1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

[flb561]

So i cleaned the carbs and basically anything i could get into.... replaced the power pack, clean 50/1 gas and a good battery.....i turn the key or jump over the solenoid on the engine, both turn the started at good speed but nothing seems to happen - where should i go from here? anything to look for ? spark plugs seem to be a bit worn


Thanks in advance! Kyle

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

Have you got a strong spark at all the plugs? Compression? Kill switch tripped? What are your starting procedures?

 

[boobie]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

Check your spark on an open air gap spark tester set at 7/16". If that's okay squirt some fuel in the carb throats and see what happens.

 

[racerone]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

Pushing the key in while cranking ??

 

[flb561]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

ive tried pushing the key in, both holding it down and pushing it periodically. - raceron

will be trying a spark tester, was planning on trying to buy one today,..... squirt fuel in thru the spark plug holes as well? - boobie


the kill switch was bad so i cut it and spliced the leads, will replace eventually. as far as compression and spark i am unsure but will be checking as my next step. ive tried to ways of starting
1) connecting battery, prime the bulb, choke is on then turn to run after several cranks, then turn the key while pushing it in periodically
2) also to try to avoid any electrical faults or sensors i have disconnected the red plug on the motor and tried to start this way, by jumpimg over the solenoid? same result, engine cranks and fly wheel spins at a good rate, seems to want to kick but never catches
- bhile

 

[flb561]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

i disconnected the red plug on the motor, to me meaning i bypassed and source of cut of or electrical fault, safeties on the boat.....have replaced the power pack and starter, the starer was burnt and the power pack when tested was bad, whats left that could cause no start ? the stator, way to test this ? the spark plugs and power packs are old, but i feel as if they all could not be bad and even if some were bad i would get some fire out of the engine.
- once again thanks for any input on this! this is my granfathers boat and have fully restored the boat, minus kill switch, and would rather not have to install a new motor

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

When you choke and crank the engine for 20 seconds, turn it off and pull a couple of spark plugs out. Are they wet or dry? That will tell you something. You can also use an inductive timing light to check for spark on each plug lead-as you crank the engine over. You will find that engine will seen to run fine while on the trailer when firing on 3 to 6 cyls, so make sure you have spark on all 6 plug leads.

 

[flb561]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

wet i assume would mean no spark ? and if dry this would mean ? also if i do have spark on several but not all cylanders the engine would kick over, but run rough correct ? thanks again

 

[racerone]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

You cut the leads on the kill switch and then " spliced them together " why did you put them together ?---That is the same as turning the key off.

 

[boobie]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

Agree +1.......

 

[flb561]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

the kill switch was dry and cracked apart.... i assumed with out the button pushed down the switch would be tripped and the circuit opened not letting the engine start.... by ur statement im assuming by doing this i closed a circuit that needs to be open to run the motor...should i simply just leave the wires apart or woould i have to put a new switch on ?

 

[stratos150xp]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

Just leave them apart, tape them up so they dont short out....fix that problem when you get it running....check the trigger...

ISSUU - CDI Electronics Troubleshooting Guide - 2012 by CDI Electronics

Heres a goid read for the ignition system, save a bunch of questions, good luck.

 

[flb561]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

rookie mistake thanks for the catch, just read up on how kill switches operate

thank you, plan on testing the stator and timing base tommorrow after work

thanks for the link !

 

[stratos150xp]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

I just went though an issue on my 88 evinrude 150, weak spark on one bank, ended up bein the stator....i got mine figured out before i found that link, but its still something im gonna hold onto, itll be useful in the future im sure....good luck

 

[flb561]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

how efficient is your evinrude? out of curiosity. i run a 250 yamaha on a 22 pathfinder and get 2 to 3 depending on weight/weather/etc. if this motor isnt i feel as if a more current model would be beneficial. im going to have to replace all the plugs and packs indefinately as well as the stator and/or trigger im almost sure

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

Wet plugs indicate it's getting fuel, but no spark. Dry plugs indicate it's not getting fuel. If you have both, but may not be firing on all cyls, likely the engine will fire, might even run on 3 or 4 cyls.

 

[flb561]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

Things You'll Need
4 Jumper wires
Spark tester
Digital multimeter

Instructions
1
Inspect the exterior of the power pack for physical damage. Unplug the 5-pin Amphenol connector that has a black wire with yellow stripes protruding from the power pack; this effectively disconnects half of the wiring harness. The plug is located between the power pack and the ignition coil mounting plate beneath the flywheel.

2
Plug the four jumper wires into terminals A, B, C and D on both of the parts of the 5-pin Amphenol connector to isolate the terminal E. Tag the spark plug wires with pre-wired paper tags, to indicate which wire serves each plug. Twist and disconnect the spark plug leads.


3
Connect the alligator clip of a spark tester to the engine block. Connect the the plug wire from the no. 1 plug to the spark tester. Crank the motor while watching the spark tester. A spark indicates the problem is in the stop circuit.

4
Remove the jumper wires. Set the multimeter to "ohms." Place one multimeter probe in terminal E and the other on the engine ground; with the emergency stop clip in place and the key switch in the run position, the multimeter must show low or zero resistance. Remove the clip and press the stop button. If the multimeter does not show low or zero resistance, replace the stop button.

5
Turn the key switch to the "On" position. Remove the black and yellow wire from the key switch. If the meter shows high or infinite resistance, replace the key switch. Reconnect all wiring.

6
Look for an open circuit along the black and yellow lead or an open circuit on the black and white lead from the power pack, if the engine fails to shut down after normal operation. Reconnect or replace the wires as necessary. If there are no open circuits inspect the key switch and the power pack for hidden physical damage and replace as required.

 

[flb561]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

thanks for everyones help! got it kicked over, runs for about a minute and dies out, next will be checking if all cylanders recieve spark

 

[stratos150xp]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

If it runs for a minute, check your primer bulb when it dies, make sure its not sucked flat.....ive had this problem before, and figured it out AFTER i rebuilt three carbs,

As far as your question earlier about the efficiency of my motor, i honestly havent got to take this boat out yet since ive had it fixed,..was gonna take it out today, but it rained too much,,,,,,

 

[flb561]

Re: 1988 Johnson 150 - Engine wont star, need some advice!

i was running the motor on a 2 gallon portable tank bc the main tank needs cleaning, the motor wasnt recieving enough fuel. fixed the problem with a tighter seal bt the tank and gas line...the primer bulb was soft when running

thanks for the help and hope u can take that trip soon with some much need sunny florida weather