Johnson 110 fuel problem

kazeej

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 4, 2005
Messages
48
I have an '89 Javelin Fish 'n Ski with a Johnson 110 that sat for a very long time with bad fuel. I removed, dismantled, and cleaned the carbs out, and it runs great - as long as you're pumping the primer bulb on the fuel line. Here's a quick history of what I've done so far:<br />* Carburators removed, dismantled, soaked overnight in laquer thinner. Got a TON of junk out of them. Every part is perfectly clean, every passage clean. <br />* Emptied fuel tank of bad fuel, blew out all lines. Replaced with fresh fuel. <br />* New plugs.<br /><br />Ran with muffs for testing, then took it to the lake. Tied off near the dock, and ran it for 15 minutes or so. The longer it ran, the better it ran, but I had to keep pumping the primer bulb to keep it running. When I stopped, the engine would slow down, the bulb would go soft, and the engine would die. <br />If you disconnect the fuel line after the pump, it squirts fuel when the starter is cranked for a few seconds.<br />And now, I'm stuck. <br />Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. <br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />Jack
 

dafox99

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 8, 2005
Messages
203
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

Jack .. still sounds like a pump, obstruction, or air leak (in general, the bulb is pushing the fuel, and the pump is sucking it, so a small hole in the line between the bulb and the pump might leak imperceptibly when the bulb is pumping, but suck air when the pump is pumping). I don't suppose you have another fuel line to try?
 

DHPMARINE

Captain
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Messages
3,688
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

Jack,<br /><br />As a general rule,when you need to sqeeze the primer bulb to keep things going,the fuel pump needs replacing.<br /><br />If you are runnig a VRO pump,and I think you are,a new pump is around $270.00.<br /><br />Can you borrow a freinds 6 gallon portable tank AND hose?If the problem dissapears,you know the problem is in your boat,not the engine.<br /><br />Other idea is the VRO works off a pulse limiter mounted to the crankcase.It's a pain to replace,but worth a try if you can do your own labor.<br /><br />DHP
 

captain spike

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 19, 2003
Messages
186
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

check all your fuel connections and make sure they are tight.i had a simmuler problem,my lines were clamp with wire ties that losen up,replaced with marine clamps and not a problem since.replacing your fuel lines might be a good idea also.just my input good luck.............<br /> *1971 18' winner 1969 115 jonny***<br /> ***THURSDAY***
 

kazeej

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 4, 2005
Messages
48
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

I think I'll start with replacing the fuel lines completely from the tank pickup to the engine. These hoses are pretty old - don't think they've ever been replaced. <br />Also, I noticed what I guess is a separator mounted behind the fuel tank. It's a block with what resembles an oil filter on it that the fuel passes through. Judging by its appearance, I KNOW this has never been touched, so I'll be replacing this filter as well. <br />Hopefully, this will take care of it, and I won't have to do the fuel pump job.<br />Thanks for all the advice! I'll let you guys know how it turns out. <br /><br />Jack
 

Solittle

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Apr 28, 2002
Messages
7,518
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

Jack - That oil filter looking thing is a fuel filter/water seperator. When you remove it pour the contents into a glass jar and let it sit for a bit. Then look for water at the bottom or crud.
 

Solittle

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Apr 28, 2002
Messages
7,518
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

Jack - That oil filter looking thing is a fuel filter/water seperator. When you remove it pour the contents into a glass jar and let it sit for a bit. Then look for water at the bottom or crud.
 

kazeej

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 4, 2005
Messages
48
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

