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1989 johnson 70HP fuel pump leak

F

FRYLE

New member
Hey everyone just want to give thanks to everyone on here for helping out first of all. I’ve only posted a couple things but always get some good insight on the issues here.
Here we go: I’ve only had this 1989 bass tracker for about a month and it just started this up a couple weeks ago, the motor has been acting randomly odd today while fishing, run fine then die, the warming horn on the throttle control box went off. When I got home I popped the lid on the motor and smelled gas, it was definitely leaking. I instantly disconnected the fuel line and it stopped. I plugged the fuel line back in and primed the bulb and noticed there was gasoline leaking out from basically where the VRO unit mounts to the fuel pump. Now what I’m wondering is what is this a sign of? Is the fuel pump shot or is there a gasket that needs replacing? But I also noticed something funny on the oil line up to the VRO unit, I saw the spark arrestor in the line but noticed the actual oil line had no hose clamps on either end of the spark arrestor, but there clearly was at one point in time.. My manual states if there’s any leak in the vacuum for the VRO the motor will most certainly have problems and it should be addressed immediately. I’m gonna test the oil line, pull it off and prime the bulb to make sure oil is making it to the unit at least. Main question is the fuel pump gone or the VRO possibly out? They should definitely not be leaking fuel that’s for sure lol. Thanks for any advice!!
 
racerone said:
What does the " spark arrestor " look like "----Picture of this item?
Click to expand...
this is the spark arrestor. I’m no mechanic but the book says should have 2 hose clamps to prevent it from running up the house. From there the line goes straight into the VRO unit.
imagejpeg
 
Hopefully that photo got through. I tried uploading it using the attachments manager but it would not appear after I clicked upload. I just tried pasting it in. But it’s small and white and goes in between 2 oil lines. One goes directly to the VRO unit and the other to where the oil line from the reservoir connects to the motor.
 
That piece is only there so you can see the oil in the line. It is not a spark arrestor. That probably had plastic clamps on it that have since fallen off. All lines to and from the Vro MUST have clamps. Where exactly is your leak? What manual do you have that calls that a spark arrestor. You may want to get a correct factory manual. You will get two things from it the correct procedures for testing the VRO and you will learn correct terminology.
 
Possibly, I’m no mechanic just reading my book, but the manual which I bought from here does not state anything about an oil sight tube. It literally talks about a spark arrester, also calls it a flame arrester in another section, to prevent something from a backfire reaching the VRO unit. It says the arrester can not be bought separately and must be bought with the oil line as an assembly. In either case I still do believe it should have 2 hose clamps on either end to secure the vacuum correct? My main question is, is that fuel pump leaking between the VRO unit and the fuel pump indicate a blown pump, or possibly just replace a gasket between the 2? That’s where all the fuel is leaking from.
 
This is the internet and it’s really easy to suddenly try to humiliate someone for not using proper terminology or try to make them look stupid. I’m no mechanic just trying to explain things the best I can, the mechanic shop will be highly expensive and I’m quite mechanically inclined so I’m trying to solve this myself. I appreciate the replies but I’d rather focus on the leak than the arrester or oil sight tube. The leak as I prime the bulb on the gas tank, a good portion of it leaks out between where the VRO unit mounts up to the fuel pump itself. I had a photo but for some reason it won’t upload them in the attachment manager
 
I purchased my manual here on marineengine and it’s a SELEC manual but it really doesn’t have all that great of photos. Is there a better manual to purchase?
 
Nobody is criticizing you it is hard to help you when you misname things. The backfire preventer is called a pulse limiter. A FACTORY manual is a MUST if you are going to diagnose the VRO unit. The fuel pump and oil pump are one unit called the VRO pump. The Seloc manuals are much to generic to be a lot of use for a first timer. The factory manual will be model specific to your motor. You cannot just disconnect the oil line to check for flow. There is a procedure for testing the VRO pump. Put up a pic of where it is leaking. Do not run your motor without a 50-1 premix tank attached.
 
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Where can I purchase a factory manual? This one is definitely generic and covers such a broad range of horsepower and year ranges that it definitely is kind of confusing trying to decipher the thing. I just wanted to pull the oil line and prime the bulb to make sure at least oil is flowin from the tank to the motor. Then test the VRO unit which this manual does have information regarding that. As far as the picture goes I go to the attachment manager, click upload photos, select the photos off my iPhone and click upload. But they don’t appear where your suppose to drag and drop them to place them into my response. I’m a newbie at this website so forgive me but after choosing upload it still does not show them in any folders, like they never actually uploaded. Sorry for the confusion. A new fuel pump assembly is 450$ for this motor which is a steep one. I’ve seen a lot of people talking about stop using the VRO and going with pre mix. But that gets really confusing people trying to convert to smaller simpler fuel pumps. I’m way to of a newbie to jump into all of that. The local marine shop wouldn’t be able to even see my boat for 3 weeks they are so backed up.
 
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