1977 115hp Johnson problems

[Chachi420]

Hi, First of all, I need to warn you that I don't know anything about boats or motors, but I'm very excited and eager to learn all about my newest possession. Recently, I just bought my first boat. It is a glorious 1977 Glassmaster 16 with original 1977 Johnson 115hp motor. <br /><br />1) The fiberglass looks to be in good condition, but the deck has some visible wood rot. Is this a big problem, or is there an easy fix for the rotting wood? The whole thing including trailer was only $900, so I think it was an alright deal though. <br /><br />2) The motor fired up on the lot when we tried it out, but it got a little hot after about 5 min on running at idle speed. I was told that it had a new water pump. How can I test the water pump and troubleshoot that water pump? <br /><br />3) The tilt doesn't seem to go all of the way up, though it does go up and down partially. How can I tell if it has enough hydraulic fluid? Where do I add more fluid into the hydraulics, and what kind of fluid? <br /><br />4) When we tried to give the motor some more gas, it started sputtering, so I think the carborator needs cleaning. I've never cleaned a carborator before, but my friend is coming over to show me how hopefully. Any tips?<br /><br />Thanks so much for your help! I'm really enjoying learning about outboard motors. I *could* just take it to the shop, but then I wouldn't learn anything.<br />I hope to take my new boat, which I've named the Deep River Blues, out on the lake this Saturday if possible.<br /><br />Sincerely, <br />Chachi

 

[Chachi420]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

Here is the "Deep River Blues"<br /><br />

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[Chachi420]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

Ok, I found this earlier comment from OBJ April 24, 2006 04:23 PM which relates to my Question #3. <br /><br />

LSSS...when you check the reservoir level, are you checking it with the engine all the way up? If not, you probably don't have enough fluid in the reservoir. This will cause the motor/pump to screech and maybe not tilt the engine at throttle above 1/4.<br /><br />EDIT: When filling, add fluid to the bottom of the fill hole, cycle the engine all the way up and down 3 > 4 times and recheck level. Do this until the fluid level is stable at the bottom of the fill hole.

I'm just curious how to check the reservoir level, and also how to add fluid into the fill hole, and also which one is the fill hole? Thanks!!

 

[vano6990]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

I have a 1976 Ranger bass boat, tri hull with a 1977 Evinrude. My boat was a victim of standing water and:<br /> <br />#1) replaced it and then fiberglassed over it to restore strength. In high trafic areas that is. <br /><br />2) When connected to the muffs you should see water coming from the 6 holes on each side above your prop (not spraying out or anything). Do you have an owners/repair manual?<br /><br />3) Tilt your motor all the way up. Remove the upper screw on the side of the unit. This needs to be filled till level with the hole. E/J power trim tilt fluid.<br /><br />4) Carb kits are simple. I just did mine. Make sure to adjust the floats properly. Clean it good. You will need special tool to remove high speed jets. <br /><br />I am also still learning. Hope this helps.

 

[Chachi420]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

Hi, I fixed the power tilt!! I'm sooo excited. I raised the motor as far as it would go (~25% up), then got my buddy to lift up on the motor while I pressed up on the tilt button. It got unstuck and went all of the way up. I then added more hydraulic fluid into the reservoir (it need a lot of it too). I lubed up the piston rods so they wouldn't stick so bad. I think it is working now, but it is still a little tempermental. <br /><br />We partially took apart the carb, and it looks very clean, so I just put it back together and I'll just spray some carb cleaner in today instead after work when I start up the motor on the lake. I also bought some gumout for the engine. I think she justs needs to be run a little bit to clean out the gummy parts.<br /><br />Today, I'm so excited that I'm taking off work 1hr early and heading to the nearby lake (~10 min away) to give it a trial run on the water. I have two paddles just in case the engine quits, but hopefully everything will be fine.<br /><br />If all goes well, I'll start to try replacing some of the rotting wood. I'm still a little unsure how, but I may need further clarification on that. Do I just rip out the old wood in the floor?<br /><br />I don't yet have an owner's manual, but probably need to get one. So far, I've just gone by the diagram for a 115ETL77 Johnson motor on BRP part catalogs. My engine is actually a 115ETL76G though, and that one is not listed.<br /><br />Thanks for the help Flathead Hunter! I will post updates or more questions as this project rolls along.<br /><br />Cheers!<br />Chachi

 

[ezeke]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

Your motor is a 1976 Johnson which they left off the BRP Johnson list. <br /><br />Use the 1976 115 Evinrude diagrams - Same motor except for the cover and paint.

