1988 88HP johnson wet fouled plugs

I have an 1988 88HP Johnson that I just purchased. It was out of the water for 2 seasons. According to the old owner, it ran great before storage.(Friend of a friend) I replaced the plugs with what was there NKG BR7hs gapped at .040. It starts right up, but smokes,and runs rough low or high idle. I pulled the new plugs and they all were completely covered with what looks like oil or a wet carbon. The plug wires look OK.<br /><br />Could the gas be bad? Should I try and pump the tank out and start fresh? I know there is (was) a gas stabilizer in the mix. I'm tempted to just put in a small amount of fresh gas w/o oil but since I'm not sure exactly what is in there...<br /><br />The boat is a 1988 Sunbird. 1/2 tank of gas<br /><br />I should state that this is my first boat. I'm familiar with car engines, but not so much with 2 cycle, or boat motors.<br /><br />So far this boat has been quite an adventure, I've learned alot but I would really like to get it in the water soon!

Re: 1988 88HP johnson wet fouled plugs

Old No 7,<br /><br />Let's see, where do I start. You have all kinds of "opportunities" here.<br /><br />1. Forget the old fuel. Get it out, start fresh.<br /><br />2. You may have already fouled the carburetors. A 2-stroke engine will destroy itself with fouled carbs. Disassemble/clean and rebuild them. Use John/Rude kits.<br /><br />3. Lose the KGB plugs. Use ONLY Champions in that engine (QL77JC4, or Champion equivelant). The .040" gap is OK and is better if you idle a lot.<br /><br />4. Service the water pump. I suggest a whole new "kit".<br /><br />5. Change the lower unit fluid. Replace the fill/drain plug seals. <br /><br />6. GET A MANUAL. It's the best $30.00 you'll ever spend. Look here.<br /><br /><br /> http://www.outboardrepairs.com/manuals/ <br /><br />Since you do not know the history of this engine, you may want to do this also.<br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=000016

Re: 1988 88HP johnson wet fouled plugs

A few things about motors that have sat for that long. It will need a new Water Pump installed right away. Odds are the Carbs. are clogged up with old fuel deposits and are causing your fouling problem. They will need to be disassembled and cleaned. The lower unit fluid also needs to be drained and refilled, checking for signs of water intrusion when you do this. You might invest in a portable 6 Gallon tank and pre-mix your fuel 50:1 in there and try it again. That would eliminate the old fuel in the main tank as being the culprit. A Manual will get you far and is nessesary if you plan on working on this yourself. Also, do yourself a favor and quit running the NGK spark plugs and go to Champion QL77JC4's. OMC products run better with them and they are cheap. Gap at .040 as before..

Re: 1988 88HP johnson wet fouled plugs

Dang, DJ. Sounds like dejavu on the posts. That's scary!!!!

Re: 1988 88HP johnson wet fouled plugs

Thanks, I have rebuilt the water pump, and changed the oil and seals in the lower unit. I have the Johnson service manual as well as the Clymers.<br /><br />This may be a dumb question, but how do I get the gas out of the tank? Do boat tanks have a drain? or do I get a manual fuel pump and take it out through the fill tube?<br /><br />I only ran the motor for about 15 minutes, could the carbs have fouled in that short a time?<br /><br />Thanks again!<br /><br />Mike

Re: 1988 88HP johnson wet fouled plugs

Glad to hear that most of the checklist is done. <br /><br />Yep, you have to pump it out. After that, I would isnstall a decent fuel/water seperator. Look here.<br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cgi?prod_id=459&current_category=fuel filter&*******=715923359 <br /><br />Running it didn't help, it's the two year old stuff in the carbs that is your worry. Personally, I wouldn't take any chances. That's a nice engine. Rebuild the carbs and start fresh. It won't take that long.

Re: 1988 88HP johnson wet fouled plugs

You should be able to disconnect the fuel line from the engine, cut the connector of and start puming the primer bulb to get the flow going. It should take over from there. Use gas containers to catch the gas and dump it in your car...