1972 65hp johnson no start (timing?)

englee1

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Aug 11, 2001
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4
I just purchased a 50th anniversary 65hp Johnson that has not been run for 5 years. I brought it to a mechanic wo replaced the shifter cable, cleaned the carbs & got the motor running...he & I were amazed by the great operation of the motor. I took the motor out for a test drive & it worked great for about 30 min. Then it just shut down and would not re-fire. It appeared that the battery didn't have enough juice. Installed a new battery, same deal. The starter bendix engages the flywheel but doesn't have enough power to turn it over fast enough to start. Removed plugs & engine does turn a great deal faster & there is lots of fire on the plugs. So I bought a new starter, problem fixed...right? ... Wrong!!! Same problem with the new starter. It just appears that there is too much compression for the starter to operate properly. Brainstorm....could there be a timing issue, & if so what should I try next?? Any help on this frustration would be greatly appreciated.<br /><br />Thanx
 

Big Four

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Joined
Jul 28, 2001
Messages
41
Re: 1972 65hp johnson no start (timing?)

Unless someone changed the timing it will not move. Have you checked the battery cables? Take them and bend them every 4-6" and listen/feel for a crunching. All it takes is a pin hole for water to get in and corrode the copper wire. The cables may look swollen where they are corroded.
 

englee1

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Aug 11, 2001
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Re: 1972 65hp johnson no start (timing?)

Thanks for the recommedation Big Four.<br /><br />I did try this earlier, no problem found.<br />Also I jumped the battery directly to the starter terminals....with the same result.<br />Any other suggestions?
 

adrian bick

Seaman
Joined
Feb 28, 2001
Messages
53
Re: 1972 65hp johnson no start (timing?)

Lower unit binding ????. Remove lower unit and try to fire it up.
 

englee1

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Aug 11, 2001
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Re: 1972 65hp johnson no start (timing?)

Thanks Adrian, will give it a try.
 

thirdm

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Jun 9, 2001
Messages
40
Re: 1972 65hp johnson no start (timing?)

hey englee1...<br /><br />i had the same problem w/my johnson ('71 100hp). like you i bought a new starter - i bought a new selonoid too. everyone kept telling me it was a bad ground - but jumper wire after jumper wire said it wasn't. i also took a wire brush to every connection on the engine. then i went and bought a new battery cable set. this is a pre-manufactured set from OMC that comes w/the ends soldered on - heavy gauge wire, etc. it didn't look like any thing was wrong w/the old ones, i did the crinkle thing too, they still look good. but they didn't turn my engine over like the new set. only problem is they cost $50 for the set. hope i could help. <br /><br />p.s. lay off that starter until you figure out the problem - you'll burn it up - and a new one will cost a fortune (if you can find one)....
 

englee1

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Joined
Aug 11, 2001
Messages
4
Re: 1972 65hp johnson no start (timing?)

Thirdm, I should probably give that a try.<br />I have already jumped my battery directly to the starter with no luck, same sluggish performance. Do you think that eliminates the battery cable problem or could the cables still be an issue? Thanks for your help.<br />
confused.gif
 
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