1976 Johnson 135HP Please help

Hey guys...really need help with this problem I am having so I am turning to the real experts, the guys and gals that have owned and delt with engines before. I am a first time boat owner so please bear with me. I have a 1976 Johnson 135HP engine with the following issues:

#1) Took boat to lake for first time after boat rebuild a couple months ago. I started the engine at home with muffs and it started within a few cranks, let idle for a minute or so, then shut off. So next day I take to lake, and it takes me 15 minutes to get started(Why so hard to crank in water?????). Once started I put into gear and cruised about 500 yds past NO WAKE buoys and throttled down and she ran smooth. I idled down to check out something on fishfinder and when I went to throttled up again, NOTHING. You could hear the rpms go up but never would go back in gear. So I idled all the way back to dock. Got home checked a few things, restarted n muffs, shfted in gear and made some adjustments...

#2) Yesterday, again, after 3 months of hard work and family business, put on muffs at house, cranked right up within a couple tries, tested cables, shift, idle, everything...it seemed better, took back to lake, tried to start..NOTHING this time. Would not start for anything.

So I guess my questions are: Why will the engine start on muffs but not when in the water?? -and- When it did start, what would keep it from going into gear when she just went into gear a few minutes earlier??

Somebody please give me some insight on where to start with this thing. I am very mechanically inclined so can do the work myself but need someone to tell me where to start and finsih. Thanks everybody in advance for your help.

Re: 1976 Johnson 135HP Please help

jayfisherman said:

So I guess my questions are: Why will the engine start on muffs but not when in the water?? -and- When it did start, what would keep it from going into gear when she just went into gear a few minutes earlier??

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On muffs there is no backpressure on the exhaust. Were your RPMs a bit too high when you tried to shift in gear on the water?

Re: 1976 Johnson 135HP Please help

Is it cranking fast enough? Must be 200 rpm MINIMUM, or it will crank and crank and not start.

Melted charge coils will aggrivate the above problem. Or not start at all.

Is the choke closing all the way? Is the choke knob set on automatic (pulled half way out)? Have you tried manually choking it (Pull the knob all the way out and/or pushing it all the way in)?

Once running, you say it revs up, but doesn't push the boat? Does it push the boat at all? If so, you probably have a spun (slipping) propeller hub.

Re: 1976 Johnson 135HP Please help

Bonair...RPMs were running about 650-700 on water (1000rpm on muffs out of water)...the first time I put it in, it was hard to start but once cranked she almost purred like a kitten, idled out past bouys, throttled up and she ripped it...throttled down back to idle speed for 3-4 minutes, then went to throttle up again and although she reved, she never went faster than idle speed (1.5mph)...

F_R...Okay it did push the boat, like I said above, about 1.5mph...all the way back to ramp. I checked the cranking amps and its spinning just under 200rpms when cranking engine. Enigne has a manual warm up lever and a electric push choke in ignition. When I checked that on muffs the other day choke was closing completely when running.

Keep it coming guys...all the help you can give would be appreciated..especially in this tough economy.