1955 johnson 3hp outboard help???

[Tims jonboat]

First like to thank the guys who answered my questions about electric trolling motor vs. small outboard motor. Well I have taken your advice and bought an older johnson 3 hp. seahorse outboard for my 10ft. jonboat. The guy who sold it to me fired it up on the first pull, great so i bought it. Put it in the water fired right up first pull for me but didn't move the boat Come to find out it had a broken sheer pin. Replaced the pin and put the prop back on, took it out today and pulled and pulled and pulled Dam nothing is easy is it. I don't know anything about boat motors so i took it to a marina and the guy said maybe it was the points or the coils??? It is water cooled and definatley it had water running through it yesterday but today the dam think wouldn't start. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I know it is a good motor but when i started it yesterday three time is it possible that the coil or points were damaged??? Hey i had oars and still caught some nice fish!! Not a bad day.

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1955 johnson 3hp outboard help???

Did you open the gas valve? Did you open the vent on the gas cap? If yes, check for spark to the plugs.

 

[film495]

Re: 1955 johnson 3hp outboard help???

maybe you flooded it - don't open the throttle the whole way when you start it - just open it to the start setting. also, you may want to take the spark plugs out and let it sit like that for an hour or so - so, if there is a ton of gas in the cylinder it will just evaporate. then try starting again. I doubt the sheer pin has anything to do with it not starting all of a sudden. If it started good a couple times, probably something in the start procedure changed - and if you kept squeezing the primer bulb - you can force gas past the carb into the engine and flood it out pretty easy. I have a 68 evinrude and actually flooded it out today and this same trick worked.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: 1955 johnson 3hp outboard help???

there is no primer bulb on a 3 hp.

 

[rustyh]

Re: 1955 johnson 3hp outboard help???

should have a pressurized tank to go with this motor if no tank will not get gas to the carb b/cause has no fuel pump the pressure in tank forces fuel in

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: 1955 johnson 3hp outboard help???

should have a pressurized tank to go with this motor if no tank will not get gas to the carb b/cause has no fuel pump the pressure in tank forces fuel in

Not true. The 3 HPs have a built in tank and are gravity fed.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: 1955 johnson 3hp outboard help???

Back to troubleshooting:
Make sure the tank is full of gas, somewhere between 20:1 to 24:1 mixture (long running point of debate....)
Make sure the gas shut-off valve and gas tank vent are open.

Check the spark with a spark tester, available at an auto parts store. It should jump a 3/8" gap with a nice blue spark.

To save yer arms when troubleshooting, it is possible to take off the recoil starter (1 piece assembly, 4 screws at the top) and chuck up a socket in a drill to spin the motor (clockwise).

If you have spark, and assuming you have compression (it did run before....), and gas is getting to the carb, then the problem is in the carb.

 

[Tims jonboat]

Re: 1955 johnson 3hp outboard help???

there is no primer bulb on a 3 hp.

yes Whaler there is no primer bulb on a 55 johnson and it is gravity fed. Think I found the solution to the problem. I pulled the plugs and the cylinders were flooded, will let it sit for a day or 2 and fire it up. It should no longer be an issue I hope!! If it is, I still have the oars and I am still catching fish. Better then a day at work.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: 1955 johnson 3hp outboard help???

I have two 1950's 3 HP's sitting in the garage. I alternate using them as kickers in some of the restricted HP lakes around here. They are very good little motors. I've not had flooding issues with them, however. Almost sounds as if the float was getting stuck open.....