Doug

I have a 1985 Johnson 115 motor. Starts great. Ran great out of wake area. When I throttled to plane, sounded great and after about 10 seconds, motor cut off like lost fuel. Tried again, started and ran until throttled. After a couple time, started lake checks. First dropped throttle at start of stall, and engine stayed running at idle. Open comartment behind me to see ball. Throttled and ball never collapsed. Then again and pumped ball to see if pump. No effect. When returned home, I found that if I pumped the ball and wiggled the fuel connector on the motor, drops of fuel leaked. The fitting is not tight.
Could this be my air leak and cause this problem? T15 gallon tank is vented and open. I spent the rest of my day traveling at no wake speed. Long day. Thanks for any help.

two things about that connector...#1...it must be seated until the little lever snaps into the groove...#2...the o-ring in the connector must he still good and soft enough to seal...

papyson said:

two things about that connector...#1...it must be seated until the little lever snaps into the groove...#2...the o-ring in the connector must he still good and soft enough to seal...

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Thank you for the quick response. The clip is seated at top, but the bottom has a small gap, which allows the plug to wiggle. It is possible the O-ring is gone. I ordered a genuine Johnson connector hopefully here today. My main question was if this could be the problem causing my motor to just this?

Thanks again!

hard to say...its a good possibility...the rule is to fix what you see broke first...is the motor new to you?

Thanks again papyson. Yes, first time out. I like classic boats. This is a 1985 Performance bass boat with the original 115 Johnson. The man I bought it from bought new in 1985 and kept garaged when not in use. The boat is almost new. New decks, carpets, seats and wiring. Both depth finders, trolling motor and even a Golight spot light is all modern equipment. One of the few boats I ever owned that everything works from both bait wells to the little dome light on the edge of the walk through. The metal flake looks like new. When I took the cover off the motor, looked like a new one. Not a spot. Totally shiny, all the paper labels still attached from factory and all the grease fittings with pretty pink grease. The motor is a chocolate brown, which seemed odd to me, but all the original decals. Not a scratch or chip on cover.

But on the lake, this happened. First off when I hit the throttle, purred like a kitten, and went on plane auomatically. I was in love. The when it got a little over 40 MPH and gaining, it just cut off and sat dead. Started instantly to go try it again. I spent the day at a little over no wake speed.

Because it didn't stall when I pulled the throttle back and remained idling, I feel it isn't electrical. Also, no sputter at all. Just a quick shut down like loss of fuel. The only thing I could find to leak was this connector. When I sqeezed the primer ball for pressure and looked for any leaks at all, nothing. Then when I seen this connector appeared to have a small gap at the bottom, I wiggled it, and fuel started to drip out. When I detached and reconnected, it was the same way. Not a tight connection. I didn't see an O ring, but thought it may have been seated in the connector. The new one I ordered comes with the O ring. I would put it in the shop, but around here, peak season. Would be weeks before it comes out. So I am hoping this is it. I would hate to replace it, try it out, and be stuck at idle speed again. I live in SE Oklahoma. Lakes everywhere.

let us know how you come out...plenty of experienced people on here with that motor..

papyson,

Thanks for you connection. I got the connector and replaced. Same thing. It doesn't seem to clip silid, and when I force pressure on the primer bulb, gas leaks through it. I don't know if this is normal or not. I am not a mechanic in any way. I think I will take it to a shop and let them verify and repair whatever the issue. The problem is, all shops are not the same. I called the local shop, and the first thing they want to do is replace all the fule lines? The lines in it are high quality and fairly new, but they said ethanol has destroyed so may, the first thing they start with is new lines. Said some type blue material. I am not tight, but sure can't see doing all this even before they diagnois the system. Am I wrong?

This brown colour on the motor ?----------Post a picture of that block if you can.

Spoke with the mechanic I trust. He said I should first see if I can remedy that connector. He said it shouldn't leak under any condition, and if so, could definately draw air and create this problem. But he thinks it is possibly carbs. When I connect the new connector, it is snug at the top with the clip, but leaves a small gap at the bottom. He told me to bend the clip slightly to see if it snugged up. He said he has never seen a bad male side in the block, but doesnt mean it isnt. It would have to have been warped somehow. Stainless steel. No problems slipping in and snapping, just that gap and leak. He set me an appointment for two weeks from today. I will try to snug the clip, and possible launch it to try it out. I have always been afraid to run a motor at high speed with the water hose set up. I told him about the brown motor, and he hasn't seen one either. He thinks it may have been custom painted, and they added the decals afterward. But they added them all if so. Not just the Johnson with trade mark, but the 115 HP on rear. The lower unit is the same chocolate color, and I cant see anywhere where the old white color shows through.

Not good at down loading pictures. The hullof the boat is standard white with the matal flake details on the sides, and the top and interior all the brown/copper meatal flake. Chocolate carpets and tan?brown seats besides the brown saddle seat for the front. Everything is like new. Not a stain or tear in the carpets or the seats. What is really odd, is there isn't a dent in the guard molding or a deep scratch in the gel coat anywhere. For a 30 year old hull, the guy before me must have just floated it in a pond. The original brown trailer even has all the stencil on it. This boat looks like it sat covered for thirty years. Like I said before, never seen a motor this clean when I removed the cover. Still looks like a new one.

The only thing I did to it, was clean up the matal flake surface. It was oxidized, like most older boats you see. I read up on it, and took fine wet/dry sanpaper to it and spent a weekend cleaning it. A couple very minor places I got to the flake and turned silver, but hard to find. Afetr that, added about three coats of a high dollar wax and poished it out. Brilliant! Looks great. I had a couple guys that just loaded their new Nitro come over to see it when I was latching it down to the trailer. They couldn't believe it was thirty years old.

