89 johnson 175gt power pack killer

"I have a 1989 Johnson 175gt m

"I have a 1989 Johnson 175gt motor that seems to have an appetite for power packs.
This first started out after I rebuilt the blown powerhead due to a cut lower crank seal causing #6 to seize & exploded bits & pieces of piston & rings into # 5, after running more than 40-50 hours on the new rebuild I noticed that it was getting hard to start after setting unused for a couple of weeks.
I knew the reg/rec was inop so I went ahead and purchased a new power pack and reg/rec.
Since I’ve installed the new electronic components I haven’t used the boat that much, 1-2 times every few months.

I was headin’ to the lake last week and tried to start the motor & run it on a flush kit to make sure I burnt all of the storage oil out of the motor & make sure it was going to run ok.
Well it wouldn’t start, I checked for spark with 6 new plugs & with the old ones out of the heads & I had nothing, I went ahead & tested the ignition switch & emergency kill switch, no problems found here.
I disconnected the main wire harness connector & spun the motor with a remote starter switch on the solenoid, still no spark.
I reconnected the main harness connector & took a 30 min break.
When I came back I turned the key a noticed I had spark on Cyl #1 but not on the other 5.
I reinstalled the plugs on cyl # 1&2 and was able to get the motor to fire on that 1 cyl, after running for less than 1 minute like this I was able tell that it was beginning to run on #2 as well, also & I had spark on the other 4 plugs when #2 kicked in.
I installed the rest of the plugs and ran it on the flush kit to check it out.
Everything checked out ok.
3 days later I head to the lake and it runs like it should, no problems at all.
A week goes by and I decide to head out again, I fire the motor up at the house again, cranks & runs.
When I get to the lake, a 45 minute drive, it wont start, no spark again, so I come back home.
A few days later I go out to check to see what’s up with this thing & I double check everything again, I even unplug all electrical connectors & check for corrosion on the terminal pins, nothing found. I give up, go inside & look for my shop manual that has disappeared for some reason; of course I haven’t found it yet.

The next evening, yesterday, I go out spin the motor with the key & I can see it’s firing on #1 again so I do the same thing again with cyl # 1&2, again it fires up on #1 & a few seconds later it starts running on # 2 & simultaneously it starts firing on 3-6 too.
Today it’s starting & running on all 6 again.

Now it did this with the previous power pack except for the one cylinder that would get fire was # 6, & I could do the 2 lower cylinders & it would run out just fine, then every once in awhile it do this same thing again, then I didn’t feel comfortable going out on the lake like this so I bought new reg/rec & I went ahead & replaced the power pack, while I had an extra $600.00

Now this new power pack doesn’t have 4-5 hours on it.
When I had the flywheel, stator, & pick-up coils off I inspected them & they looked fine.
No bubbling in the epoxy or melted or burnt wires, & the magnets are fine.

I need help with finding what is killing power packs so I can fix it, I can't afford $300.00 for a new power pack every time I decide to go fishin' & fuel too, is there something else I’m overlookin’ or don't know about.

Anyone please help, Sometimes-Sparkless"

"first---u need to have a HOT,

"first---u need to have a HOT,good,cranking batt---needs around 300-350 rpm to fire ign system.
second,--if its eating packs,..ck for bad/corroded grnd's...and,any voltage,fr the key sw,at the pack...should be none--any,can kill a pack,..that is a grnd circuit,only."

"Thanks for the quick response

"Thanks for the quick response & info jwb

I installed a new 1000 amp starting battery days before I went out last week & it spins the motor well over the 350 rpm range even with the plugs installed so I know that ain't it.

I'll check the ground areas & go ahead & clean them, I may fabricate a grounding harness & install stainless star washers so I know I have a dependable grounding surface for everything. Some of the grounding methods are kind of cheesy on these older outboards anyway.
When I built the motor I buzzed the grounding surfaces with a bristle disc to a bare metal shine & coated everything with dielectric grease, but that's been over 7 years ago.
I was leanin' toward a grounding issue causing this problem myself, so I'll double check that too.
I'll also check for voltage @ the power pack from the ign switch like you suggested.
I've been held back since I haven't been able to find my shop manual since it's hidin' from me again, it knows I need it again I guess, but I found a link to download a manual on this website.

Here's that link:
http://www.bimmerbits.com/JE_Manual/JE.htm

The manual covers '65-'78 1.5-35HP, '73-'90 2-40HP, & '73-'89 year models 48-235HP motors, I hope this helps someone else too.

So now that I have the procedures & specs on how to perform all these test's on the ign system I'll check everything out.

Do you have any tips or better methods on how to do all of this?
Any & all help is very much appreciated.

I also have another question;
Does anyone make aftermarket performance ignition systems for outboard motors?
I know MSD makes systems for inboard motors but I'd like to find something that will modify stock systems on outboards.
Any ideas?

I hope I can return this favor, if you ever need any tech help on motorcycles, ATV's, or PWC's drop me a line & hopefully I can help.

Again thanks for the info."

"cdi,..makes quickstrike ign..

"cdi,..makes quickstrike ign..
-------> http://rapair.com/Products/ApplicationGuide/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx"

"Thanks again jwb,

I saw th

"Thanks again jwb,

I saw the info on CDI's website & it looks like all they offer is aftermarket ignition products, copies of OEM products.

