1985 2hp Johnson Seahorse problem with pull chord stuck pulled out! help please!

[2hp newbie]

Greetings all! I am new to the forum. Great site here!

[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I am a first time owner of a outboard motor so please forgive my lack of knowledge. I recently bought a 1985 2 hp Johnson Seahorse outboard for my 12ft aluminum boat. I've used it a few times this summer, runs well... until about a week ago. I was trying to start the motor on a cold start after about a week of non use. ( FYI my boat is at a small marina so motor it is exposed to elements) ....tried starting it a few times, then suddenly the entire chord length came out of the engine as I was pulling it to start.[/FONT]

Now I cannot get it back in! I've seen you can get to the recoil system ( not sure what you call it ) as its on the top of the cover , underneath, however when I went to unscrew the top screw on top of the cover, it won't budge! is this how I gain access to the recoil? or is there a correct/other way? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Very Best!

Don G.

 

[Jza]

Should be 3 flat head screwes at the bottom of the recoil housing take those off, recoil should come loose, rewind the recoil and re-install if they are tight hit it with some liquid wrench a couple times.

 

[interalian]

The phillips screw on the top holds the recoil assembly to the underside of the cover. Don't remove it. The cover is held from below by several 3/8" screws then remove the gas cap and lift the cover off.

 

[Jza]

Just to be clear you'll have to take the gas tank off first there should be 4 bolts holding it on from underneath, if the motor is stored in a marina id recomend doing this on dry land it would be a lot easier!

 

[fhhuber]

Just to be clear you'll have to take the gas tank off first there should be 4 bolts holding it on from underneath, if the motor is stored in a marina id recomend doing this on dry land it would be a lot easier!

Definitely better on land because you don't want to hire a diver to go find parts.


Once you get it off. yo need to find out WHY it doesn't rewind.
There is a fix for every reason. Broken spring being the most annoying. Finding a replacement spring for a discontinued long ago recoil can be a pain. Hopefully its just a bad cord.

 

[Bonaventure]

The Fuel tank is held in place by 2 clips, it doesn't have to be removed.. Underneath the top cover there are 6 bolts that take a 3/8 inch wrench. 2 of them hold the little brackets in place and do not need to be removed. You draw the other 4 out, take the fuel cap off, then lift off the cover. Replace the filling cap (for safety). Then you can work on the problem. I will not advise you on this, because it has been many years since I worked on a recoil spring for a 2 horse Johnson.

If you can find a shop manual, it would help you. I would look for youtube videos on the subject. Parts are available if they need be replaced.

 

[fhhuber]

Recoil spring is a recoil spring.

It appears he double posted and the other post had more info (and zero answers)

Sounds like the cord broke in the other post, which means he just has to dig out the old cord's remains (usually the knot and about 1 inch or so) then rewind the spring, pin the spring in place so it won't unwind, and thread in new cord. Tie the new knot and tuck that in so it won't get caught. Tie on the handle, un-pin the spring and SLOWLY let the cord wind in.

Some pull cords have easier access than others for this, but they are all essentially the same in that you DO NOT disassemble the recoil system if you can avoid it. (yes, remove it from the engine because access to put the new cord in is 99.99% on the side you can't get to with it bolted to the engine)

 

[fhhuber]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0KJuqsJJ_k

Variations exist but all are similar.

Some of the handles have you tie the cord around a short steel rod (or something else) that sort of snaps into the handle
Some don't have the notch and you have to wind the spring and pin the thing in place as I noted above. (which always works even if the notch is there)

Some have better "traps" for the cord on the recoil wheel than others.
The cord almost always breaks as it makes the bend from inside the wheel to the groove the rest of the cord winds around. Hopefully that short bit stayed in place to show you how to knot the cord and trap the knot so it does not jam the starter.

 

[2hp newbie]

Thank you all for your input! I am going to try and work on it today. I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[2hp newbie]

Greetings All! thanks once again for your input. So I was able to get the top off. ---Soon as I took the top off the engine the chord itself immediately rewound itself back into the crank. Thinking this was the only problem, I put the top back on, started it up with a few pulls, and it finally started up again...only to die within a minute or so of running. Tried restarting and the CHORD got jammed up again. So I took the top off again, same thing happened, immediately rewound itself!

NOTE: The CHORD itself seems to be in good shape, not broken. However when I pull on the chord, ( WITH TOP OFF ) the "crank or spring coil" itself makes a loud grinding noise. I can see the coils, they seem pretty loose and seem to slip a bit when after I pull the chord and release tension. BASICALLY, it doesn't seem to recoil very smoothly. ----Seems to me that the chord or SPRING is not giving enough friction/pull to start the engine properly ( or however the crank/spring works ) to start the engine --please forgive my ignorance

Any idea how to fix this? Should I rewind the spring? And if so, how? ---! any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Many thanks!

 

[Mohawkmtrs]

Looks like you need a new pawl (plastic thing at the botton of pix).

Yours looks a little worn and scratchy.

 

[interalian]

Did you ever loosen the large Phillips screw on top? If so, it could be misaligning the assembly. Holding the pulley securely, loosen but don't remove the Phillips screw. Make sure the shoulder is properly engaging in the cover housing and tighten it back up. Your pulley assembly might be sitting too low and rubbing on the flywheel.

 

[2hp newbie]

Thanks for the tips!! So I put it all back together, the problem with the chord and pull start seems to be fixed with the lubricant I added. No more stuck pull chord!! However, the bigger problem still remains....

