1973 20 hp won't run

casey_smith193

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Jan 18, 2013
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I just recently bought a flat bottom boat with a 1973 20 hp Johnson. The motor runs but only if yhou squirt gas/oil mixture into the carb. I've pulled the fuel lines and made sure they were getting fuel through them, with the same results. I then pulled the carb off and cleaned the outer components(which were pretty clean already). It's acting like it isn't getting any fuel on its own. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance!!
 

Joe Reeves

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Feb 24, 2002
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Re: 1973 20 hp won't run

Cleaned the outer components?

The carburetor is fouled, not allowing fuel to flow thru the passageways, especially the high speed jey located in the bottom center portion of the float chamber. Dismantle and clean the carburetor thoroughly.
 

casey_smith193

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Re: 1973 20 hp won't run

Thanks Joe for the help. By the outer components I meant to say I pulled off the bowl and cleaned the float and the brass tube. Today I pulled the carb again and removed the bowl again. This time i pull the drain plug, I'm assuming that's what it was. I stuck the straw of the carb cleaner into the hole and found another port hole straight across from the plug hole that was plugged off. Runs like a champ now! Thanks for the help. Now the only problem is it tries to kick out of forward gear. The shift control lever looks like it may be wore out and there is a lot of slop in the forward gear. Maybe just need to find a new lever?
 

boobie

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Re: 1973 20 hp won't run

You may have a lot of slip in the fwd gr due to loose shift linkage or else a worn fwd gr and clutch dog.
 

Joe Reeves

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Re: 1973 20 hp won't run

Today I pulled the carb again and removed the bowl again. This time i pull the drain plug, I found another port hole straight across from the plug hole that was plugged off. Runs like a champ now!

That "port hole" as you call it, if it is the brass item directly and way in back of the drain plug/bolt, near the center portion of the float chamber.... that is the high speed jet I mentioned. Fuel must flow thru that perfectly before the fuel can flow to and thru any other fuel passageway.

Jumping out of gear... Like Boobie states, that could simply be play in the linkage or a misadjusted shift cable, whatever. Without actually being there... difficult to say. However, here's some info pertaining to that common problem.

(Jumping Out Of Gear - Manual Type)
(J. Reeves)

This pertains to lower units on all OMC manual shift outboard engines, or any OMC engine with lower units defined as a Shift Assist or a Hydro Electric Shift unit which incorporates a "Shifter Clutch Dog".

Within the lower unit, splined to the prop shaft is what is most often referred to as a clutch dog, hereafter simply called dog. The dog has at least two lobes protruding from it on both ends, facing both forward and reverse gear. The forward and reverse gears also have lobes built into them near their center area. When the engine is running, in neutral, the gears are spinning constantly via the driveshaft being connected directly to the powerhead crankshaft, but the propeller does not turn due to the fact that the dog is centered between the two gears, and the dog lobes are not touching either of the gear lobes.

When the unit is put into either gear, shift linkages force the dog (and its lobes of course) to engage the lobes of the gear. The lobes of the spinning gear grab the lobes of the dog, and since the dog is splined to the prop shaft, the propeller turns.

The lobes of the dog and gears are precisely machined, most with right angled edges that could be installed in either direction, and some with angles slightly varied that must be installed in one direction only (one end only must face the propeller). Dogs that can be installed in one direction only, if reversed, even if the dog and both gears were new.... would jump out of gear almost immediately. Keep in mind that the lobes are precisely machined with sharp angles!

Due to improper adjustment or worn shift linkages, but usually due to improper slow shifting, those precisely machined sharp edges of the lobes become slightly rounded. Now, with those lobes rounded, as the rpms increase, the pressure of the gear lobes upon the dog lobes increases to a point whereas they are forced apart (jumping out of gear), and due (usually) to the shift cable keeping tension on the engines shift linkages..... the unit is forced back into gear giving one the sensation that the engine has hit something, and the cycle continues.

Some boaters with manual shift engines have the mistaken belief that shifting slowly is taking it easy on all of the shifting components..... Wrong! Shifting slowly allows those precisely machined sharp edges of the dog and gears to click, clank, bang, slam against each other many times before they are finally forced into alignment with each other..... and this is what rounds those edges off! The proper way to shift is to snap the unit into gear as quickly as possible.
 

casey_smith193

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Jan 18, 2013
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Re: 1973 20 hp won't run

That's exactly what it does Joe. When on the water and RPM's increase, it kicks in and out rapidly and the shift lever moves back and forth. Thanks again Joe and Bobbie! Y'all are awesome!!
 
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