Re: 115 hp johnson wont idle
Any outboard needs to be in top shape to idle in gear in the lake. There is a lot of backpressure from the water, preventing the exhaust from excaping out the prop. As such, you need to tune the engine so that it runs well in the water, not just on the trailer. A poor idle can be caused by a restriction in the idle passages inside the carb. Easy for them to get restricted with dried fuel over a winter storage period. These carb passages must be cleaned out with a gasoline type cleaner, like a Gumout product-something that will dissolve dried fuel. Also pull the idle jets out for a visual inspection/cleaning. Set the idle speed rpm's between 650 and 750 rpm's when the boat is floating in the water and it is in forward gear.