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New boater, Old Motor need help

K

Kendra

New member
Hello, My family and i recently bought a boat that has a 1999 Johnson 25 motor. Last night we were out in the water and the motor started smoking and wouldnt push water out. Thankfully we had a trolling motor to get us back to shore. Can anyone give me some insight on what this could be? Is the motor toast?
 
Do you know any history on the motor like when was the last time it ran? Compression check will tell you if the motor is shot and the water pump is a good place to start for the overheating problem.
 
We have been in the boat a few times before the issue last night and didn’t have any problems. Unfortunately we don’t have much history on the motor. The guy selling the boat moved a few days after we purchased it. I will look into the water pump thing. Thank you!


baddog1016 said:
Do you know any history on the motor like when was the last time it ran? Compression check will tell you if the motor is shot and the water pump is a good place to start for the overheating problem.
Click to expand...
 
A ---" golden rule "-----When you buy an outboard motor the first thing to do is to install a new water pump impeller.-----No warning horn on it ?-----Model # is ?---A 2 or 3 cylinder motor ?
 
Right. It might start out with adequate compression like say 120 psi.....but, if damage was done, the numbers will deteriorate in time.....just like the pistons. I have seen this enumerable times. What happens is the pistons start to break down more as they bind to piston rings. Material eats into cylinder sleeve which is a cast iron, high nickel content. As the sleeve builds deposits, more wear is encouraged. For this reason, it's my belief that once a motor has been moderately to severely overheated with petrol base lube....it's the kiss of death. High quality synthetics like Amsoil, will help minimize initial damage and guard against deterioration of cylinders, pistons, and rings, over time. I have seen the testing as Amsoil is right here in our neighbor city Superior WI. I have been using Amsoil 100:1 2 stroke for over 40 years and handing it out to my customers in small engine and marine for the last 20 years. If one of my repairs will come back to me, I must make sure that it's not the fault of a lubricating oil. Everyone gets educated with the repair which is important to keep customers my friends.
 
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racerone said:
A ---" golden rule "-----When you buy an outboard motor the first thing to do is to install a new water pump impeller.
Click to expand...
Perfect advice. A lot of sellers will tell you they 'maintained' the engine, but a good number of people don't know what that really means. At bare minimum when you buy a used boat do these things:
1) Change the water pump. It's the life blood of your engine and you need to be absolutely certain its tip top.
2) Change the lower unit oil. Don't trust the maintenance schedule (or lack thereof) of the previous owner or that the used the correct gear oil
3) Remove the prop and check the shaft for fishing line or other junk around the shaft seal.
4) Battery: Check water level, fully charge it, then load test. If the battery is weak at all replace it. Getting stuck on the water with a dead battery is never fun.
5) Confirm all safety related equipment is in the boat: PFD's, throwable PFD, Horn or whistle, anchor, paddle, lights function properly, and fire extinguisher.

KJ
 
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