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2000 30 hp johnson - timing issue

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Lowflyer51357

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i recently purchased a 2000 30hp johnson short shaft basket case, mostly because i had a jet drive with it, that i wanted for a shallow river jon boat. previous owner said it was stuck, and was going to part it out. after getting it home, i reassembled what i could, the best i could without ever seeing it before. the timing ring, under the flywheel, seemed to be spun about a 1/4 of a turn. getting everything back into place, and hooking up fuel and a battery, i tried to turn it over.

the motor fired instantly, and i turned it off within a half second. the motor was stuck again, with the timing ring turned back where it was. i know the stop bolt that goes through the starter bracket had been removed, but that appears to keep it from turning to far in the other direction. what am i missing?
 
i found out the throttle shaft stop probably is the stop for the spark advance. it was bent out of the way so that i wouldn't make contact, but in straitening it out and turn the motor over slowly by hand, it sounded like a grinding noise coming from under the flywheel. it would turn a 1/4-1/2 turn before locking up. if it was turned backwards, you then could turn it forward to the same point. is it possible a magnet or something else came loose that is wedging inside? after turning it backwards, then forward, it will turn a certain amount before starting to turn the advance spark linkage, then it won't stop advancing, till it hits the stop, even at the slowest revolution.
 
got back over to the garage this afternoon for a few minutes - it seems that the ignition plate is turning the same direction as the rotation of the motor, when turning it by hand. is there something that should make it turn the opposite direction to advance the spark? the stop for the ignition plate, (the adjustment bolt through the starter), would stop it (the ignition plate),while turning counterclockwise. problem being, it wants to go the other way. when the plate is turned counterclockwise, the butterfly in the carb opens up. ideas, anyone? when turning flywheel by hand in the normal direction, the ignition plate turns with it, until it pushes the throttle rod against the stop, at which point it is again stuck.
 
finally got a chance to pull the flywheel, to find the problem was a piece of metal the resembled the strap that holds the wires down to keep them from possibly rubbing on the flywheel. that strap was still in place, but the loose one, was mangled and twisted, and was coming between the magnet on the flywheel, and the ignition plate, literally locking it up.

not sure if it had been there since it was new, or not, but pretty sure it was the cause of the previous owners problems. i had talked to an older local marine mechanic, who said he has several times seen a bolt or screw come loose from the ignition plate, causing the same type of problem.
 
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