1981 Johnson 200 hp Engine starting problems

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Author Topic:   1981 Johnson 200 hp Engine starting problems

Ben posted 07-11-2010 10:34 AM ET (US)
Very frustrating week up North. I brought the 21 Outrage to Torch Lake and had some problems starting [the 1981 Johnson 200-HP motor]. I recently stopped putting premium gas in--was told I was wasting my money--and went to mid grade. I stopped buying the cheap oil and now only burn the Johnson OEM stuff. I put in a half-can of SeaFoam each fill. I have a water separator installed but have not changed it this year. The [1981 Johnson 200-HP motor] ran fine at first part of the week, but later on I had a heck of a time starting it. It took 10 minutes of turning it over to finally get it to go. This happened three times. Once the engine starts and gets some speed, it sounds and runs fine. Just odd. I have always had problems with the plugs caking up with black, but last check they looked OK.
Thoughts?
Ben
newt posted 07-12-2010 08:07 AM ET (US)
Ben, there are so many factors involved. You should change your spark plugs and fuel filters--don't forget about the one under the cowl if your motor has one. Always start with the normal maintenance items first.
Maybe you got some bad gas, but for sure the mid-grade is plenty good enough. I run 87 octane in my engines.
jimh posted 07-12-2010 08:34 AM ET (US)
Starting a cold, older, carburetor, two-cycle engine can be a challenge. The first thing to check is to be sure you are following the recommended starting procedure. My experience is that every outboard has its own procedure for starting, but many owners think they will try something different. The manufacturer generally gives the best advice for starting technique. Read your owner's manual and follow the procedure.
In most cases a cold engine will need some enrichment of the fuel-air mixture to start. Once started, a cold engine will need to idle at a higher than normal speed to maintain running until it warms up. Every outboard uses different techniques to accomplish these two processes. Make sure you are following the recommended technique.
Whether or not the engine will generate an ignition spark usually does not change with the operating temperature, or, if it does, it is usually affected negatively as the engine warms up, as electronics tend to malfunction with too much temperature. For this reason, we tend to ignore the spark as a source of the problem in hard cold starting situations. More likely, if the engine is reluctant to start when cold, the problem is the fuel-air mixture.
However, one possible cause of no-spark on cranking can be due to low battery charge. Some engines suppress the spark until the engine cranking speed reaches a minimum rotational speed. If your battery is weak, it may not be turning the engine fast enough to permit spark generation to occur. To check for this, insert an in-line spark tester in one of the cylinder spark plug leads, and verify you have spark during cranking.
Slow cranking speed can be due to poor connections in the starter circuit. Inspect the entire high-current path of the electrical starter circuit. At each connection point, remove all connectors, clean them with some solvent like WD-40, burnish the connection surface by sanding with 600-grit emery cloth, and restore and tighten all connection. Check the battery. If the battery is more than three years old, it may be low on cranking power, and its voltage may be sagging during cranking to a level that is too low to get good spark.
There is no good reason why the engine should not fire and try to run after just a couple of crankcase revolutions, if there is good spark and proper fuel-air mixture. The fuel-air mixture is usually most affected by the fuel, so let's look at that side. To get good starting the fuel system has to be properly primed. Be sure you squeeze the primer bulb until it is firm. This delivers fuel to the fuel lift pump. If you do not prime the fuel pump, you will have to crank over the engine for a long time in order to generate enough vacuum from the fuel lift pump to pull fuel from the tank. A moment spent priming will prevent several minutes of cranking.
Engines with carburetors that are stored with the engine tilted up to almost horizontal often have problems with the fuel draining out of the carburetors. If the carburetor fuel bowls are empty, it can take a while for the fuel pump to refill them during cranking. Again, proper priming should help push fuel into the carburetor bowls. When I owned a V6 two-cycle outboard with six carburetors, I tended to avoid tilting the engine to a horizontal position for storage as much as possible. Avoiding this keeps the carburetor bowls from draining. My engine would re-start on just a few revolutions even after sitting for weeks.
Ben posted 07-15-2010 10:10 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the replies!

