Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

[Newyota]

Newbie here.Need to pull power head to tighten three loose bolts on steering shaft.I got the lower unit off,which was a pain.Could not get linkage out of brass clamping block for awhile.Now I took the 6 bolts out of lower pan that go into the engine base.Now what.I see two motor mounts.Is there another somewhere I cannoty see?Looks like I nee to remove the throttle cable and wireing for the kill switch?Does air intake and pull start need to come off?Also, there are two big phillips screws on each side of main leg below power head.Do they nee to come off?thanks

 

[the machinist]

Re: Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

Welcome to iboats. Unless you have a lot of mechanical ability, you are asking questions that you need a service manual on. You have 3 motor mounts, & one on the lower outside & under the RH water jacket. Yes, on the cable & wiring. You can usually leave the carb & starter on. The large Phillips screws hold the upper motor mounts into the inner of the upper exhaust housing, they have nothing to do with removing the powerhead.

You might go to http://www.leeroysramblings.com where there is a complete article in the outboard repair section on powerhead repairs which includes removing it.

 

[Newyota]

Re: Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

Welcome to iboats. Unless you have a lot of mechanical ability, you are asking questions that you need a service manual on. You have 3 motor mounts, & one on the lower outside & under the RH water jacket. Yes, on the cable & wiring. You can usually leave the carb & starter on. The large Phillips screws hold the upper motor mounts into the inner of the upper exhaust housing, they have nothing to do with removing the powerhead.

You might go to http://www.leeroysramblings.com where there is a complete article in the outboard repair section on powerhead repairs which includes removing it.

Thanks for the response and the link.I figured someone would tell me to get a service manual, but no where to get one last evening when I was doing the job.Figured someone on here should know the basic on removal of this since it is a very common motor, or a write-up on this site, but I could not find much information on here.The phillip screw were the only thing I think I was not sure of.Parts manual was not much help for showing where they went to.ts again.

 

[the machinist]

Re: Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

After sleeping on this question, my question to you is just what 3 loose bolts on the steering shaft are you referring to? I have been intimate with about all of the parts on these motors as that is what I specialize in, and for the life of me can not figure out what bolts would need tightening that require removing the powerhead.

Please post a photo or ID the part number.

 

[Newyota]

Re: Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

After sleeping on this question, my question to you is just what 3 loose bolts on the steering shaft are you referring to? I have been intimate with about all of the parts on these motors as that is what I specialize in, and for the life of me can not figure out what bolts would need tightening that require removing the powerhead.

Please post a photo or ID the part number.

The bolts are what thread into the pivot shaft.You can see the heads on two of them and a groung wire is connected to one of them that goes to the power head, but the third cannot be seen until the you can get the power head off then the main "leg" if that is what you call it where the exhaust goes thru.Only then can you access them to tighten.Not sure how else to describe them.Unless you have better tools than I I do not know how you could tighten them.?

 

[Newyota]

Re: Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

The bolts are what thread into the pivot shaft.You can see the heads on two of them and a groung wire is connected to one of them that goes to the power head, but the third cannot be seen until the you can get the power head off then the main "leg" if that is what you call it where the exhaust goes thru.Only then can you access them to tighten.Not sure how else to describe them.Unless you have better tools than I I do not know how you could tighten them.?

Believe they go thru the tiller arm bracket to the pivot shaft.

 

[the machinist]

Re: Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

After looking at the photo you sent me. Yes, these 3 bolts are buried under the powerhead & attach the tiller arm to the pivot bracket. There are 2 rear arms extending rearward beahind the 2 bolts into the exhaust housing (thru rubber grommets) which are the location where the upper motor mounts attach to. In all my tinkering on these motors, I have never seen them come loose. Nor have I ever had any reason to remove them/even a need to check for tightness. I guess that is why I questioned which you were referring to.

 

[gozierdt]

Re: Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

I'm in the middle of renovating 3- 15 hp johnsonrudes, (Making huge use of "Leeroy's Ramblings"- thanks Machinist) and I also wonder why you think these bolts are loose. What is the symptom you are trying to fix. One thing I can think of is that the rubber mounts between the pivot shaft and the midsection housing are worn out. One of my engines has this problem. So tell us what you are trying to fix, and we'll give you the benefit of our experience.

 

[Newyota]

Re: Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

What made me "think" and knowing these were loose was that you could grab the motor at the top and grap the skeg or bottom of the main leg and rock it back and forth while it was locked in!!I had just bought the boat the day prior to and this was my first boat and was greasing the pivot shaft fitting when I found the play in it.Very obvious.At first I thought it was the bushing in the pivot shaft, but upon closer look I could see the bolt heads moving around barely since they are almost hidden.The one bolt is completely hidden until you take the power unit off.I did make some videos and put them on youtube.Did not put one on of before the repair to show the slop, just after.I did find other posts on this same problem here on this site so it is not unheard of.Glad I spent the time to do it.Seems like a much more solid motor now as you could imagine.There was no slop in the two bolts and rubber mounts.

 

[topkat]

Re: Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

I'm in the middle of renovating 3- 15 hp johnsonrudes, (Making huge use of "Leeroy's Ramblings"- thanks Machinist) and I also wonder why you think these bolts are loose. What is the symptom you are trying to fix. One thing I can think of is that the rubber mounts between the pivot shaft and the midsection housing are worn out. One of my engines has this problem. So tell us what you are trying to fix, and we'll give you the benefit of our experience.

I have the same issue on my 1988 Johnson J15RCCS, the motor moves forward and back so much that it hits the stern bracket. I am assuming the upper rubber mounts are shot. Does the lower end and power head have to be removed to replace these? I have ordered the repair manuel for the unit, but, won't receive it until next week. I just picked up this motor two weeks ago, they seemed sloppy then, but after a day in Puget Sound, now they're shot. A mechanic advised me to put a SE Sport fin on the motor prior to using it on my boat. I'm now thinking this may have helped them go bad so quickly.

 

[Newyota]

Re: Newbie -removing power head on 9.9 johnson 1988

Check the three bolts like I did and see if they are loose.You can see this by rocking the engine back and forth and looking in the space where the ground wire goes to the bolts if that makes sense.You can see the head of the bolt moving if they are loose.The one bolt is impossible to see and the other two you can see.