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  1. #1
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    Small outbard troubleshooting questions

    I have a 1984 35hp Johnson. It quit running a couple weeks ago. It would start and run a few seconds using starter fluid so I rebuilt the carb, fuel pump, and replaced the lines. Took it to the lake and it ran great. The next time out, nothing. It may cough a bit at best. Starter fluid makes no difference. I have good spark on both plugs. The plugs looked good. Compression is great, 120 & 125 psi.

    I'm thinking I may have lost a Reed valve as I was driving it onto the trailer. It does have much more gas/oil in the cowling than normal.

    What else can I look for to troubleshoot this?

  2. Ft Gibson Lake America lakefolk's Avatar
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    #2
    Quote Originally Posted by 191 champ View Post
    I have a 1984 35hp Johnson. It quit running a couple weeks ago. It would start and run a few seconds using starter fluid so I rebuilt the carb, fuel pump, and replaced the lines. Took it to the lake and it ran great. The next time out, nothing. It may cough a bit at best. Starter fluid makes no difference. I have good spark on both plugs. The plugs looked good. Compression is great, 120 & 125 psi.

    I'm thinking I may have lost a Reed valve as I was driving it onto the trailer. It does have much more gas/oil in the cowling than normal.

    What else can I look for to troubleshoot this?
    what exactly are you saying here???


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  3. Member
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    #3
    It seems like there was more in the bottom of the cowling that usual suggesting blowback through the carb but I can't be 100% sure because of the mess I made with the starter fluid. I had cleaned it out really good when I did the work the week before so it was spotless. It had been at least a year since it was cleaned and wasn't that bad a week ago. Since I didn't take the time to really examine it before trying the starter fluid it is just recollection that it had more gas/oil in front of the carb than what I would have expected.

    That my gut feeling that it was more than expected. Had it been spitting back like that for a year it would have been much dirtier last week.

  4. Member OkieLure's Avatar
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    #4
    You'll get better results asking in motors forum.
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  5. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #5
    Go to the Johnson/Evinrude discussion board here on BBC and post your symptom/ask your question. Post a model number of the motor so they know exactly what motor is in question. Simply saying 1984 35 hp might not narrow it down enough because there might be different models of the exact same HP.

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    #6
    Easy to check the reed valve. Pull the Carb and take a look.. you'll see if its closing or not .
    Could even be cracked or broken a bit.

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    #7
    Sounds like a broke reed. Yank the carb and take a look

  8. Ohio Fishing Reports Moderator omcforever's Avatar
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    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by johnpscott1 View Post
    Sounds like a broke reed. Yank the carb and take a look
    Nope.

    Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill !!

  9. Ohio Fishing Reports Moderator omcforever's Avatar
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by bobh4656 View Post
    Easy to check the reed valve. Pull the Carb and take a look.. you'll see if its closing or not .
    Could even be cracked or broken a bit.
    Gotta do basic troubleshooting first,,spark-fuel-compression....doubt it is a broke reed and just removing carb wont show all the reed and block. Also a broke reed usually sneezes.......but tries to start.

    Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill !!

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    #10
    Sounds like a broke reed or one with something stuck in it. Without crankcase compression a 2 stroke carbureted single or most doubles won't run.

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    #11
    Basic trouble shooting. Leak down test is more accurate than compression test. Check not only spark, but correct timing. Those engines have a flywheel key that fails, it allows spark but at the wrong time. If you have to spray something into the carb use gas, starter fluid is a no-no.

  12. Ohio Fishing Reports Moderator omcforever's Avatar
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    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by billnorman1 View Post
    Sounds like a broke reed or one with something stuck in it. Without crankcase compression a 2 stroke carbureted single or most doubles won't run.
    Dont think so,,,

    Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill !!

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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by omcforever View Post
    Dont think so,,,
    a 4 stroke will but a 2 stroke needs crankcase pressure to push the mixture into the cylinder.
    that's been my experience, you can have compression and spark but you'll pull your arms off trying to get one to run.

  14. Member BeeNix's Avatar
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    #14
    Quote Originally Posted by 3-Liter View Post
    f you have to spray something into the carb use gas, starter fluid is a no-no.
    We always use fogging oil because it doesn't take the oil off the cylinders. We never use regular starting fluid.

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  15. Member tcesni's Avatar
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    #15
    Any chance that the flywheel has sheared the shaft key and is now out of timing?

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    #16
    Quote Originally Posted by tcesni View Post
    Any chance that the flywheel has sheared the shaft key and is now out of timing?
    I can't believe what just happened. I'm almost embarrassed to say this. I was wondering about the timing also. I haven't had time to mess with it but after reading your post I thought, let's try putting a timing light on it and see if I can tell something just cranking the engine over. I thought "it's 11:00 PM but I can do that much tonight ".

    So I pull the #2 plug wire off to be extra safe ... given the situation it'll never start I said to myself. The damn thing started right up on just one cylinder.

    I'm going to bed. I ordered a Sheloc manual. It was the best I could find for this year motor. Hopefully I will get home at a decent hour tomorrow and tinker some more. Now I'm wondering if the new float isn't floating and it's flooding. I set the tabs to match the old float up and down. The bulb is still hard after setting for days. Oh well, another day.

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    #17
    I wish I hadn't done that. Now I'm going to go look for loose ground wires. I hope I don't piss off my wife starting this thing in the driveway at 1:00 AM.