Newly Acquired Johnson 9.5 - need advice

[stealurface]

This is a great forum - hope someone here can get me started.<br /><br />I acquired a 9.5 (don't know year - think 66-68 based on pics) from a friend. Was sitting for about 2 years.<br /><br />I put it onthe boat - hooked up the gas (with seafoam in it) and started to pull. Took a while , but it finally fired up. I let it fast idle, then slow idled and then I stopped it. Took me another 10 minutes to fires it back up. When it did - took it out for a spind and the thing performed NICELY. Was leary about stopping on the lake, so brought back to dock, stopped it and tried to re-start - no dice. Waited becuase I thought I flooded it and it took another 15 minutes to get started and reved/idled perfectly. VERY hit or miss.<br /><br />Question: It was VERY tricky getting the gear lever to easily slide into R/N/F - it was as if it would not "click" into place. Took some fiddling and at times - it easily went into R/N/F when I used the "Shift" position on handle. <br /><br />I am wondering - could the lever be "gunked" up or something? <br /><br />Any advice on where to check - it seemed, when I could easily get it into N and pulled it would fire - but it was then as if it slipped out of N.<br /><br />Any insights on where to start the tuneup would be greatly appreciated! When that thing was running it really pushed my john boat nicely.<br /><br />Thanks in advance.

 

[wayne h]

Re: Newly Acquired Johnson 9.5 - need advice

first thing is to get a manual. then i would start with the basics plugs, points, conderncers, water pump, inside the lower unit there is a peice of spring steel that rides on the shift shaft that keeps tension on it to make it CLICK in to f/n/r there is also a clutch dog in there that keeps it in gear. eather way it will have to be taken apart to see what is going on with the shifting of the lower unit. might also wanna get a new thermostat for it and carb kit. its hard to say what might be causing the issue but sitting 2 years it will need a good fresh tune up. they are great motors and worth the time i have 4 of them and they never let me down. with the right manintnace you will get another 30 years from it. remember to get a manual factory manuals are best and are usually on ebay very cheap. most parts for this motor can be gotten at the local marina or napa still and are pretty cheap

 

[stealurface]

Re: Newly Acquired Johnson 9.5 - need advice

Thanks Wayne.<br /><br />Will get a manual ASAP-cottage is 1.5 hours North so I can't get model/serial jsut yet. Question - is there much difference between years 66 through 68?<br /><br />All I did so far was seafoam it and changed the plugs.<br /><br />Also noticed something while investigating the motor - in the pics I see of motors that look similar (66-68), the gear lever points somewhat forward with limited range of movement. On mine it was fitted for a sterring wheel so there was what looks like a "kit" put on it and the gear shift points almost vertical with pretty big range of movement it seems. Don't know if that is significant or not from a mechanical POV.<br /><br />If these things ran on silicon based chips and required a scripting language to run them, I would be set. I am a total newbie to mechanics, but I see this becoming a great weekend project boat/motor for me. BUT given my newb status - would it be better to take to the marina? If so, what would be a tuneup $$ range?

 

[DJ]

Re: Newly Acquired Johnson 9.5 - need advice

First tip:<br /><br />DO NOT EASE it into gear. Shifts must be made quickly and surely.