So here is what is EXACTLY happening...once the motor starts ( after a few pulls ) it starts up fine...but within a few minutes, it wants to die...however, this happens usually ONLY when I attempt to raise the speed HIGHER OR LOWER...especially HIGHER. It was doing this a little bit...( sounding like it wants to die) earlier this month before the CHORD problem. I always let it warm up a bit after a cold start before I try to throttle up from start speed. Just seems to want to die now everytime I start it and run it.

NOTE: it especially is touchy when I start out into the water. It'll start up, let it run a bit...start to head out into the lake...then with a minute or two of running, it'll die. AFTER that happens, I am usually unable to start it back up again, even after multiple tries!...but once I paddle back, turn everything off...and COME BACK the next day or two, it usually starts up after a few times...THEN REPEATS ABOVE MENTIONED.

Any advice on what may be wrong?? I have a good gas mix, tried adjusting the rich/thin knobs when running, didn't help...Water intake and exhaust look good. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!! MANY THANKS!

 

[Stumpalump]

Pull the fuel line off and blow bubbles into the tank to clear the tank screen. If that's already clear then pull the carb apart and clean it. You have to pull the cowl and tank to get at it but do not remove the big Phillips on top. That's the starter screew that you don't want to remove. Pull the adjusting shafts out and the fuel bowl off to clean the carb. Kinda a bit more work than you would think being so small but it's just a bunch of simple stuff. Mine ran perfect one day and the next day the carb was gummed up. Tiny carb has tiny holes and they clog up. Run it out of gas by closing the Petcock after each use. Another trick is to run it Wot and choke it until it bogs out a few times. This creates a high vacuum that will sometimes pull any stuck trash thru the carb allowing you to get out of pulling the carb apart. I use aerosol sea foam spray to clean carbs. It works great and does not dry out the old seals and gaskets.

 

[2hp newbie]

Thanks for the reply @Stumpalup...My tank is mounted on top of the engine. So I don't see a fuel line. Forgive my ignorance as I never owned a outboard motor before, but can you tell me what/where is a Petcock or running it WOT? I would like to try your advice without pulling the carburetor if i can.

 

[jbuote]

Not trying to step on any toes, but the "WOT" part, is about running at full throttle (WOT = Wide Open Throttle) across the lake.. Then choke it..
​Don't know your engine so can't and won't comment on the fuel line or petcock.. lol

 

[Bonaventure]

The petcock is the shutoff valve that is mounted to the bottom of the fuel tank. The fuel line is a black rubber tube going from the fuel tank to the carburetor. There is a small brass screen mounted to the petcock that extends up into the fuel tank. This acts as a fuel filter. If the screen is plugged up, there will be little or no fuel flow to the carburetor.

It would not be a bad idea to remove the tank and wash it out. I did this to my tank by emptying it out, putting a small amount of dish detergent in and pouring in some hot water. Then I shook the tank for a couple of minutes and rinsed it out for several more minutes with a garden hose. I shook as much water out of the empty tank and let it dry in the sun.

This little screen can be removed and replaced with an inline fuel filter which is attached to the fuel hose. you cur the hose and put the new filter into the gap between the 2 pieces. Then clamp each side with a Jubilee Clamp or a Nylon Tie Wrap. The in-tank screen is hard to check.

 

[oldboat1]

Ignore that stuff about running wide open, then choking. If you want to keep the carb clean between uses, shut off the tank valve and run the motor at idle until it runs out of fuel. Drain the small amount left in the bowl by removing the high speed needle at the bottom, and tilting the motor forward.

Old fuel left in a carb dissolves into a varnish, which is removed by disassembling and cleaning. To fully drain a tank, remove the carb fuel line and open the petcock. Drain into a suitable container.

 

[Stumpalump]

Thanks for the reply @Stumpalup...My tank is mounted on top of the engine. So I don't see a fuel line. Forgive my ignorance as I never owned a outboard motor before, but can you tell me what/where is a Petcock or running it WOT? I would like to try your advice without pulling the carburetor if i can.

The Petcock is up and to the side of the spark plug. Starboard side. It has a rubber fuel line to the carburator. You can pull the line off of the carb and open the Petcock valve. The valve is a little metal winged thingy by the plug. Gas should pour out of the hose really fast if the tank screen is clean and the Petcock is open. Once that gas is free flowing and that's not the problem then run your motor wide open or rev it up. (Wot Open Throttle or WOT) while its reved then choke it with the throttle still on fast. Most junk in a carb starts as a jelly. By choking it puts a high vacuum pulse through the carb sucking the jelly clog thru. This works wonders! Try it on lawn mowers and pressure washers as well as soon as the get boggy feeling and it cleans them right up. The choking does not fix them all but it's easy and may save your day on the water or get that grass cut. If none of this fixes it then you have to pull the carb. Start by removing the rich lean knobs on the front, take your time and get the carb off. Unscrew those knob shafts and spray the cleaner in the holes. Make shure you counted the adjustment turns out from the seated positions before you remove the shafts. Pull the bowl off the bottom but don't screew up the float. Look at it and take it off. Your smartphone with plenty of pics will get it back together. Above the float is a small brass screew with a hole in it. Remove it and clean it. Spray and soak as much of the carb as you can and poke little wires in any holes you see looking for crud. Anything that looks brass with a hole needs to be cleaned out. Easy peasy but since you have not done it then go slow and ask on here. These guys love this sheet and all of us love to help!