 

[Chachi420]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

ok, I had a bad experience today on the lake. I think the battery needs charging. I'll try again tomorrow, and hopefully a good battery charge will help out.

 

[Chachi420]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

I took the boat out on the lake today and it went really well--until I ran out of gas! I learned a valuable lesson though to always have an extra gas tank on board. The only problem was that the starter may be sticking a little on the flywheel. Also, once I was running full speed for about 10 min then throttled back down to idle, and then the engine shut off. It started up fairly quickly after that though. Thanks for the help and the forum! I'm sure I'll be posting in here in the future (hopefully with success stories, but likely more questions too).

 

[flech01]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

Chachi420 welcome to the fourm. A manuel is a must it has all the basic repairs and pictures to go along with it. I have the same motor 1976 115hp Johnson. Just remember when you order parts it makes the job alot easier if you say its an Evenrude. I knew nothing about marine repair but with a manuel and alot of help for these guys it make is bearable. <br /><br />As for your rotten wood problem be carefull cuting it out its a pain repairing a slice in the hull (I know this first hand). Also while you have the deck up check the foam underneath. It like to get water logged and weigh your boat down alot. Its not bad to replace and can give you more performance and use less gas. <br /><br />Well I will keep watching your post please keep us informed.

 

[flech01]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

Hey also take a picture of your motor with the cover off so we can get an idea of what shape its in.

 

[Chachi420]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

I don't have a camera, so I can't take a picture of the motor. But, the motor looks very nice and clean, and there is absolutely no rust. The carborator was extremely clean when I bought it, and it had brand new spark plugs. The only thing it may need is a new coil #2. Sometimes, it starts up perfectly, but sometimes it takes a little effort which may be a problem with the starter.<br />Also, as fyi, the water pump is new (or was installed new recently before I bought it) and it seems to be running well. The compression checked out at 125 for each of the 4 cyls.<br /><br />It seems to suck down the gas, so the foam is likely water-logged. My dog was pawing at the floor, so I think that he senses that it is water logged. The boat sat outside uncovered for at least 7 months before I bought it, but was likely uncovered for longer since the boat is a '77.<br /><br />I ran the boat at full speed for several hours today, and I had a blast. The nearby lake is only 10-15 mins from my home and is a lot bigger than I first thought. It has a lot of nice places to go cruising or fishing.

 

[flech01]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

What was your top speed and if you have a tachometer what was it reading?

 

[Chachi420]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

Originally posted by Bill Puter:<br /> What was your top speed and if you have a tachometer what was it reading?

I don't know. It doesn't have that info. Maybe 35 mph? that's just a wild guess.

 

[Chachi420]

Re: 1977 115hp Johnson problems

Ok, so far I have taken the boat out on three occassions, and all were successful except with minor problems. One time, the power tilt/trim didn't work, so I had to lower and raise the motor manually by turning that screw on the power tilt/trim to release the hydraulic pressure. No biggie. Another time, the starter sounds like it's having troubles. This concerns me more in case I'm out fishing and can't get the motor restarted. As long as I don't stop the engine I'm not that worried, but I'd like to kill the engine while I'm fishing for a few hours. I've heard a starter is not that hard or expensive to rebuild. Any thoughts/comments are appreciated. Also, I'm sure the deck is waterlogged, but that is out of my current scope for this boat. I'm just happy now if the engine runs dependably and the boat is not leaking. I'm about to take her out on the lake again today, so I hope it is another successful trip!