1986 Johnson 40 Won't Start

[basstender]

Hi Everybody,

I have a 1986 Johnson 40 hp on a 16 foot starcraft. when I fired it up after winter storage in may, it fired right up on the earmuffs in the yard, and seemed to run great. I took it down to the lake, where it started right up again, and ran fine at an idle and pushed the boat fine at low speed. When I tried to open her up, the motor bogged. I lowered the throttle and it seemed to idle fine. I took the cover off, and saw that fuel was dripping from the primer. Upon further inspection, the nipple that connects the fuel line to the primer solenoid was cracked. I putted back to the launch and took her home. Fast forward to last week. I finally got around to installing the new primer, and went to fire the boat back up, and all I get is popping and backfiring. We pulled the carbs and cleaned everything. I have blue spark on both cylinders. I have fuel to both carbs. I've tried spraying gas into the throats, and it does not really try to run. it just putts and backfires.
What am I missing?

 

[racerone]

Pull the flywheel and check the key !!

 

[basstender]

Just because I hate when a thread is left unresolved, We pulled the flywheel to check the key, and everything was good there. While i had it off we cleaned the taper on both sides with some very fine emery cloth, just to shine them up again. We also realized the aperature plate was not moving at all. Upon further inspection, the linkage from the throttle had worked loose from one of the little plastic ball clips and the aperature plate had spun far enough to get hung up on the crankcase, thus, it was way out of time. We spun it back to where it should be, put in a new (used) linkage, and it fired right up.

I took it out on the water, with fresh gas, and when under load, it will not idle. around mid throttle it seems to be surging, then at WOT it runs great. What do I look at next?

Thanks again. People on Iboats are the best!

 

[racerone]

You installed a complete new primer and not the budget repair kit ?

 

[basstender]

The primer was a used unit, supposedly tested and good. Why would the primer have any effect on mid-range throttle?

Thanks!

 

[racerone]

The red lever has to be in the right position.----That simple valve is only used for starting and replaces old time choke flappers.

 

[basstender]

So that valve meters how much fuel goes to carbs when the engine is running? I thought that lever controlled how "big of a shot" of fuel was delivered to the carbs when the primer was engaged.

 

[racerone]

Nope----It is an electric valve that opens when key is pushed in.---It sprays fuel directly into the engine intake if there is pressure to it.-----This fuel bypasses the carburetor bowls.----The pressure would come from the fuel pump if motor is cranking over.---Or from the bulb in the hose.-The red lever is there to manually open this valve to prime the ENGINE with the bulb on the hose.-----Used when you have a dead battery and want to start the engine with a rope.-----Yes this engine can be starter and run with a dead battery !-----Red lever should be inline with valve body for the run position.