1968 33 hp johnson no spark Model RXE-16

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czuniga08

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Hello Forum

Just picked up this outboard. Paid 75 bucks to a very kind gentleman in west texas. Was kind enough to meet me have way and deliver this outboard for me. got it home tried cranking and tested compresion,, 110.0 on each cylinder. these things look like they are build like tanks. According to some research it appears to be a 1968. I has the special thru hub key for the prop. Tried getting her started and has not spark. Remove flywheel and some wires look preaty toasted. I did check continuity with mulimeter .. gotta be honest not very familiar with this tool. should i measure resistance using the 20k of the 200 feature on the coils. When i connect the lead for the primary winding i start with a reading of like 197 ohms and drops to like 4.5 ohms on the 200 feature,,Maybe my digital meter is not working i will try to post some pics soon, if i can get this baby going i would be awesome, i am trying to push a old mon ark jon boat 60 inches wide for some bay fishing in south texas. motor came with remote controls for aceleration and shifter..have no idea how to attach the tiller cable i guess ill worry about that later,, Motor also has vacumm cut off swith from what i read this can ground motor and casue no spark,, If i jsut remove connector will i be bypassing this switch,, sorry for all the quesitons, I appreciate all the help,,,
 
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racerone

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??----------There is just a drive pin on the propshaft and no " special key "----------How do the coils look ??--------Most originals have been replaced or if the are cracked they need to be replaced.------The vacuum switch MUST be installed and working.----It is not to be thrown out.--You are correct in that these are a simple rugged motor with very little modern plastic on them.
 
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F_R

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Use the 20K scale on the coil secondary (spark) winding. Use the lowest available on the primary. It sounds as though you are checking the primary with the points' wire connected (?). That would explain the varying reading as the condenser takes a charge. Normal reading is around an ohm or less on primary and several k-ohms on secondary. Don't get all hung up on exact numbers

Nevermind the reading, how do the coils look? If they are cracked or looking like they are sweating, they are junk. VERY common for old OMC motors. New ones are available here at iboats.

By far, the overwhelming cause of complete no-spark is worn, dirty or corroded breaker point contacts. Polish them shiny bright and set the gap to .020" at widest opening. Best to remove them to do the cleaning and polishing.

Due to the way it is made, the vacuum cut-out switch cannot do a darn thing unless the motor is in run-away mode. Obviously that can't happen if it won't even run. So the vacuum cut-out is NOT the problem here. And even if it were, it only affects the lower cylinder.
 
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czuniga08

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parts have been ordered. i ordered new coils, condensors , and points, and wires. How good are these old motors i have read some reviews on them, but not much info as far as performance and reliability. Im on a budget but then again some of our fishing spots are a few miles out in the bay.
 
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czuniga08

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motor came with ingition switch and wires but no key. i installed a push start button at the ignition coil to get it cranking. will this damage any internal parts on wiring?
 
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F_R

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czuniga08 said:
parts have been ordered. i ordered new coils, condensors , and points, and wires. How good are these old motors i have read some reviews on them, but not much info as far as performance and reliability. Im on a budget but then again some of our fishing spots are a few miles out in the bay.
Click to expand...

They are excellent motors for their day, tough as nails. I have personally put hundreds of hours on similar motors with no breakdowns. Of course this is today and as always condition is everything.
 
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F_R

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czuniga08 said:
motor came with ingition switch and wires but no key. i installed a push start button at the ignition coil to get it cranking. will this damage any internal parts on wiring?
Click to expand...

Dare I believe you meant to say you put a push button at the starter solenoid? That is fine, but if you really mean you connected it to an ignition coil, that is not good. Besides, that wouldn't get it cranking, so that must not be what you meant.

One thing: If you connect a push button to the wrong terminal on the starter solenoid it will instantly destroy the safety switch. You must connect to the terminal that does NOT have a wire going to the safety switch.
 
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czuniga08

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yes i connected to starter solenoid, my bad,, im glad to hear they are tough as nails,, these things look as solid as they can get,, ,,
 
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