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Author	Topic: 1981 Johnson 200 hp Engine starting problems
Ben	posted 07-11-2010 10:34 AM ET (US) Very frustrating week up North. I brought the 21 Outrage to Torch Lake and had some problems starting [the 1981 Johnson 200-HP motor]. I recently stopped putting premium gas in--was told I was wasting my money--and went to mid grade. I stopped buying the cheap oil and now only burn the Johnson OEM stuff. I put in a half-can of SeaFoam each fill. I have a water separator installed but have not changed it this year. The [1981 Johnson 200-HP motor] ran fine at first part of the week, but later on I had a heck of a time starting it. It took 10 minutes of turning it over to finally get it to go. This happened three times. Once the engine starts and gets some speed, it sounds and runs fine. Just odd. I have always had problems with the plugs caking up with black, but last check they looked OK. Thoughts? Ben
newt	posted 07-12-2010 08:07 AM ET (US) Ben, there are so many factors involved. You should change your spark plugs and fuel filters--don't forget about the one under the cowl if your motor has one. Always start with the normal maintenance items first. Maybe you got some bad gas, but for sure the mid-grade is plenty good enough. I run 87 octane in my engines.
jimh	posted 07-12-2010 08:34 AM ET (US) Starting a cold, older, carburetor, two-cycle engine can be a challenge. The first thing to check is to be sure you are following the recommended starting procedure. My experience is that every outboard has its own procedure for starting, but many owners think they will try something different. The manufacturer generally gives the best advice for starting technique. Read your owner's manual and follow the procedure. In most cases a cold engine will need some enrichment of the fuel-air mixture to start. Once started, a cold engine will need to idle at a higher than normal speed to maintain running until it warms up. Every outboard uses different techniques to accomplish these two processes. Make sure you are following the recommended technique. Whether or not the engine will generate an ignition spark usually does not change with the operating temperature, or, if it does, it is usually affected negatively as the engine warms up, as electronics tend to malfunction with too much temperature. For this reason, we tend to ignore the spark as a source of the problem in hard cold starting situations. More likely, if the engine is reluctant to start when cold, the problem is the fuel-air mixture. However, one possible cause of no-spark on cranking can be due to low battery charge. Some engines suppress the spark until the engine cranking speed reaches a minimum rotational speed. If your battery is weak, it may not be turning the engine fast enough to permit spark generation to occur. To check for this, insert an in-line spark tester in one of the cylinder spark plug leads, and verify you have spark during cranking. Slow cranking speed can be due to poor connections in the starter circuit. Inspect the entire high-current path of the electrical starter circuit. At each connection point, remove all connectors, clean them with some solvent like WD-40, burnish the connection surface by sanding with 600-grit emery cloth, and restore and tighten all connection. Check the battery. If the battery is more than three years old, it may be low on cranking power, and its voltage may be sagging during cranking to a level that is too low to get good spark. There is no good reason why the engine should not fire and try to run after just a couple of crankcase revolutions, if there is good spark and proper fuel-air mixture. The fuel-air mixture is usually most affected by the fuel, so let's look at that side. To get good starting the fuel system has to be properly primed. Be sure you squeeze the primer bulb until it is firm. This delivers fuel to the fuel lift pump. If you do not prime the fuel pump, you will have to crank over the engine for a long time in order to generate enough vacuum from the fuel lift pump to pull fuel from the tank. A moment spent priming will prevent several minutes of cranking. Engines with carburetors that are stored with the engine tilted up to almost horizontal often have problems with the fuel draining out of the carburetors. If the carburetor fuel bowls are empty, it can take a while for the fuel pump to refill them during cranking. Again, proper priming should help push fuel into the carburetor bowls. When I owned a V6 two-cycle outboard with six carburetors, I tended to avoid tilting the engine to a horizontal position for storage as much as possible. Avoiding this keeps the carburetor bowls from draining. My engine would re-start on just a few revolutions even after sitting for weeks.
Ben	posted 07-15-2010 10:10 PM ET (US) Thanks for the replies!