1980 Johnson 85hp Primer Solenide and Stator Questions

boatguy94

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Alright guys, just want to run this all past the experts here it was just easier to put this all in one thread as well.

So back in July, when I was up north, I could not start the boat while cold. At first I thought it was the battery, then I charged it and it still would turn over but not really start. The push on the key wouldn't do anything it seemed like it used to. I opened up the motor and found a manual way to start the engine by putting the primer solenoid into "manual" I squeezed the primer bulb once and it fired up. Also, after taking the time to make sure my tach was all hooked up right it still didn't work... Not a big deal, but I wish I had a tach sometimes. After a couple other problems that week I just let the boat sit till today.

Today, I checked the key assembly (which looked new) with a multi-meter according to the OEM Johnson manual I have and everything checked out fine. I then went on to check the primer solenoid and it did not pass the test... Is there any way to confirm that it is bad?
Then I moved onto the rectifier and stator. Rectifier passed, but almost looks burnt. I'll have to get a picture up soon. Stator, on the other hand, did not check out ok according to the test. Would that make sense if my tach doesn't work, and it also seems as if I run out the battery all the time and it never recharges?

Lastly, both the stator and solenoid run at least $150 new and I found some for $50 on ebay. Not sure if anyone has any other places to check, but it seems like that is quite a bit to spend for the parts. I could live without the stator working, but the primer I need to fix soon...

Hopefully that all made sense. I'm pretty confused and still trying to figure everything out myself :facepalm:
 

Daviet

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Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp Primer Solenide and Stator Questions

Does the primer solenoid click when you push the key in, have you checked the voltage at the solenoid when you push the key in?
Does the engine charge the battery, if the stator is defective it will affect the tach.
 

boatguy94

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Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp Primer Solenide and Stator Questions

As far as I heard in my garage today, I did not hear a click. I will check the voltage tomorrow.

I have not actually checked if it charges. I am just going off that it starts to drain the battery even if I don't run anything more than lights and starting the motor. I know that it doesn't charge it that much but sometimes it doesn't make sense. I will check that too. I know that I have the tach hooked up right and it's on the right setting. I think it could be the stator...

Thanks for the reply Daviet!
 

Daviet

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Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp Primer Solenide and Stator Questions

Let us know what you find.
 

boatguy94

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Messages
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Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp Primer Solenide and Stator Questions

Ok, tested the primer again. No click when pressing in key. Checked voltage to it just from the purple/white wire and I'm getting about .01V to it with key pressed... Doesn't seem like enough. Un-Plugged the wiring harness at the motor and checked voltage on the wire there, nothing there either. Also put my trickle charger right onto the primer solenoid, it clicks when I do that and hopefully I didn't kill it by doing that. Must be something faulty in the remote control? I'm really stumped on this one...

As for running the engine and checking the charge, didn't get to that today... I'll need to recheck the stator once I get this figured out. I'm assuming it's not charging though because the batter never seems to stay charged and it's a brand new huge deep cycle...
 

Daviet

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Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp Primer Solenide and Stator Questions

You should get battery voltage (12) at the solenoid when you activate the choke, sounds like you have a lack of voltage. Start at the ignition switch and check voltage there, maybe a bad switch, or broken wire in the harness some where.
 

emdsapmgr

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Dec 9, 2005
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11,551
Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp Primer Solenide and Stator Questions

I believe your fuel primer solenoid passes fuel through the small hoses to the hose barbs on the crankcase bypass covers. Test the primer solenoid: (Insure the red lever is parallel to the length of the solenoid.) Remove one of the hoses from the brass hose barb on one of the covers. Prime the fuel hose bulb. Put 12v to the solenoid (your trickle charger should work fine.) Fuel should flow out of the small primer hose. If so, the primer solenoid is good. If this primer system is not functioning, the engine is a bear to start when cold. The engine makes it's own electricity when running. It also has separate coils which will recharge the battery. If you have a voltmeter on the battery, it should give you an excellent information regarding charging. If you don't have one on the boat, use a regular shop meter. That engine uses a rectifier only and should charge up to 16-17 volts at WOT, 15-20 minutes after starting.
 

boatguy94

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 29, 2009
Messages
520
Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp Primer Solenide and Stator Questions

You should get battery voltage (12) at the solenoid when you activate the choke, sounds like you have a lack of voltage. Start at the ignition switch and check voltage there, maybe a bad switch, or broken wire in the harness some where.

That's what I thought, thanks for confirming! Going to be a fun time tracking down the issue...

I believe your fuel primer solenoid passes fuel through the small hoses to the hose barbs on the crankcase bypass covers. Test the primer solenoid: (Insure the red lever is parallel to the length of the solenoid.) Remove one of the hoses from the brass hose barb on one of the covers. Prime the fuel hose bulb. Put 12v to the solenoid (your trickle charger should work fine.) Fuel should flow out of the small primer hose. If so, the primer solenoid is good. If this primer system is not functioning, the engine is a bear to start when cold. The engine makes it's own electricity when running. It also has separate coils which will recharge the battery. If you have a voltmeter on the battery, it should give you an excellent information regarding charging. If you don't have one on the boat, use a regular shop meter. That engine uses a rectifier only and should charge up to 16-17 volts at WOT, 15-20 minutes after starting.

I will check the hose, I actually found the lever when I was trying to start the boat up north to get it out of the water. I don't hear the click unless I hook the charger to it. But I will also check for fuel. It started fine up until that day where something happened... The day it did I sat there cranking for about 10 minutes before I gave up, so yeah you're right it is a bear! I will check the voltmeter once I get it going again. Thanks very much!
 

emdsapmgr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 9, 2005
Messages
11,551
Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp Primer Solenide and Stator Questions

For normal operation, that red lever needs to be aligned (parallel) to the length of the solenoid.
 
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