My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

Typical love story got a good deal from a friend. The motors in tact, boat was dam near underwater. The fuse box is rusted out, obvously this killed most of the wire conections thru out the boat. I've been chasing wires and check leads for about a week. Reading countless blogs here and a few library books that got 25% of the way.

Two biggest questions I'd hope you guys might be able to help with:
1. The ignition system is a mess. The keys missing its been tampered with in side the throttle lever box. What wires do i need to start this boat. I see that theres the red harness that hold everything. What leads do i need to wire to a switch to 'hot wire the boat'. Is that my best bet for starting this thing up?

2. Fuel pump. I've searched high and low for this rebuild kit with NO luck. The inside of the pump has an M above the numbers '335333'. I even went to West Marine. No one seems to carry this? On the Iboats site it only has 78-up 115 hp.
I took the pump apart the screen was full of sediment i cleaned it, put it back together primed the fuel and shot fuel EVERYWHERE!!!!!! Could be due it improperly putting it back together. The Clymer manuals I have don't show very much of how to rebuild it.

Thanks for any leads you can give me on this. I'm getting to be at a dead end with this resurrection!

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

Fuel pump is available from any Evinrude dealer 0385784 FUEL PUMP ASSY 1 $99.97 US. A lot of motors don't have rebuild kits available.

Clymer and Seloc manuals are not held in high regard here. Get an OEM shop manual if you don't like frustration. You will find a first class wiring diagram for YOUR motor in almost all of them. Ebay or outboardbooks.com.

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

I do not contradict wilde1j when I say this. He is quite correct. However I have often been called upon to fix motors without very much especially the best manual and OEM parts. Seloc or Clymer is better than nothing. You may be able to find an aftermarket rebuild kit for most motors on Ebay. I think the 73 has the pump with the screw down inlet cap with filter, It is a common error to get that cap in the wrong position and it doesn't pull down.

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

James R said:

I do not contradict wilde1j when I say this. He is quite correct. However I have often been called upon to fix motors without very much especially the best manual and OEM parts. Seloc or Clymer is better than nothing. You may be able to find an aftermarket rebuild kit for most motors on Ebay. I think the 73 has the pump with the screw down inlet cap with filter, It is a common error to get that cap in the wrong position and it doesn't pull down.

Click to expand...

So the fuel pump cap has to be pointed in a certain direction? I'll take a closer look at that. I've searched ebay with no luck. This is somewhat of a budget build so paying $100 for a new pump isn't at all what i had in mind! hope theres another option out there.
thanks for the input.

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

If your 73 115HP is the same as my 1974 115HP, I don't think you are going to find a rebuild kit for your fuel pump. According to my FACTORY Service manual:

QUOTE: " The fuel pump operating components are not serviced separately. If a malfuction occurs, replace the complete pump after testing fuel pump as described."

There is a gasket that goes between the cover/screen and pump that you may need if thats where yours is leaking. You can also test the pump with a fuel pressure gauge if you have one.

Let me know if I can help with anything from my manual.

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

Also. the screen has a lip that is supposed to face the pump.

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

Also I did "hot wire" mine last year so I could use a remote start switch at the motor when checking for spark. I don't remember the exact connections I made so I don't want to say for sure until I research exactly how I made the connections. But I also had all wiring connected so I could turn the key to the "on" position while using the remote starter switch.

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

Plug in fuel pump repair kit on Ebay and find Aunt Leigh. Ask him if he has one or can get one. He handles the Sierra catalog and other aftermarket stuff.

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

Bombardier does make fuel pump repair kits for some of their fuel pumps. Unfortunately, not for a 73 115. As Wilde says, you will need to get a new one. You can start that engine without the control box plugged in. If you jump the starter (and it will turn the flywheel at 250 rpm,) it will fire the ignition system and get that engine to run. (obviously you need to choke it.) Disconnect the jumper cables once started and it will run all day. Keep in mind, you won't be able to shut off the engine unless you pull all the plug wires, or choke it-since the key switch is disconnected. Disconnecting the red plug (control box) and pulling the plug wires off the plugs, then jumping the starter is a way to do electrical troubleshooting on the key switch (by isolating that control box/key switch from the engine.) I second the opinion that you need a factory service manual.

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

Thanks for the help. I've been seeing alot of gaskets in other kits that look the same. some have extra parts. I think I might get one of those and try it out. Its blows my mind that know one whould have a rebuild for this?!?!

Wishiniwuzfishin said:

If your 73 115HP is the same as my 1974 115HP, I don't think you are going to find a rebuild kit for your fuel pump. According to my FACTORY Service manual:

QUOTE: " The fuel pump operating components are not serviced separately. If a malfuction occurs, replace the complete pump after testing fuel pump as described."

There is a gasket that goes between the cover/screen and pump that you may need if thats where yours is leaking. You can also test the pump with a fuel pressure gauge if you have one.

Let me know if I can help with anything from my manual.

Click to expand...

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

Ill look that up thanks for the lead!

James R said:

Plug in fuel pump repair kit on Ebay and find Aunt Leigh. Ask him if he has one or can get one. He handles the Sierra catalog and other aftermarket stuff.

Click to expand...

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

So can I jump start the engine with the red harness disconected?

emdsapmgr said:

Bombardier does make fuel pump repair kits for some of their fuel pumps. Unfortunately, not for a 73 115. As Wilde says, you will need to get a new one. You can start that engine without the control box plugged in. If you jump the starter (and it will turn the flywheel at 250 rpm,) it will fire the ignition system and get that engine to run. (obviously you need to choke it.) Disconnect the jumper cables once started and it will run all day. Keep in mind, you won't be able to shut off the engine unless you pull all the plug wires, or choke it-since the key switch is disconnected. Disconnecting the red plug (control box) and pulling the plug wires off the plugs, then jumping the starter is a way to do electrical troubleshooting on the key switch (by isolating that control box/key switch from the engine.) I second the opinion that you need a factory service manual.

Click to expand...

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

Yes. You don't necessarily need to start it. What you need to test for is if each plug has solid spark without the control box in the circuit and how that compares with the control box connected. On these older boxes, the factory left a grey wire end inside the control box. This is the tach lead. If you ever needed to add a tach, that was the signal wire from the engine to use to drive the tach. Open up the box and pull that wire stub down thru the hole between the box halves. Don't be confused if you see that wire dangling loose under the control box. Also possible someone may have tried to pickup a neg and pos for the tach from the key switch. Probably not a good idea, but that could explain extra wires.

Re: My basket case '73 Johnson 115hp

thanks for the lead..... Its never easy!! hopefully shes turning by april!