I’m lookin' for more of a high performance type ignition system for racing/modified high performance engines or something similar to that.

I've was a master tech on motorcycles pretty much all of my life 35+ years & there are aftermarket high performance ignition systems for these products, & the technology for bikes has been & still is light years ahead of the auto & marine industry.
Well at-least up until they started playin' catch up to the bike industry in the 90's & late 80's, now the bike market has just a few advances in technology & I'm sure they all will be even in the next 10-20 years or so, but the lead still goes to bikes, then marine, then auto. But that's just my opinion.

I also was crew chief, tuned & wrenched for a top alcohol dragster racin' team since the early 90's with allot of success in that field too.
So I know a little from experience when it comes to aftermarket performance products. You pay for what ya get.

My experience with performance parts for bikes & automobiles, they are 10 times better than stock, allot of times cheaper & at times more dependable too.

I'm tryin' to find out if this might be a better alternative to another faulty & poorly designed stock OEM ignition system, surely somethin' better is out there especially in this day & time.

So surely someone makes an aftermarket performance ignition system to replace the OEM systems for outboards like the automotive & bike markets has.

Any other ideas you can think of?
Do you know anyone racing outboard motors?

I know a few people that do race outboards but I can't get in touch with them, bein' retired kinda takes me outta the loop of things.

You seem pretty knowledgeable in this area so that’s why I'm hittin' you up.

If anyone else reads this please fell free to add your 2 cents.

I appreciate all your help very much.
Keep up the good work.

HTR"

"cdi 'quickstrike' ign

"cdi 'quickstrike' ign,are supposed to be HP...but i have not used any...look that up,and see what u think..."

"land and sea---- if u really

"land and sea---- if u really want to spend some money,and crank it up,..go here--> screamandfly.com"

"Thanks again for the swift re

"Thanks again for the swift reply & info JWB.
Your on top of this deal.
I really appreciate all that you are doing to educate me in this area.

As for the mechanic aspects of outboards I've got that covered, even on the electronics area I'm strong on that, usually.
But as with anything, actual experience on a certain product surpasses general or advanced knowledge from other industry types.

It's hard to accept the cause of a new electrical part failing like this especially since I have had every inch of this motor apart when I overhauled & repaired it myself.
Even all my friends that work for boat dealerships told me I wouldn't be able to overhaul marine outboards because of the different worlds from what I've been in, but I guess I proved them wrong on that too, it's still runnin'.
Sometimes anyways!

This motor is strong, I'm getting 70+ MPH out of it on a 3 blade prop, of course I made a few mods to improve performance by portin' & polishing the transfer ports & crankcase & exhaust areas, internal engine parts have friction & heat barrier coatings, Wiesco pistons, balancing the rotating assy, installing 235 heads & exhaust megaphones.
The smallest mod would be the Boyson reeds if they even help, I personally think I'd get better idling & low speed performance with stock reeds but I'll change them when I have a good backfire & damage the Boysen's unless something else happens for me to have to get that far into the intake again, hopefully not, this is enough with the ign system for now.
I'm tryin' to stay retired.

Basically it's a 235 with 175 carbs.
I heard back in the day when the 235's were the new ticket that allot of customers would have 175 carbs installed on their 235's so it would give them better low end to mid range performance.
So basically that's what this boils down to.

I've looked into the CDI Quickstrike ignition components & all they offer in this line is the OEM style system components with are basically aftermarket parts, that doesn't mean these are better or worse, they just meet or exceed factory specs of the same part available from the manufacture which is now owned & operated from BRP, a division of Bombardier products.

I'm also a certified tech in that companies ATV & PWC line of products, so that helps to an extent.
Been dealin' with re-doo's & other brands of PWC's for over 25 years too.
Oh, I meant to say Sea-Doo's, sorry BRP.

But like I said earlier, if you don't work on a certain product on a regular basis you won't know certain things that can make it easier to diagnose & repair a problem like I'm having here.

Of course it is an electrical part, just like a light bulb, it can blow the next time you turn it on.
But there has to be something causin' this to knock out these power packs since it's doin' this on a regular basis or I've got somethin' else wrong that I haven't found yet & the power pack is still ok or weakened from some other problem.

Oh yeh, I did check all my grounding circuits & everything was clean, I went ahead & installed stainless star washers coated with dielectric grease under everything to help eliminate that possible cause, I still think I'll make a separate ground harness to take it that much further, it couldn't hurt anything to have a know good source for all ground terminals that only used the engine block for it primary source to the negative supply from the battery.

The ignition switch a emergency kill switch are eliminated when I unplug the large red coupler @ the motor.
It's strange because I went to the lake Saturday & Sunday & didn't have a problem, all I have to do is bump the starter & this motor is fired & running.
It's hard to believe that the pwr pack is out or going out with it doing like this, but I bet if I try to start it in a few days it's not going to have spark again for some unknown reason, other than a bad or faulty pwr pack again, that's getting hard to except, I need a cause or a better system.

I'm sorry these messages are getting so long, but I do like to be thorough when I'm workin' on somethin' or askin' for help while I am trying to figure out things like this.

AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT."

"Oh, I did look at the screama

"Oh, I did look at the screamandfly.com website.
That's the right direction, if you run across anymore like please pass 'em to me.

Thanks, HTR"