New to Boating FINALLY!!!!

[Desertboater]

Hello to All,

It's been a life long dream of mine to own a boat and finally at age 42 I got one!! But now what????

Bare with me guys.. I have a 1977 75hp Johnson outboard and was wondering what the fuel/oil mix should be. I've read a couple of threads pertaining to the subject in this forum, very helpful and informative by the way, and I believe it should be 50 to 1. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Another question, the boat hasn't been used since last Nov., should I change the gear oil?

One more guys.. Am I going to have a problem trolling for lets say an hour at a slow pace with this motor? Will I foul the plugs if I troll for an extended period of time?

Thanks for all your help in advance.

 

[coolguy147]

Re: New to Boating FINALLY!!!!

new to boating well here r some great checkups and maiteneces to do before u get on the water.

check compression 100+psi within 10% each cylinder
check for nice blue spark nice pop on each cylinder ground spark plug to block or get spark tester. make sure no fuel leaks or very strong fumes.
replace impeller if havent done in a while
change gear if havent done in a while and replace screw gaskets and great way to tell shape of lower unit
check prop for fishing line take prop off then grease prop splines.
fully charged battery check starter. turn over good
may need to clean and rebuild the carbs if sit that long unless properly stored.

oh and if u do take lower unit off grease the driveshaft splines and make sure u put water tubes correctly in

take for test run and make its tele tale is peeing

 

[billy4hp]

Re: New to Boating FINALLY!!!!

Hello to All,

It's been a life long dream of mine to own a boat and finally at age 42 I got one!! But now what????

Bare with me guys.. I have a 1977 75hp Johnson outboard and was wondering what the fuel/oil mix should be. I've read a couple of threads pertaining to the subject in this forum, very helpful and informative by the way, and I believe it should be 50 to 1. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Another question, the boat hasn't been used since last Nov., should I change the gear oil?

One more guys.. Am I going to have a problem trolling for lets say an hour at a slow pace with this motor? Will I foul the plugs if I troll for an extended period of time?

Thanks for all your help in advance.

As I am sure other's will tell you, the preventative maintenance you do now will likely determine how happy a new boat owner you will be...

It's basically up to you to decide if your boat / motor has had it's regular upkeep. If you decide wrong then your time on the water most likely won't be a happy one.


Now to answer some questions, or at least interject my opinions...

The correct fuel/oil mixture is 50:1 so your right there. Make sure you use two cycle oil for an outboard marine engine and it is TCW3 rated.

It doesn't matter when the boat was last used, it matters when the gear oil was last changed. For your piece of mind I would change it and replace the sealing washers that are under the gear lube fill / drain and level plugs to make sure you don't get any future water intrusion through the plugs. It's also advisable to replace the water pump impeller unless you know for a fact that it's been replaced in the last year or so. Depending on your engine you may or may not have a water tell tale that indicates if the water pump is pumping. If your engine does not have one, it can be added with a little bit of effort.

The mid 70's three cylinder engines aren't really known for their idle qualities, you can use them for trolling with a Happy Troller or other similar device (basically a water brake) but it really depends on what kind of trolling speeds you are looking for? If you plan on doing a lot of low speed running (idle or just off idle) some people will open up the gap on the spark plugs .005 or so. This will help keep the plugs from fouling, but it will increase spark plug wear at WOT RPM and might possibly cause a high RPM miss if your ignition coils / wires aren't up to snuff. That being said, I have a 1978 70HP that is in top notch condition but I still use a 5hp kicker for trolling (we troll for salmon around 2 mph or less) and picking up crab pots.

Your best bet is to pick up a service manual perferably an OEM one as it will describe in detail how to repair things when it breaks, and they do break no matter how well they are cared for. OEM manuals are also model specific so it has information about your model only and not a bunch of models grouped together like a SELOC manual does. Ken Cook books and Ebay are both good sources for OEM manuals.

HTH and good luck....

 

[Desertboater]

Re: New to Boating FINALLY!!!!

Thanks guys for all your help. I just ordered the service manual for my engine today and will be following your advice.

Sounds a little too technical for me as far as checking the compression on the pistons but hope the service manual will help the newbie figure it out. Will change the gear oil just to be on the safe side. I did check it and it looks pretty clean. I will replace spark plugs while I'm at it too.

Once the manual comes in I'll see where the impeller is located and will inspect it and replace if needed.

As far as the this, "Depending on your engine you may or may not have a water tell tale that indicates if the water pump is pumping. If your engine does not have one, it can be added with a little bit of effort". I'm imagining the stream of water that comes out of the engine right? I don't think I saw this when the previous owner started it for me. If it doesn't have it do I really need it if so how do I add one?

