Re: 1971 Johnson 60hp kills in reverse
My Johnson seems to run good but after warm up (1 hour or so of use) it kills when reverse is engaged. I'm leaning towards a choke problem since it also seems to load up when idling for longer periods. I'm not real familiar with outboards and don't currently have a repair manual. I've only had it on the water twice and the problem occurred both times. Makes docking rather difficult! Any ideas where I should begin to look?
I seriously doubt it is a choke problem. The chokes should all be wide open after warmup. If you think it is a choke problem, simply push the choke knob all the way in and see if it helps. The knob has 3 poositions, out=choke on, 1/2 way out=automatic, and in=choke off. Normal operation should be 1/2 out, automatic.
A serious tune-up on that motor is rather complicated and I don't want to start you down that path. You probably will only make it worse. But there are a few simple things you can try:
--I hope you are using Champion L77JC4 spark plugs. If you aren't, you should be. They are the best thing that ever happened to make those motors run right.
--Stalling in reverse is actually pretty common, simply because it takes more power to run it in reverse. It has to do with the way the Hydro-Electric shift works. I suggest you set the idle speed up a bit. That may be all that it needs.
--The idle mixture is adjustable within narrow limits by the knob on the front. You can't hurt anything by trying to set it a bit leaner, so go ahead and try it. More serious adjustment is difficult to do and get it right. You need to pop the link arms off and adjust each needle individually. There is a special tool to do that with the silencer cover on. Man, I loved it when they went to fixed idle jets in later models!!! Trying to get the individual needles right is a pain.
If you want to get into it deeper, a factory service manual is a must.
Try the idle speed first.
