1975 85 hp Johnson Carb Float Adjustment

Does anyone know exactly how the float is to be adjusted on the 85 hp. I know the float has to be level but does the bottom of the float have to be up even with the rim of the carb or can it sit down inside a little?

Unless someone has manipulated the float arm, it should be just fine and then just set parallel with the carb body. Be sure to not press down on the needle when adjusting, as this may cause damage to the soft needle tip.

timguy said:

Unless someone has manipulated the float arm, it should be just fine and then just set parallel with the carb body. Be sure to not press down on the needle when adjusting, as this may cause damage to the soft needle tip.

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Thank you so very much, that is the answer I was looking for, I am at my wits end working on this boat almost everyday for three months, this information is just not out there on the internet to be found. You can't believe how I thank you. Have a fantastic day buddy.

Jim

No problem, I'm happy to help, Jim, the 85's were my favorite horsepower.......they are a great outboard.

Hey Tim, I put the carbs back on the motor and fired it up, I could not get the motor to slow down, it is running about 3500 rpm. I did everything I could think of to slow it down. I finally last night took the carbs back off and rebuilt an extra set I have, it was too late to try it out last night but I will today.

Some fellows on another forum had basically told me to get the bottom of the floats up level with the rim of the carb body. I had to bend the float arm in a slight "S" shape to do that, I broke of of the new floats doing that. I followed your advice so now we will see how it runs today. I did find that I had one of the floats twisted a little so that may have been the problem, I sure hope it was.

I could tell you all I have done to this boat and motor in the last three months trying to get out on the water to fish but it would be a short book. LOL Thanks again my friend, have a fantastic day.

Jim

These floats rarely require a lot of adjustment !!----Certainly not enuff to break a float.---------A factory manual would be a good investment and save you lots of coins too !

racerone, I have a manual, it is about as clear as mud on details. The advice I got was to get the float level and the bottom of the float even with the rim of the body of the carb. I said I would have to bend the float arm in the shape of an S, they insisted that that was the way their manual said to do it. I did that and the engine ran at about 3500 rpm, couldn't slow it down. I took those floats out and replaced, still the engine races wildly. I rebuilt two other carbs I have, same thing. I am now trying to see how to slow the engine down so it won't blow apart. I do appreciate you responding.

Jim

The " racing " of the motor has nothing to do with the floats.-------Check for throttle plates being open or timer base being to far advanced.---------Do you have a model specific FACTORY manual ??----------I have worked on more than one of these carburetors and have never had issues with floats that meant bending like you mention here !!!

racerone said:

The " racing " of the motor has nothing to do with the floats.-------Check for throttle plates being open or timer base being to far advanced.---------Do you have a model specific FACTORY manual ??----------I have worked on more than one of these carburetors and have never had issues with floats that meant bending like you mention here !!!

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racerone the manual I have is a Seloc, the throttle plates are closed so it looks like the timing is next. I will do a search to see how to check that. Thank you for getting me past the carburetors, I have sheared a woodruff key recently and replace it, I guess I will pull the flywheel again to see if it sheared again. I do appreciate your help.

Jim

Did you install a factory replacement key ???-----Or did you assume that all woodruff keys will fit here.-----Are the tapers clean and " lapped " for a proper fit ?----Torque is 100 FT-LBS on the nut.

I really don't know if it was factory or not, I got it out of my other 85 hp johnson. I will be picking up a couple to be on the safe side. When I put the nut back on, I can assure you I put way more than 100 pounds torque. What I don't understand is the motor was running perfect last week. It was suggested that I hook a tach so I would know the rpms at WOT. At the same time I hooked my fuel gauge up. All has gone down hill from there.

Motor would not fire up with tach and gauge hooked so I unhooked them, still would not fire up. I replaced the ignition switch, still would not fire up. I unhooked the black with yellow strip wire from the power pack, it fired right up. In the mean while I noticed the rectifier red wire was so worn it was almost grounded so I replaced the rectifier. I pumped the bulb to crank the engine and gas poured out the bottom carb. I rebuilt the carbs and that is where I am now, engine running away.
One more thing, I did pull the flywheel again to be sure nothing had melted under there.

If your clean and adjusting the float as mentioned above, it should not spill fuel unless the needle or seat has a piece of dirt in there. Tap the carb with a screwdriver handle and perhaps the dirt will move out of the needle/seat area into the float bowl. These are simple carbs to work on and with care and cleanliness, the results are always positive. An air leak on the intake side will cause a fast idle too, make sure all gaskets are good and no hoses are off or cracked. Make sure no new dirt is entering the fuel system or you will be doing everything over. Clean tank, supply hose, bulb, screens, filters. You can add a filter between the fuel pump and carbs too.....that is always a good idea as the screens can get damaged and let past large enough debris to foul you up. I just repaired a Johnson that had crap lodged inside the screen where some had broke off and got into the float needle/seat..........flooding out the motor forcing him to row back a long distance up in the bush of Ontario. The guy had just cleaned the tank and rebuilt the carb too. He wasn't thorough enough and it cost him trouble and grief.

Sounds like you never did anything that would change the timing, so my focus would be on a vacuum leak.......IF butterflies on carbs are synchronized and closed at idle position.

Tim, I rebuilt the carbs since I found the gas coming out of the bottom carb.

