I'm new to the forums here, which I found when trying to get some troubleshooting information online. I'm helping my grandparents with their pontoon boat, which has a 2005 40 HP Johnson/Bombardier 4-stroke. It was installed new to replace our previous Evinrude 15HP 2-stroke from the 90's, that came with the boat when it was new.
My background, in addition to being an engineer, includes doing service work on 5 Ford SHO's (of Yamaha fame), so I think that I should probably be able to tackle working on the boat without too much trouble.
Ever since the Johnson 40HP was installed, I haven't been terribly impressed with things, as the idle has been rough (at least for the majority of the time) and I can't say I've seen a huge performance change in the boat.
More recently, there have been problems with shifting between neutral and forward gear - where the boat will stall if not handled just-so. The engine would also surge or drop RPM when steering. I was the only one able to drive it without it stalling, and I suspected the throttle cables were probably shot and replaced them before the boat hit the water this year. All of the plastic retainers on the throttle side were broken.
Unfortunately, the throttle cable replacement did not solve all our problems. I adjusted the new cables to ensure that I could go from idle to WOT, and that shifting properly took place.
During the boat's first voyage with the new cables, it felt that WOT could not be reached and so I adjusted the set screw on that cable. Eventually, the boat died and would only restart briefly before stalling out again. Finally, no starting occurred at all. We had to be towed in and I haven't had luck getting things started since.
I plan on purchasing the factory service manual ($60-$70) for reference, but it has to be ordered. The shop wants $250 just to tow in the boat, as we don't have a trailer. They also said changing the plugs would be the first thing they try. I figure I can probably set things right for less and learn something in the process.
Can anyone tell me if there is a specific procedure to follow in order to properly align the two cables? I'd like to ensure they are properly set, then change the plugs, and see if the motor will run again.
I would appreciate any commentary on this particular model and any caveats or common failures it may have associated with it.
This boat doesn't see many hours of use per season, but I do know that my uncle changed the oil last year. Are there any other common maintenance parts / filters that I should consider picking up and changing at the same time I replace the plugs?
Thanks!
My background, in addition to being an engineer, includes doing service work on 5 Ford SHO's (of Yamaha fame), so I think that I should probably be able to tackle working on the boat without too much trouble.
Ever since the Johnson 40HP was installed, I haven't been terribly impressed with things, as the idle has been rough (at least for the majority of the time) and I can't say I've seen a huge performance change in the boat.
More recently, there have been problems with shifting between neutral and forward gear - where the boat will stall if not handled just-so. The engine would also surge or drop RPM when steering. I was the only one able to drive it without it stalling, and I suspected the throttle cables were probably shot and replaced them before the boat hit the water this year. All of the plastic retainers on the throttle side were broken.
Unfortunately, the throttle cable replacement did not solve all our problems. I adjusted the new cables to ensure that I could go from idle to WOT, and that shifting properly took place.
During the boat's first voyage with the new cables, it felt that WOT could not be reached and so I adjusted the set screw on that cable. Eventually, the boat died and would only restart briefly before stalling out again. Finally, no starting occurred at all. We had to be towed in and I haven't had luck getting things started since.
I plan on purchasing the factory service manual ($60-$70) for reference, but it has to be ordered. The shop wants $250 just to tow in the boat, as we don't have a trailer. They also said changing the plugs would be the first thing they try. I figure I can probably set things right for less and learn something in the process.
Can anyone tell me if there is a specific procedure to follow in order to properly align the two cables? I'd like to ensure they are properly set, then change the plugs, and see if the motor will run again.
I would appreciate any commentary on this particular model and any caveats or common failures it may have associated with it.
This boat doesn't see many hours of use per season, but I do know that my uncle changed the oil last year. Are there any other common maintenance parts / filters that I should consider picking up and changing at the same time I replace the plugs?
Thanks!
