What to do now

[bozza_boatie]

My 4hp Johnson seahorse which i believe is a mid 80's model seized about a year ago. I decieded to pull apart the motor and try fix it. <br /><br />With a little help from Clymer repair manual( I stress a little because it didnt have anything helpful) I pulled apart the engine right down to the cylinder which had rusted causing it to stop moving hence seize. So a hit it out with a hammer and now it is moving. <br /><br />Now i have to put the engine back togeather. I have some Questions though.<br /> <br />1. Do i have to put any product or lubricant inside the head to make the cylinder move easier?<br /><br />2. Do i have to replace any parts (other then the gaskets) as they all seem to be in good working order?<br /><br />3. Can I use only 1 piston ring on one of the cylinders.<br /><br />4. How do I know if the engine has good compression.<br /><br />Any other advice that i may find helpful in my rebuilt please tell me?<br /><br />Bozza

 

[petrolhead]

Re: What to do now

Why did the cylinders rust for a start? Are they scored? Badly?<br /><br />1. Normal gas/oil mix should be all you need. But it might be an idea to turn it over a few times with the plugs out (and grounded) and some neat oil in there.<br /><br />2. If everything seems OK what do you think you might need to replace?<br /><br />3. If a ring is missing replace it.<br /><br />4. Check it with a compression gauge.

 

[bozza_boatie]

Re: What to do now

Thanks for the help. The cylinder rusted because water got in after it was tipped upside down.<br />i would replace a ring but they are expensive here and you have to buy four of them.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: What to do now

Bozza - You absolutely have to replace the ring, and it would be a good idea to hone out the cylinders a bit (just deglaze them) and replace all four. I use a little automotive drum brake cylinder hone on these little outboards since the regular size ones usually don't fit. You'll have to break in the engine again, but you'll end up with better compression.<br />I find that shipping parts from the 'States is usually less expensive then buying them locally. For something like piston rings, I would think this would make sense. They hardly weigh anything afterall.<br />You cannot operate a reciprocating engine with that much weight removed from one piston and expect anything in it to last. It'll shake itself apart in short order. Besides, rings do a lot more than just seal against the wall - they carry heat away from the piston itself into the wall. So if you only had one ring you'd be likely to melt the piston.

 

[petrolhead]

Re: What to do now

I agree with Paul about buying your parts from the US, provided you can find a supplier who won't stiff you on the shipping you'll find the parts work out a lot cheaper, and in many cases you'll get them faster too! Just email a few suppliers until you find one that will ship overseas, and will ship by normal Airmail or Global Priority, both of which are quite cheap. Many will insist on shipping by UPS, FedEx, or some other fancy service which costs a small fortune and is totally unneccessary.<br />I also agree about replacing all four rings and honing the cylinders, honing is easy and the tool is quite cheap, or any motorcycle workshop should be able to do it for you.

 

[G DANE]

Re: What to do now

I bought parts several times. I found that shipping with USPS is always at a fair price and never had problems.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: What to do now

Good point petrolhead. How could I forget about UPS?<br />I have an order sheet here - for the privelege of charging me 6.06 for HST (not duty but tax), UPS Brokerage C.O.D. charged me $28.55. This has nothing to do with the $20 odd dollars for shipping I also payed. Pretty extreme on a $40USD order. <br />USPS for me now on!<br /><br />EDIT: I also don't use iboats for exactly the same reason. Too much of a hassle for us 'international' customers.

 

[petrolhead]

Re: What to do now

Yes USPS is usually OK, standard Airmail is a little slow sometimes but Global Priority rarely takes more than 5 days, I just had a GP package arrive this morning that was ordered Monday.<br />The hard part can be finding an enlightened supplier who will ship using these methods though! I have a few that I use but I'm not sure I can mention them here (?), unfortunately iboats won't ship most of their stuff overseas at all otherwise I'd use them.

 

[bozza_boatie]

Re: What to do now

Hone out the cylinders a bit (just deglaze them)How do I do this and is there any point.

 

[bozza_boatie]

Re: What to do now

Hay are O rings the same as Piston rings.

 

[Xcusme]

Re: What to do now

As Paul mentioned, use a small drum brake cylinder hone to deglaze the cylinder walls. The rings will not seat properly if you don't perform this vital step. No, 'O-rings' are not the same as piston rings. <br /><br />If I were you, I would find a local mechanic of good repute and ask some basic questions on rebuilding 2 stroke engines. Your local library has tons of information on the subject as well.<br /><br />One last tip, after the bores are deglazed, be sure you clean the bores of any grinding debris. If you don't get it all, it will prematurely wear the bores and new rings. Proper break-in procedures should be preformed as well. <br /><br />Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[stsmith]

Re: What to do now

My sister lives on Saipan almost nobody will ship to her there. She orders things, pays for them and has them shipped to me. I then ship the items to her via plain old U.S. mail. We have not had a problem in 18 years. Average 10 items a year, delivery time 10 days. So if you know and trust anybody in the states it is not a bad plan.<br /><br />Smitty