1970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

I know this has probably happened to someone else, and really hope i am not the only one. first some history on the motor. i bought the boat and motor last year. ( it had not been run in about 10 years) but i got it going ( and have not rebuilt the carbs at this point) Anyway when running it last year it ran fairly well had a good jump out of the water and would usually hit about 31 mph with two people in the boat. but it would occasionally seem like it was starving for fuel after restarting. well over the winter i did the decarb treatment. and everything was great the first couple of times out i had no issues. This is where it went bad! i have a small kicker motor i use for trolling and switch the fuel line back and fourth between the two engines. anyway after trolling around for a couple of hours i put the line back on the 60 hp squezzed the bulb and now it wont start. ( all three plugs wet fouled) i was able to get her running after sitting a while and swapping plugs.took her home ran her with the muffs and everything was fine. so i was going out again i started the motor the day before and no problems fired right up went to the lake and put it in the water wont start!! all three cylinders flooded ( i never even used the primer bulb )after trolling around for about two hours with the kicker i tried to fire the 60 it started (without the fuel line hooked up) as soon as i hooked up the fuel line the motor flooded out. i would assume that maybe one of the carbs would have a carb float issue or a needle seat problem but not all three

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Well if all three plugs are wet, then i would check three things. Compression (are they within 10% of each-other?) 2nd. Do the spark plugs have a good hot spark? (check with spark tester). Three, when was the last time carb/s were overhauled? Have you done a link and sync? Good luck and post back results.

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

The carb kits are all the same age (or should be) so, if one carb is giving you trouble, then the others are close to doing the same thing. What you are describing is a classic "dirty carb" issue. Once done, you shouldn't have to do it again for at least a year (or more).

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

well i have already done the compression check on all three cylinders it varie's from 115 to 118 and my spark is really hot (no problem there) i went ahead and ordered 3 carb rebuild kits , is there any links here to do the (link and sync mentioned)

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

actually i just rechecked compression and it is up from last year before i did the seafoam treatment now i am getting between 122 on two cylinders and 123 on the center cylinder.so that stuff really works.

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

ok so we know compression is good. After carb/s overhaul and a link & sync, it should run great! Good luck and post results!

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

look for in the top secret files for link & sync!

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

well after further investigation I came upon a problem I didn't know was there.. i found a picture of how the linkage is supposed to be and found mine to be way out of wack , where it shows the measurement of 4 31/32" mine was at about 4 3/4" not much difference but it still was off another thing i saw was the roller for the carbs was not even touching the cam. ( i don't recall it being this way before and the screw was really tight so i don't think it moved. but i corrected everything as per this picture. my carb's were probably fine but i got the rebuild kits cheap so it is probably money well spent..

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

if your talking about the cam roller thats coming from spark advance, its to be that way!

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

i am talking about the roller that touch's the cam in the picture at the far right on mine it was not in contact with the cam it was a half an inch away. in other words at full throttle it was only opening the carb butterflie's to about 3/4 and at idle it wasn't touching the roller at all

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

as you throttle there should be two index marks on turn plate. Carb/s should not start to open in till between those marks. not before and not after. post back results.

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

The linkage adjustments should have no effect on the engine running without the fuel hose hooked up, still sounds like needle/seat problems.

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Well today was spent rebuilding carbs and adjusting everything, first off the carbs looked really good , needle and seats were fine. but since i had the rebuild kits i jumped in and did it anyway. But there was something fishy with the linkage, the way it was before was that the roller that follows the cam was about 3/4 of an inch away so when it did finally hit the cam part it was a good 1/2 inch up from the marks on the cam when it finally hit. so I adjusted it as per the manual so that as the linkage moves it hits the cam right dead center at the mark. then I went to the adjusting of the low speed jets as i found in the top secret file. then I was off tho the lake. got to the lake and put the boat in far enough where i could run it in gear and adjust the idle and also dial in the low speed a little better. also adjusted the starting lever where it is supposed to be. ( I am so glad i got a manual) anyway parked the wagon and went back to the launch ramp and jumped in the boat.. started right up and was simply purring like a kitten. so out past the 5 mph marker , i went and full throttle here we go. ( I don't believe this is the same motor!!!!!!!) i have never got on plane quicker. and top speed was also much improved. 36 mph by my fish finder speedometer that is an incredible increase from before. the best i had ever got before was about 26 or 27 mph. so all is good for now , will just have to see if the phantom flooding comes back or not. crossing my fingers for now..