But all the help I am getting on this site is admirable. What a great bunch of people. I am an old man, and still like classics. I use to tournament fishing a few decades ago, and am stuck on bass boats. But am a mechanical idiot. I usually don't try any of my own repairs, but always learn a little when you use one. I have been all the way from flying at almost 80 MPH in a bass boat (not mine) to hanging on to the edge threading water when I swamped one (twice). Personally, those Bass Tracker aluminum boats are useless in rough water. But they stay afloat!

I took a little closer look at the connection. There is the guide pin with the groove that the clip fastens into, and the fuel nipple in the center. It seems the guide pin is a hair too long, which keeps the connector from making a tight clip. I dont want to do something stupid like trying to drive the pin back. The clip edge fits trough a slot in the connector, and if I try to bend it outside the groove, it wont slide back in. My only way to "bend the clip" as he suggested would be to possibly take a needle nose and bend it back on the inside. I am afraind the angle might not grab the groove of the guide pin. But definately slightly loose if I don't do something. The mechanic said if it will drip fuel, wiggle or not, it will draw air. He doesn't know if this is the problem, but either way, must be resolved. Any suggestions? Or should I just wait the couple weeks and put the boat in the shop?

Get rid of the connecter and go straight to the fuel pump !

Just returned from picking up my boat at the shop for a complete check up. It turned up two problems. One was a grounded wire in the rectifier. After replacing it, they tried to run motor in tank. Problems. They hooked it to shop tank, and ran great. It all turned out to be a bad check valve in the promer ball. Replaced it, and problem fixed. When I first ran it before dying, I hit the tilt to trim out and motor died. Last time I tried that! After, never would run at high speed. He said short in rectifier could have denied the current needed at high speed, but the major issue was fuel, as I thought. Fuel vacuum test great. Compression of motor great. No rust in built in tak and fuel clean. So now, back to a lake as soon as water levels drop. Many lakes here in Oklahoma are still closed due to flooding. Not only all the boat ramps underwater, but entire camp grounds and facilities. Two of the most popular lakes near me are closed until September.

I have to share a comment on bass fishing locally. Until three years ago, the State record largemouth in Oklahoma was a little under ten pounds. Then three years ago, it was shattered by a bass caught out of a very small local lake called Cedar Lake. A local man caught one 14 pound three oz. But then, a year later, another beat it out of same lake with 14 pound 13 oz. Some how, it had to have a Florida strain introduced. This lake is maybe 40 acres. One of the few lakes open, because just a natural dam and all over flow disapated. So took my 10 year old grandson two weeks ago. Never do that again, especially on a Saturday with all the other lakes closed.

It was like train cars. I was literally on of dozens of boats following in a line, maybe thirty feet apart. All fishing the same water over and over again. I am sure if anyone tried to pass anyone, it would be cause to be shot! But grandson still managed to catch a chunky little three pounder, and made his day. No motors over 5 HP are allowed on this lake, so all us big bass boats are just using trolling motors to cover entire lake. Perfect for me, because motor wasn't repaired yet. But never fished that way, and hope to never do it again.

Thanks to all for the help. The connector was never the problem, and the mechanic did just what one of you recommended and bent the clip back a little. Snugged right up.

Where you at in OK? I Lived in Norman area for 11 yrs. Fished Thunderbird all the time. Never heard of it being so full. Im surprised the gates even opened its been so long!

Im in Poteau, OK. About 150 Miles SE of the OKC area. (in the mountains) About 20 miles SW of Fort Smith, AR. Local lakes here are Sardis, Wister, Kerr, Tenkiller, Eufala and Broken Bow. Eufala being the largest with over 1000 miles of shore line. All the lakes mentioned are closed except Kerr. Since the Arkansas River actually flows through Kerr Lake, it is within the navigation system. It was at normal water level over a month ago. The locks and dams for the system have a much larger water release system. This is the lake I took my boat to the first time.

The only memories of Thunderbird Lake are sad ones. Years ago, when boats still had cable steering, a cable broke and threw my wifes brother and uncle out, kept circling and both drown. The boat ran in circles for over 45 minutes after until it ran out of fuel. Why I always wear, and recommend to all, the kill switch line every time the big motor is running. Nothing more precious in a boat than the cargo of our family and friends.

Doug Fisher said:

Im in Poteau, OK. About 150 Miles SE of the OKC area. (in the mountains) About 20 miles SW of Fort Smith, AR. Local lakes here are Sardis, Wister, Kerr, Tenkiller, Eufala and Broken Bow. Eufala being the largest with over 1000 miles of shore line. All the lakes mentioned are closed except Kerr. Since the Arkansas River actually flows through Kerr Lake, it is within the navigation system. It was at normal water level over a month ago. The locks and dams for the system have a much larger water release system. This is the lake I took my boat to the first time.

The only memories of Thunderbird Lake are sad ones. Years ago, when boats still had cable steering, a cable broke and threw my wifes brother and uncle out, kept circling and both drown. The boat ran in circles for over 45 minutes after until it ran out of fuel. Why I always wear, and recommend to all, the kill switch line every time the big motor is running. Nothing more precious in a boat than the cargo of our family and friends.

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I hope everyone reads that last paragraph. So sad that happens. Nothing has to fail. Sometimes people just fall out of the boat. I personally know of two cases. Both were run over by the circling boat. One was only a 5hp motor. Use that kill switch if you have one. Consider installing one if you don't have one. And don't forget to wear that life jacket!!!

Thats terrible. Im sorry to hear that. But thank you for sharing.. definitely a lesson we all can learn from.