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Motor Runs on Hose but Won't Start on Lake

C

carl_olson

New member
Please help me, I'm at my wits end. I have put so much time and money into this motor/boat and it just won't cooperate.

It will run on the hose but not on the lake. I have cleaned the carbs 3 times and drained the fuel lines once. I replaced the external line along with the tank. I have a 110hp Johnson J110TLAEM.

I have already replaced the rectifier to fix a charging issue and the batteries are brand new as well.
 
No such thing as a " water pressure shut off "-------I would start with a good look at the starter motor !----Easy to take apart and test.----And post the compression test numbers.
 
James in Canada said:
When you say "it won't run on the lake", do you mean won't start? What are your symptoms?
Click to expand...

Ok I was on my phone at the lake earlier. Now i'm on my computer and can type better. :)

It is a 1989 110hp Johnson. I adjusted the idle on the hose to run at 1100-1200 rpm. It fires up right away with a single turn of the key. But when i take it to the lake i have had mixed results. First time it start a little but died pretty quick and would not restart. The second time i was able to back away from the boat launch but then it died when i went back to neutral. Had to paddle back in that time. This time it barely started once then bogged out and then would not even fire up anymore.

I have replaced:

- Rectifier
- Spark Plug Wires
- Fuel Tank
- Fuel Line from Tank to Engine
- Fuel Filter
- Starting Battery
- Acc Battery
- Fuse Panel
- Impeller
- Lower Unit Seals
- Auto Bilge Float Switch

I know the last two don't matter for this but just detailing the work. I also added a couple inline battery monitors and a battery isolator as well.

Before I inherited the boat last fall it sat for 2 years with bad gas. Before that the motor was rebuilt and the pistons bored out as well in 2015.

I am just losing hope of ever getting this on the water successfully. I even replaced the floor so a lot of sweat, time, and money went into this.

Thank you for any information you can provide.
 
James in Canada said:
You didn't mention if you did any work/inspection to the fuel pump. Is the bulb soft or hard after the engine stalls out?
Click to expand...

The bulb is soft and takes more like 10 pumps to get hard again. I have not touched the fuel pump. It is a VRO Pump. Before I got the motor the oil portion of it was disconnected. But I have no clue how to test it and the part is roughly $600 dollars. So I want to be fairly certain that it is the problem. If it is the problem could i replace the pump with a cheaper option since i am mixing oil in the fuel anyways?

I did read on another post that if the pump is weak then the added pressure of the lake would not allow it to pump enough gas. Is that what you are thinking?

Thanks again!!
 
The next time you try it at the lake, have someone pump the bulb and see if the engine keeps running.
If it does, the fuel pump is likely your issue. You can see what your options are once the problem is identified.
 
Hey everyone, I have a good news update! :)

I replaced the fuel pump this week and today I was able to finally take the boat out on the lake and it worked!!

Thank you so much for the help!
 
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