Fuel problem with johnson 50hp

Clayton s

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Mar 31, 2017
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Been doing some work to my boat to try to get it ready for this year. I had to fix the electric primer, it was leaking. When i got it it won't run at all i believe the carbs are easy over due to be cleaned. ...i might add it has been sitting for about 4 yrs. Just want suggestions if anyone thinks that I'm going in the right direction. ....thanks for the input.
 

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
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Apr 6, 2005
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They will need cleaning after sitting for that long, but you also need to check for spark.
 

HotTommy

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Mar 15, 2013
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There is a forum here just for Johnson motors. You might get quicker and better answers there.
 

ahicks

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If I'm going to put an engine into service that's been sitting for 4 years, I don't care if it runs or not, those carbs are going to be cleaned prior to my first "sea trial". Be really careful with that primer (enrichening device). The fitting the fuel lines plug into are tiny, and very easily broken....
 

Clayton s

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Mar 31, 2017
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It has spark it was running before i fixed the leak but it is flooding now. I'm going go through the whole fuel system and clean and replace what needs done. ..any other suggestions u can provide? Thank you a lot for the imput this my first time being on a forum...
 

ahicks

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If this is an older engine that you just obtained, and you'd like to turn it into one you really trust, I'd suggest a major service be done on it. Plugs, fuel and water pump rebuilds, new seals in lower unit or a fluid change at minimum, as well as carb rebuilds. The fuel line should get some attention too. Now is a great time to take care of leaki9ng fittings at each end, and if the primer bulb is stiff, consider replacing that as well.
 

Clayton s

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Mar 31, 2017
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For now i have replaced the bulb and line from tank to motor. Plugs and fixed the electric primer, my thought next is to do the carbs change lower gear oil and i did do a water pump. ....should i rebuild the fuel pump? It has a oiler but it seems to be doing fine. .
 

ahicks

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So this is a VRO. With the risks involved with an oil pump failure, many people simply do not trust the VRO system. It's very expensive to replace, and fairly easy to remove - requiring a new fuel pump. You just pre-mix the gas and oil afterward.

I did the one I have last summer, and it wasn't too bad at all. I was having some issues, and frankly I had been messing with it way too long without being able to trouble shoot successfully and just started eliminating potential problem areas, even though the pump seemed to work fine. Beeping I was getting turned out to be faulty gas tank venting, but I'm still glad I removed the pump.

Today, the engine is like the other 40's and 50's I've had in the past. A sweetheart engine that starts and runs perfectly, but I was ready to drop it in the deep end of the lake at one point......

This year we're updating to a Honda 90 I just scored a sweet deal on.
 

Clayton s

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Mar 31, 2017
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Sorry to keep unloading all these questions, but how do you go about removing the oiler? I like the thought of not having to mix oil and gas but i understand the trust issue and don't won't to run into burning the motor up. And what ratio of oil to gas is good once the oiler is removed? Since I'm doing this work to the boat anyway kinda want to make it "bullet"proof if u know what i mean. I have had the boat for a long time and my family is on my tail to get it going for lake time fun. Thank you for the input
 

ahicks

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Sep 16, 2013
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Google "Johnson 50 vro removal" for way more info than you need. I found this source to be invaluable when doing mine:

http://www.maxrules.com/fixomcvro.html


50/1 has been working fine for me for many years.....

And yes, I get the part about having the family on your tail.....
 
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Silvertip

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Sep 22, 2003
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If the engine is flooding, make sure the red lever on the primer is in the RUN position.
 

Clayton s

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Mar 31, 2017
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Thanks for the tip on the primer i put it back just like it was when i fixed it. I believe since it has been sitting for a while that the carbs are gummed up and it's just pouring fuel in and flooding but i will do a recheck. .also it was running before i fixed the leak so it leaves me to believe that the crud finally broke lose and probably stopped up the jets I'm taking a guess
 
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clemsonfor

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Sep 19, 2005
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I know this is a few weeks late. But that fuel sitting just forms gunk that plugs jets. I cleaned one of my motors end of last summer. This spring it would not fire. Many low speed orifices were plugged and several high speed jets were plugged and solid. And this was supposedly non E fuel!!
 

lmuss53

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Sep 9, 2008
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1,227
Before you unhook the VRO, google "The myth of the VRO" it is an interesting read. I don't pull them off if they are working.

Having said that I have two oil injected motors right now on my boats. Neither one is using the injector, but I did not unhook them. I unhooked one yesterday on a 140 Evinrude that failed and was dumping oil into the system as a fail safe. Only reason I unhooked it is the difference in cost between a new VRO pump and the readymix pump, several hundred dollars.

The primer red handle goes paralell to the primer body in the run position. It will flood the heck out of your engine if it is in the wrong position.

After it sat for several years I would clean the carbs, change lower unit oil and impeller at least. Probably rebuild the fuel pump, which may be reason enough to change it from VRO, when you consider the cost of even the rebuild kit for the VRO pump. You can buy a 3 hose pump that goes right in where the VRO comes out and hooks to the existing hoses. Look for an OMC 3 hose fuel pump on Amazon. Make sure you get the hoses back on right, vacuum, fuel in, fuel out. Unplug the VRO and you are good to go. Mix some oil in the gas and pump it through the system to get mixed fuel to the carb. Unhook and plug or remove the oil line if you unhook the VRO.

I have taken to unhooking a fuel line and idling my motors until they just hiccup in the Fall to get as much fuel out of them as possible. I then empty any fuel in the tanks into cans and run it through my 4 wheeler or pickup to get rid of it. The 2 stroke oil in the fuel hurts nothing in 4 stroke motors. First trip out in the spring gets 100% fresh fuel.
 

Silver Eagle

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Mar 16, 2010
Messages
852
When it came to enjoying my boat I always had the dealer service my motor .They would winterize the motor and start it up in the spring. That way If anything goes wrong it's on them not me. You can't walk back when your out in the water and tow job is very expensive.
 
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