Please Help!! 1988 15hp

[sparkyd]

I have a 15 horse johnson. It has never ran right since day one. Today i have decided it is time to run proper or get rid of it. While working on it i noticed lots of play between the midsection and the shift tube. How do i go about inspecting this and what could it possibly be. I have around an inch of play and when running the motor if you raise or lower the tiller handle you can see the motor move and hear a change of load on the motor. Any help would be great

 

[Solittle]

Re: Please Help!! 1988 15hp

A picture would help.

 

[sparkyd]

Re: Please Help!! 1988 15hp

I will try to get one up tonight any clues in the mean time?

 

[crxess]

Re: Please Help!! 1988 15hp

I think you just described broken mounts.

 

[Fisherball]

Re: Please Help!! 1988 15hp

Spend $30.00 & buy a book! It'll pay for itself the first time you use it.

 

[sparkyd]

Re: Please Help!! 1988 15hp

Hey crxess how difficult are mounts to change and what can be the cause?

 

[kbait]

Re: Please Help!! 1988 15hp

Mounts cost $130, and require powerhead removal. Not too bad of a job, but not cheap! I love my 15, so I did it this spring. My buddy had the same problem, and he found a $45 'donor' motor w/blown powerhead (and good mounts). We just switched his powerhead and lower unit onto the donor, and it's fine. We have lots of spare parts now too!! Good luck! ps.. the motor mounts are inside the exhaust housing, and fail over time as the rubber gets eaten away by exhaust gasses. My buddy knows his isn't a 'new' fix, but it works for now...