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89 Johnson 15 Won't Start

OK, everything was solid and tight. I needed both tools to break the nut loose and to pop the flywheel. My home made tools worked easily and quickly. The key is solid and tight in the shaft keyway and it has a solid 3/32" of bite in the flywheel side. Throttle linkage was a bit stiff, so used a light oil to penetrate and loosen it up. Some slop in it, but it moves freely thru its range of travel.

On that - the tapered/shaped black plastic "cam" that pushes the roller to the carb linkage doesn't go all the way off the low end. There's a raised "arrow" sort of, a bit short of the end and that's as far as it goes on the roller. Hope I'm making sense on that.

While out there, I got an uneasy feeling, so dug out the multimeter and triple or quadruple checked the kill button and lanyard switch, JIC. Both are N.O. and close solidly when activated, so safe there, too. I'd've been mightily embarrassed if one of those was my whole problem.
 
We are here. Yes it's baffling for sure, but stranger things have happened. Once you check the flywheel key, we can move on. Did you try to get spark with all kill wires disconnected? Also should revisit Racers post #16. Could have damaged coils once they were removed and replaced. The throttle roller and ramp sound okay, if I understood you correctly.
How's that back surgery recovery?
 
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Hi Tim, yah, as to post 16, refer to my post #18. The thing ran fine after the overheating. Coils check good on the ohmmeter.

The back is doing extremely well. 2 months now and I hafta be careful because I feel normal and no problems. Very little pain, ever, and I'm very pleased with it. I don't dare try to hand crank that motor - it'll take a ~year for the fusion to be complete and I don't want to risk damaging it.

I love to hike and take my dog on walks in the woods/jungle here and the back had me down to 1/4 - 1/2 mile max before my legs quit working. Saturday, I went just over 2 miles on rough, loose, uneven ground with no problem. What a pleasure. It's been several years since I could do that.
 
Coils can be damaged by distortion / overtightening the bolts.-----There is something wrong with your motor !----Do not make any assumptions !
 
I hear ya. I just wish I could figure out exactly what the current problem is. Starting to rain out there now, so spark testing will hafta wait for a bit. Hate to just throw parts at it - already wasted $90 and there isn't much left.

I wish the gummint would be as generous to SS recipients who paid into it all their lives as they are to illegal immigrants. Even just making the payments equal to minimum wage would nearly double my income and life would be a lot simpler.
 
I went out there just now and checked the coil under the flywheel that sends the 3 yellow wires down to the terminal block, then the power module. 2 pairs showed 0.4 ohms, the 3rd pair showed 0.6 ohms and all open to ground, so I'd think that's likely OK. Rectifier is stone dead in any direction, but that shouldn't have any effect on the ignition circuit...should it...?? IIRC, that's for battery charging, isn't it ??

All wiring is tight and solid, so that leaves me the ignition coils, I guess....eh ?? Maybe Al in Inglis will have some out in his junk pile.
 
Right, the rectifier is only for the charging circuit and works off a different coil. Used coils are also available at Tim's Outboard in Hackensack MN. 218 682 2331 Cassie, Theresa, Mike, or Dan. Can ship next day.
 
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No, as said earlier, spark is very weak and barely visible. That's what we're trying to solve.

Switch plug wires and it'll bark thru the exhaust when cranking.
 
If spark does not jump a gap of 3/8" or more you have ignition issues !----Have you done some simple trouble shooting ?
 
Does spark jump a gap of 3/8" , yes or no ?------You are having the issues with listening for steps to take.-----Bring it over and I could solve it with no fuss.
 
You need to be extremely careful with that ether, That kickback you are feeling is most likely trying to ether lock. That might bend a rod, or put a hole in a piston. MIGHT>
 
I just went out and started over. Pulled the plugs, put a bolt in the caps and held them 1/4" - 3/8" from the block and cranked it. Stone cold dead. The spark coils did test good on the ohmmeter and I did put a new ignition module on it. Both spark plug wires are new as are both spark plugs.

The coil under the flywheel tested good and the flywheel keyway is solid. All wires are crimped hard with a heavy duty cast tool and sealed in glue lined heat shrink tubing. The lanyard switch and kill button are both normally open and test as good.

There's an outboard recycle yard in Inglis and he has 2 coils but won't be back in town till the weekend and I can pick them up then.

What still has me tearing my hair out is that the fool thing ran beautifully up until I painted the motor....and yes, I did clean and test the grounds after painting.

I ask again - where are you located ?? I'll happily tow the thing a couple 100 miles to sort this out.
 
What color stripe is on the orange wire from CDI to the top coil ?-----Should be the blue stripe..-----I am way too far north of you.-----Snow on the ground.-----But it does sound like you making slow progress.
 
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