The propeller is a bit beaten up not too bad but I guess I should either fix or replace too right?

 

[billy4hp]

Re: New to Boating FINALLY!!!!

Here is a link to the thread with all the info you will need to add a tell tale (pee hole)...

The Johnson / Evinrude three cylinder engines did have a issue regarding getting an air bubble trapped at the top cylinder (where this tell tale is added) so one your (and mine) engine it should be considered as a modification that should be done sooner rather than later...

JMHO

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=222677

If your prop is beaten up enough to notice it, then it should be replaced. A damaged prop not only is a performance concern, but it can also cause damage to the lower unit if it causes a vibration that you actually notice when the boat is under way.

The "standard" prop was probably spec'd @ a 13 1/4 dia x 17 pitch.

If you purchased a OEM service manual, you may be disappointed that it wasn't written to teach you how to do things. OEM manuals were written for people who have a technical and mechanical understanding. If you are in doubt on how to do a procedure post up or you can check out your local library for a gander at a SELOC or Clymer manual as they are written much for the novice mechanic. The main problem with the SELOC and Cylmer manuals is they try to stuff several engines into one book including several years of production, just not detailed enough IMO.

A compression test is nothing more than reading the air pressure that the engine makes when the engine is cranking. You can rent a compression tester from most automotive stores for little to no money. To do the test correctly remove all the spark plugs and screw the compression tester into the spark plug hole of the cylinder you want to check, crank the engine over 5 times or so and record the number you get, then go onto the next cylinder. We are not looking for a specific number but we want all numbers to be within 10% of each other. A healthy outboard with 2 to 4 cylinders will typically have readings over 100 psi as a reference, but not all compression testers are not made the same, cranking speed makes a difference, etc...

The water pump impeller is in mounted inside the waterpump which is bolted to the top of the lower unit. You have to remove the lower unit to get to it. The job sounds much worse than it actually is to do. Usually the biggest problem is a stuck fastner if the lower unit has not been removed in the last few seasons. If you keep up on the maintenance the impeller should be replaced every 3rd season or sooner if you run in very sandy / dirty water. I would also recommend putting in a new thermostat and checking the high speed water bypass valves (you will read about them in your manual) just for piece of mind.

Just take your time and exercise some patience and common sense, you will do fine...

HTH

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: New to Boating FINALLY!!!!

more good info here, some of it is for older motors >>> http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=299680

 

[jonesg]

Re: New to Boating FINALLY!!!!

Thanks guys for all your help. I just ordered the service manual for my engine today


Sounds a little too technical for me as far as checking the compression on the pistons but hope the service manual will help the newbie figure it out. Will change the gear oil just to be on the safe side. I did check it and it looks pretty clean. I will replace spark plugs while I'm at it too.

You have the manual ordered, good man.

Go to an auto parts store, snag yourself a compression guage and spark GAP tester, no need for exotic tools such as air powered wrenches etc, just a decent socket set.

Compression test.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgavzDPDAy0&feature=channel_page

Gear oil change, water pump and other service videos.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMarineDoctor

 

[Desertboater]

Re: New to Boating FINALLY!!!!

Thanks guys for all your help I really really appreciate you taking the time. This sight is really awsome and all the thanks to guys like you..

I viewed the u-tube videos on the impeller, compression check, and gear oil change and it's not that bad. I think I can handle that. Good info..

billy4hp you mentioned that"The "standard" prop was probably spec'd @ a 13 1/4 dia x 17 pitch.". What if the prop that I have on is a 13 3/4 dia x 15 pitch? Is this the wrong prop for my motor or am I ok? I'm fixing to buy a new prop this week so I want to get the right one for my motor. My main use for this boat is going to be 90% fishing (trolling at low speeds) and the other 10% will be screwing around pulling a tube or something when the fish aren't biting. What are your thoughts on the prop guys?

 

[jonesg]

Re: New to Boating FINALLY!!!!

Props are like a black art to me, its mostly try it first.
As long as you're in the ballpark, the tachometer and speed will tell you whether its a good fit. You need to get around 5800rpm but first get the engine running properly.

 

[billy4hp]

Re: New to Boating FINALLY!!!!

Props are like a black art to me, its mostly try it first.
As long as you're in the ballpark, the tachometer and speed will tell you whether its a good fit. You need to get around 5800rpm but first get the engine running properly.

X2 on Jonesg said..... Props are a bit of science and bit of black magic... When you get to the point of picking a prop jump over to the prop forum and quiz hwsiii about what you need after you get running...

If your current prop is really bad shape then I would replace it with what's already there... But to be honest you will probably end up getting two props (and it's a good idea to carry a spare) as you might need one for cruising and one for pulling toys, heavy loads....