) - or is there a stamping or marking on the prop itself that will tell me what it is (obviously, i still need to know what it is supposed to be to have the comparison point)
3. assuming the boat has the correct prop, is it better to refurbish that or buy a new one? - from what i can tell they are about the same price
4. Maual: in addition to the the OMC manual, the seller provided "Evinrude/Johnson 2-Stroke Outboard Shop Manual; 85-300HP - 1995-1998" by Clymer - is that the one you guys are referring to? - if so, that one is checked off
5. i'll get more info on the hyd steering and revert - i assume (but don't know) that it would be an OMC steering system - i actually think it maybe the hydraulic tilt mech for the engine...so i need to nail that down [as an aside, are independent trim tabs only necessary when the engine does not have this tilt feature, or are they used in addition to?]
6. change LU in "lower unit" - got it - now need to figure out what the "lower unit" it is and how to do that - manual should help

Thanks! - Ed

 

[Chris1956]

Re: New Guy

That clymer manual is probably ok to use to guide you thru the lower unit lube change. It should also probably be adequate for the water pump change out as well. Just so you know, if the power trim/tilt unit needs work, and the clymer isn't sufficient, you will need to get an OMC Accessories Service Manual. The PTT unit is not in the OMC Service Manual.


BTW - the OMC owners manual doesn't have too much useful stuff.

You can look up parts and see exploded diagrams at crowleymarine.com

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: New Guy

check out iboats prop exchange program. that way you don't waste money on the wrong prop. when you remove the prop it has numbers stamped in the hub. if it is a stainless steel prop best to recondition.

 

[ezeke]

Re: New Guy

The best money that you will spend on your motor will be the factory service manual. Check ebay -search for 260090389048.

 

[iwombat]

Re: New Guy

The correct prop has to do with the motor and boat as a combination. There's some general guidelines in choosing the correct prop, but finding one that won't lug your motor is the key. There's no such thing as the correct prop for the motor alone.

Give this one a whirl and see if you can hit the right rpm range at full throttle. If what you have is an aluminum prop, my recommendation would be to buy a new one and use the one you have as a spare.