Here is what happened today. I fired the engine up and it really took off, I immediately shut it down. I did a lot of research today and found nothing. I did discover that the gas line was rubbing against the butterfly stem roll pin so I rerouted the lines. I fired it back up and the motor isn't turning as many rpm so I backed off the timing screw and that slowed it down quite a bit but not enough to put in gear.
Also, now that it is not running super high rpms, it is missing like crazy. I would say it is running between 1800-2500 rpm or maybe not quite that high. I am thinking about changing, the power pack, stator and timer base and if no change then buy new coils, there would be nothing left to replace then.

I can't fathom a vacuum leak, I have all new gaskets and everything is very tight, and this is the second set of carbs with new gaskets, I can't think of anyplace a leak could be.

The butterfly valves are closed when it is supposed to idle. I am leaning toward timing although I did nothing to the timing, before today. It has really got me bumfuzzled. I really do appreciate you hanging in there with me on this Tim. I will let you know how it goes tomorrow.

I took all the linkage and arm to the gas and timer base off today and did a really thorough cleaning and oiled everything well because the spring was not returning the timer base far enough.

I pulled the flywheel, took the stator off but not unhooked, then took the timer base off my other engine and put it on this one because it looked better. The one I took off had a small piece of metal embedded right beside one of the pickups. You could see where the pickups had been dragging against the flywheel hub also.

Hooked everything back up and fired it up, the engine did not run away, it is running at the rpms it should, it is running slow enough to put it in gear with no problem at all, I am one happy ole man.

The down side is I have some pretty good missing now, but I can find that I am sure, or I hope. LOL
I pulled the plugs and one plug on one side is black and oily to a degree also one plug on the other side was the same way. One plug on each side was clean and slightly damp. I don't remember where the black plugs were right now but hopefully they aren't on the same carb.

#2 and #4 heads were warm but not hot, the #1 and #3 heads were slightly warm but not as warm as the other ones.

I really do appreciate all your help, Now to get the missing out and get it to run smooth.

kimcrwbr1 said:

Have you checked spark with a spark gap tester? could be the trigger or the PP, what two cylinders were not burning? Swapping parts only works if you have known good parts. You need a DVA adaptor to properly test the ignition system.

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Kim, I used a gauge to gap the plugs, I am working on getting DVA adapter for my MM. I sure hope it isn't the timer base, the one I took off doesn't look as good as the one I just put on. I am a little concerned about the coils although they did run good a week or so back. I don't remember which cylinders was burning black, I will check and let you know.

One thing I can't seem to get right is the center mark on the gas feed cam. The roller is supposed to be on that big mark and it isn't, it is above the mark.

I was so excited to get the engine to run at a good idle that I just hung it up for the day.

The first thing I am going to do is take the two yellow wires of the rectifier loose and see if that does anything. I was told the rectifier was just for charging the battery, then I read that the rectifier could cause the engine to run rough, so we will see.

kimcrwbr1 said:

You can make a spark gap tester or just buy one it must jump a open air gap of at least 7/16 inch with a brite blue snap on all four plug wires. Disconnect the yellow wires and check spark gap. You can just stick a screwdriver in a plug wire and hold it about 7/16 inch from a bare bolt on the head, just be careful it will knock you on your ass if you get bit. have someone turn it over for you unless you have a remote start button. You will definately need to get it into sync also but focus on getting good spark first. I cant remember what are the compression numbers. That is allways the first step in diagnostics.

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Kim, I just checked on a spark gap tester and will pick one up. I will do a compression check tomorrow or Monday, I haven't done one on this motor yet. I am reading about syncing now on the CDI site.
Talking about getting bit, did you ever get hit by the magneto on one of the old Corvairs, that thing would jar the dickens out of you. LOL

Thank you so much for your help Kim, it is very much appreciated.

Jim

kimcrwbr1 said:

I converted my ford pickup to a duraspark ignition from the TFI and went to mess with the tranny vacuum line next to the distributor. The TFI coil will jump a 7/8 inch gap, my hand didnt get bit but where I was leaning on the truck is where I got zapped. Use your imagination I never get close to the plug wires when the engine is running.

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LOL bet that smarts.

I think I finally got it running right, I unhooked the yellow wires on the rectifier and it didn't seem to make any difference. I checked the plugs and only one looked like it wasn't firing so changed the coil, on that one. I did pick up a spark tester. good spark on all but that one just kept missing but I decided to change out the power pack also. Once I changed the power pack and the coil, I decided to change out the plugs also. Fired it up, it ran so slow I had to keep giving it gas to keep it running.

I forgot, before I changed out the coil and power pack, the strangest thing I have never seen an engine do before, while trying to crank the engine it ran like it was hitting on two cylinders, I looked up and the flywheel was going back and forth, it was not going around and around but back and forth and it ran like that for about 15 seconds. Never seen one do that before.

I did adjust the cable so it would stay running and I am very happy to say it sounds really good now. One thing I am concerned about is the mark on the cam roller is not in the right place and the roller is touching the cam. I was so excited to get it that close that I quit for the day.

my carbs keep flooding? whats the float setting when the float hanging down from the base of the carb to the bottom of float? 79 johnson 115 hp v 4
RESPOND ASAP THANKS