I got some really bad news yesterday. I finally got the fuel leak fixed, and started it up with the muffs for one last check. It was still running rough, and just refused to smooth out. It sounded like one cylinder wasn't firing. I shut it off, felt the head near each spark plug, and found one that was cold, compared to the others. I pulled the plug, and found the end of the spark plug was smashed. I pulled the head, and found the cylinder has a crack that extends all the way to the intake port. The piston face and inside the head looks like the surface of the moon. Aparently, a piece broke off the cylinder, and was banging around in there. <br />So, my project just got a lot bigger, but I'm not sure what to do next. Should I try to find a used block and rebuild mine? Should I look for a used powerhead to replace mine? Or maybe a used powerhead that I can put together with parts from mine to build a good powerhead? <br />It's probably obvious that I'm not a marine mechanic. My experience has been mostly automotive, but with a good manual and some advice, I have always been able to fix anything on my own. Money is absolutely the factor here. If I'm going to fix this, I have to do the work myself, but I'm really stuck here. <br /><br />Jack
 

Solittle

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Apr 28, 2002
Messages
7,518
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

Jack did you manage to get compression readings before you took the head off? If the other three cylinders are OK you can have the bad cylinder bored and with a new piston you will be back on the water. If the cylinder wall is too badly scored you can have it replaced with a new sleve. Whichever it needs to come apart. A good marine machine shop can do the measurements and help you decide. <br /><br />The options you mentioned are also alternatives. Whichever you choose buy the OMC shop and parts manual specific for your engine.
 

h_lankford

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 6, 2005
Messages
135
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

sorry to butt in:<br />please educate me. if you just clean up or bore out/resleeve the one bad cylinder, how do you prevent the debris and shrapnel from the original problem and the reboring process itself from contaminating the rest of the engine? How do you know or not that this has already happened and is just waiting to fail something else 10 hours after the rebuild? thanks
 

walleyehed

Admiral
Joined
Jun 29, 2003
Messages
6,767
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

You'd treat it as a complete O/H and clean accordingly..<br />One item I would examine real close, would be the small end of the rod connected to the piston in that cylinder...make sure it didn't stick a bearing, shell the needles and get one on top the piston, breaking the plug....you may need a rod too.<br />If the sleeve is cracked, that brings up alot of questions, and, of course, it will need to be re-sleeved at the least.<br />See if maybe Dhadley will step in, but if he doesn't, I'd recommend Mar-Fab in Sparta Tn. to do the inspection and repair. That's their specialty and they are very good at what they do.
 

kazeej

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 4, 2005
Messages
48
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

This engine was overheated badly about 7-8 years ago. It was in the shop for a while, and ran fine when it they were done. It wasn't my boat at the time, and I don't know what repairs were done back then. I think the cylinder may have been cracked back then, but wasn't noticed. It doesn't have more than 10 hours on it. <br />I will be rebuilding this engine myself, but it will have to wait 'till after the holidays.<br /><br />I really appreciate all the info you guys offered.<br /><br />Thanks to all!<br />Jack
 

kazeej

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 4, 2005
Messages
48
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

Here's an update.
$4,000 complete rebuild. The block and bearings were completely ruined, things were melted inside, it was a complete mess.

I think this engine was never fixed correctly from when it was overheated before, and it was heating up every time it was run after that. It was never run for more than a few minutes at a time, so it never ran long enough to completely kill itself.

My mechanic found a good block, had it cleaned up, new bearings, pistons, rods, crank, rebuilt both carbs, new impeller - the list goes on, but the bottom line is IT RUNS SO NICE!!!

I'm in breakin mode now, with only about 4 1/2 hours on it, just puttin' around, smoking out the neighbors. o:)

Again, thanks to all who replied with advice.
See you on the water!
Jack
 

mikesea

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
1,830
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

are the dates wrong,or did your problem start 15 months ago
 

kazeej

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 4, 2005
Messages
48
Re: Johnson 110 fuel problem

Wow! It didn't seem that long, but yes, that's when the saga started. It sat for a while, while I tried to decide what to do. It seemed a shame to just junk it, since the boat itself is in good shape. And I learned that a boat without a motor is basically worthless. So I priced new motors, used motors, rebuilt motors...

Then I decided I would try to fix it myself, but I think I just made things worse. I knew it would be an expensive repair, so I kept putting off having someone look at it.

I'm just glad it's over, and I can actually use the boat now.
 
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