Johnson 3hp seahorse (J3REIA) questions...

Hi,

I am new to this forum (great place!!!) & boating all together...

I recently picked up this motor with a 12' boat. The motor runs fine in neutral but once in gear it chokes at about 50% (and up) open throttle & it tends to slow. I don't understand why it revs ok in neutral but in gear it chokes?

I decided to take the lower end apart & change the gear oil. It came out milky & there was hardly any of it (how much should the box hold?). I ordered all the seals...

Also, I took a look at the impeller, it looks in a good shape, the rubber arms are nice & soft but as I move the shaft there is quite a bit of resistance from the impeller...is this normal, or should it move very freely in its housing?

Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

Re: Johnson 3hp seahorse (J3REIA) questions...

Welcome to iboats we're glad to have you, and you are not being sent away by this answer. I expect some very helpful types will attempt to answer your questions but each answer will lead to more investigation and more questions. Look into getting the repair manual. You can find these in Amazon and Barns&Nobel as well. It may help you in an all around sort of way even though you sound adroit at the DIY.