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Glad you got your problem solved, happy boating.

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Re: !970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Well there ya go. Have fun and enjoy yourself. Any other issues or questions, don't hesitate to ask. Good luck.

Re: 1970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

thanks for all the help folks, these motors are kinda strange to me , i have worked on lots of 2 cycle motorcycles but that is the extent of my knowledge and from here on in i am on a learning curve so to speak.This particular boat only cost me a 100 bucks but at this point I am at about 1000 total and that included my downriggers fishfinder and a 6 hp kicker i picked up for trolling the newest addition was a used calkins trailer that really fits the boat well and is a dream for solo launching. i had a barn find last year that I rescued and sold to a collector so in reality this boat was free so tho speak but I still have regrets for the one I let go 1959 american marc catamarine .

Re: 1970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

this is it's humble replacement

Re: 1970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

Okay guys thanks for all the help so far, it seamed as though my problem was solved, but it has done it again, when I took it out after the rebuild i never shut it off until I left the lake . then I took it out again and ran it then when I shut it off it wouldn't start. the plugs aren't wet so i am thinking it is my fuel pump at this point and since it looks to be original, that might be the culprit at this point. well i took it apart and allthought the rubber diaphram wasn't ruptured it was very much distorted like maybe the time i over pumped the bulb, i strecthed it to the point of no return, and like an idiot i didn't test it before i took it apart! does sierra make a replacement pump for my motor i have looked around and found nothing specific for my motor 1960 johnson 60esl70d i think the stock pump has been superceded to #0438559 , but since sierra pumps are cheaper i was looking at one from them that might work #18-7353

Re: 1970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

well i think at this point my problem might be completely different than what i had expected. i went to my local marine shop and had a chance to speak with a mechanic. and although everything i have done so far wont hurt. he didn't think the fuel delivery was my problem !! and i an tending to believe him as i told him i didn't have much money to bring it in to have them figure it out, he was more than willing to tell me what he thought it might be and how to rectify it. the first thing he asked was if there was a difference between on the water running and on muffs and also if i had done a tuner treatment to it or a seafoam treatment. my answer to this was yes i did the seafoam treatment this past fall then he took be out into the shop to show me what he had just done with a similar motor to mine where the customer was having the same problem as i was.. what had happened was a big chunk of carbon had fallen out after the treatment and had lodged itself in the exhaust and was creating a backpressue issue hence the reason i was having problems more on the water than off the water on muffs.I would also tend to believe him because he said this is something i could do myself by removing the powerhead and just buy a gasket and do it myself as opposed to having to bring it in to him. he also said he would let me bring the carbs to him off the motor and make sure that i had done the low speed needles correctly and install the new teflon bushings that are required (i felt they were over my head and didn't replace them) at a cost of only 1 hr service rate. and he would also pull off the bowls to check the float adjustments and so on. (stand up guy) he also said after i get the carbon cleaned out and the motor back together to bring it in and he would do the timing and link and sync, idle and timing for just a 1 hour service rate.

Re: 1970 johnson 60 hp flooding issue

well i am at my wits end, i went ahead and removed the powerhead and no chunk of carbon as i saw in the other motor the mechanic had showed me. and after inspection i would say that this motor has really low hours on it, the mechanic advised me he still thinks there could be a big chunk of carbon way down in the lower unit blocking the exhaust flow but i really don't think that is the case. is it possible that maybe my problem is a faulty amplifier? do these things go out intermintendly? i did when I purchased the boat found that the wires coming from it were corroded and the shielding was worn off . i did however splice in new wires and when i checked the amplifier box before it was fine.