kevin.holland1
New member
Hey everyone!
I need help with my outboard that I have very little knowledge about. I hope this is the right thread for this post and I hope any who see this can offer me help. Here’s the background story:
I bought a Renken boat with a nice-ish trailer and a Johnson 55 hp. The guy was unable to start the boat in front of us, so I got this the price to 300 bucks. The guy told me it had been a year since he started it. He re wired the whole thing because some mice got in there and ruined the wires. the down side, ALL the wires are GREEN! I have no idea if they are right or not. The next morning I got up, checked the oil in the lower unit, flushed some water out of the carburetors , and looked over the generally confusing wiring mess.
The motor is a 55 hp Johnson outboard. 1968. Model number: TRL-10s. if I have the correct info, the model and serial number are still visible.
So…. The confusion…. He had a junk battery on it, I felt it wasn’t turning nearly fast enough, I went out and bought a marine battery for 110 bucks, and she turns over like crazy! But, the engine wouldn’t start. I took the plugs out, looked for spark, saw nothing. Took the fly off, went and looked at the points, the spacing is .010. Cleaned them off with a light file, wiped them, put it all back together, and still no fire. He had two wires that came from the rectifier – part 43. See link.
( http://www.boats.net/parts/search/BRP/JOHNSON/1968/TRL-10S/DISTRIBUTOR GROUP/parts.html). I switched those wires, turned the engine over, and sure enough they had spark! So at this point I am feeling great as a blindly stumble through this. I put my thumb over the spark plug holes, and they all had compression. Again, it was turning over fast and furious, but seemed to be screaming, maybe it was just me, or maybe it was the lack of plugs in the holes. Regardless, it appears that I finally had spark back, so I replace the plugs, and try to start…
It didn’t even turn over. I turn the ON switch, something seems to make a click noise in the lower unit area, and then when you turn the key to START, it just clicked (one click) in the solenoid. Could someone tell me what the first click is? Not wanting to accept defeat I hooked the battery to the starter on the red wire, held the ground against the case, nothing happened……. I took a small wire and made a connection between the two large posts on the solenoid and go the same one click as mentioned above when I would turn the key to START. Very odd. I am no expert at anything, but especially not about boats.
At this point I don’t know if the starter and solenoid is gone or not, but a only two times after this, a lot of swearing and frustration later, could I get the starter to turn with the key. It appeared to happen by it self.. I did nothing but turn the key. I couldn’t recreate the two rare times where it would turn the starter.
Additionally, the amplifier. When I first started the day by putting on the ON switch, I would hear a small clicking noise from the amplifier (on top of the noise from the lower unit area). Now, I do no hear anything. Good, bad, indifferent?
Electric chock is functional.
I would appreciate any trouble shooting pointers from you folks… I am up a creek with no out board – haha.
A wiring diagram would be amazing. I have briefly read something about a purple wire, I can see the wire, it is short as it was replaced by a green wire on its downstream journey.
If anyone would like to help me outside the form, I would be willing to take pictures and send them through email!
I need help with my outboard that I have very little knowledge about. I hope this is the right thread for this post and I hope any who see this can offer me help. Here’s the background story:
I bought a Renken boat with a nice-ish trailer and a Johnson 55 hp. The guy was unable to start the boat in front of us, so I got this the price to 300 bucks. The guy told me it had been a year since he started it. He re wired the whole thing because some mice got in there and ruined the wires. the down side, ALL the wires are GREEN! I have no idea if they are right or not. The next morning I got up, checked the oil in the lower unit, flushed some water out of the carburetors , and looked over the generally confusing wiring mess.
The motor is a 55 hp Johnson outboard. 1968. Model number: TRL-10s. if I have the correct info, the model and serial number are still visible.
So…. The confusion…. He had a junk battery on it, I felt it wasn’t turning nearly fast enough, I went out and bought a marine battery for 110 bucks, and she turns over like crazy! But, the engine wouldn’t start. I took the plugs out, looked for spark, saw nothing. Took the fly off, went and looked at the points, the spacing is .010. Cleaned them off with a light file, wiped them, put it all back together, and still no fire. He had two wires that came from the rectifier – part 43. See link.
( http://www.boats.net/parts/search/BRP/JOHNSON/1968/TRL-10S/DISTRIBUTOR GROUP/parts.html). I switched those wires, turned the engine over, and sure enough they had spark! So at this point I am feeling great as a blindly stumble through this. I put my thumb over the spark plug holes, and they all had compression. Again, it was turning over fast and furious, but seemed to be screaming, maybe it was just me, or maybe it was the lack of plugs in the holes. Regardless, it appears that I finally had spark back, so I replace the plugs, and try to start…
It didn’t even turn over. I turn the ON switch, something seems to make a click noise in the lower unit area, and then when you turn the key to START, it just clicked (one click) in the solenoid. Could someone tell me what the first click is? Not wanting to accept defeat I hooked the battery to the starter on the red wire, held the ground against the case, nothing happened……. I took a small wire and made a connection between the two large posts on the solenoid and go the same one click as mentioned above when I would turn the key to START. Very odd. I am no expert at anything, but especially not about boats.
At this point I don’t know if the starter and solenoid is gone or not, but a only two times after this, a lot of swearing and frustration later, could I get the starter to turn with the key. It appeared to happen by it self.. I did nothing but turn the key. I couldn’t recreate the two rare times where it would turn the starter.
Additionally, the amplifier. When I first started the day by putting on the ON switch, I would hear a small clicking noise from the amplifier (on top of the noise from the lower unit area). Now, I do no hear anything. Good, bad, indifferent?
Electric chock is functional.
I would appreciate any trouble shooting pointers from you folks… I am up a creek with no out board – haha.
A wiring diagram would be amazing. I have briefly read something about a purple wire, I can see the wire, it is short as it was replaced by a green wire on its downstream journey.
If anyone would like to help me outside the form, I would be willing to take pictures and send them through email!