Advice on 1999 Johnson 200 Ocean Pro

" I am looking to purchase a P

" I am looking to purchase a Proline 221 with a 1999 Johnson 200 HP Ocean Pro outboard. The boat is a bank repo, the wholesale dealer tried to take me on a sea trial yesterday. When the engine was started (we first started it out of the water, with a hose hooked up to it), it smoked excessively, and blew a lot of oil out though the prop. We let it warm up, then took it to the river to run it. After we got the boat in the water, the motor would shut down after it was put into gear. It would never allow us to get going, so after many tries, we gave up on trying to get it going. It continued to smoke the entire time.

The wholesale dealer trying to sell it is going to take it to a mechanic this week to try get it running properly. With what I described as its symptons, does anyone have an opinion as to what is wrong with the motor, and do you think it would be ok to go ahead and purchase. Boat, motor, and trailor are 1999 models, and cost is $18,500, which is a real good price, unless the motor is not right of course. Also, how good are the Johnson products starting in 1999...I have read some real bad stories about the Johnson outboard prior to 1999. Any ideas? Thanks. "

"SkiLane..... Unfortunately I

"SkiLane..... Unfortunately I retired before that engine came into existence. However I would suggest that you be present when the mechanic first examines it.

Have a compression check performed and make note of the readings. The compression should be somewhere near 100 psi and even on all cylinders. If all are 90 psi, that's fine, if all are 110, that's fine also. But if say five cylinders are 100 (whatever) and even.... but the sixth cylinder (regardless of which numbered cylinder it might be) has a much lower reading , that spells out a bad piston or some such related problem which would in all probability result in a complete overhaul. Bottom line is to make sure you get that compression reading.

During a spark check, the spark on that engine should jump a 7/16" gap on all cylinders. If it does not, find out why.

The engine is no doubt equipped with a 35 amp charging system which starts out with a "stator" which is a dual purpose component that is located under the flywheel. That stator has large black coils which are the beginning of the ignition system, and due to the extreme heat generated at that area, those black coils are prone to melting down. Those black coils supply approx 300v AC to the powerpack. When the coils melt, the AC voltage drops which in turn fails to energize the powerpack.... the result is faulty or no ignition. The smaller coils on both sides of the stator would be for the charging system. Bottom line is to check that stator visually.

When a engine sits for any length of time (a couple months or more), the possibility exists that the carburetors will clog, foul, and gum up. Seeing that it was a bank repo would lead me to suspect that it has been sitting for quite a long time. The carburetors should be removed, cleaned thoroughly, and rebuilt on general principles. A fouled carburetor will cause a cylinder to run lean.... and that leads to a blown piston etc!

Hope that the above is of some help and that all goes well for you.

Joe "

" Ski: Remove the fuel tank an

" Ski: Remove the fuel tank anti-siphon valve. OMC "VRO" motors do not create a whole lot of fuel pump vacuum. They can't pull fuel out of the tank. The VRO pump is going to pump the amount of oil to mix with the amount of fuel it is supposed to get. If there is any fuel restriction, like a tired anti-siphon valve, they smoke, won't idle, and break down at full throttle. Good luck. "