99 Johnson Won't Start

[PJCodner]

I have a 99 Johnson 200 that won't start. I have not run it since last year May. I winterized it before I towed it to Kentucky and I am in the process of getting it ready to run for this years use.

Yesterday I decided to run it on the muffs. I hooked up everything to the battery primed the fuel bulb and went to start it. I pushed the key in a few times to choke it, turned the key and it bumped over once and then hung up. I turned the key off and when I looked back at the motor it was still trying to start but it would struggle a little then the flywheel would move some then it would struggle some more. (this is with the key off) I had to remove the battery leads to get it to stop and then I noticed that the gear on the starter was still on the flywheel. So I rocked the flywheel around and the gear finally dropped. I figured that maybe the battery was not fully charged so I put a charger on it.

About 3 hours later with the battery at about 90% charged I decided to try it again. I hooked up the starter cables, primed the bulb again, turned the key and choked it a few times and hit the starter. It bumped it over twice and then the motor hung up again. However this time it kept trying to start it and before I could get back to the battery the starter started smoking. It was like the key off didn't kill the power to the motor.

So now I have everything disconnected and I waited for the starter to cool down and I notice that where the terminal is on the starter where the wire from the (I believe is) coil is attached is now loose like it had melted internally. I believe I fried the starter.

What I don't get is why would it not turn all the way over? It was like it was struggling to turn the crank. Could it be vapor locked or something? Should I have tried to start it without the plugs in to make sure it would even rotate? I am pretty sure I need a new starter but I don't want to put one on and then burn that one up as well.

I think what I am going to try next is to pull all the plugs and try to turn the motor over by hand and make sure the pistons are moving like they should. Other than that I suppose I could have had a bad starter or a weak one and it finally gave up the ghost sitting.

Does anyone know where I can get a used, rebuilt or new starter or can mine be rebuilt?

Sorry for the long post I am pretty bummed hoping to get out on the water this weekend. Doesn't look like that is going to happen.

[ChampioNman]

I would think more along the lines of a bad solenoid not releasing once the key is released. You can get the starter rebuilt if needed at any automotive alternator repair shop.

[PJCodner]

Are there any tests that I can do in the solenoid to see if it is bad or not? I am wondering why it didn't fully turn it over that has me worried as well or could that be from a weak battery/starter/solenoid?

[ChampioNman]

Weak battery is the first thing to look at, then connections. You can attach a remote start switch to the solenoid and by pass it just for test purposes. A electric shop will put it on the bench, secure it and apply 12 volts to the post and ground the frame.

[PJCodner]

Thanks for the help I got some work to do this week.

[PJCodner]

Well I got it running with the replacement of a new starter and solenoid.

One question I have yet. Before I tried to start the motor I decided to pull the plugs to make sure nothing was fouled and that I could turn the motor over by hand just fine. When I pulled the plug out of the bottom left when facing the heads, about a cup of gas rolled out of the cylinder. I turned it over by hand a few times and kept pushing gas out of the that cylinder. Any ideas why there was so much gas in there? Could that be a stuck float or something like that?

What I did before starting the motor I hooked everything up and just turned the motor over with the starter a few times before I put the plugs back in. Once I put the plugs in I started it on the muffs and it ran like a top. I am just worried that something else is wrong and the bottom cylinder is filling up with gas again.

Let me know what you guys think. Remember this sat for a year without starting.

[ChampioNman]

Could be a stuck float on the #5 carb, best bet would be to drain them all, tap on the bowls. install the drain plugs then flush the belly pans with water. Leave the plugs out and spin the motor over a few times with the plug wires out of the way and the kill switch off. Install the plugs and kill switch prime the bulb and give it a shot. You should be good to go.

[PJCodner]

Thanks I will give that a try.

[PJCodner]

Sorry guys I am reviving this again from last year. I am still having this issue with the jug filling up with fuel. I put it away for the winter, was working on it this past weekend, pulled the plug on the bottom left jug and gas rolled out again. I drained and it fired right up so I am not sure what is going on.

So far I have pulled the drain plugs on all the carbs and used the primer bulb to flush them all out. Didn't help. I tapped on the carb bowl thinking that it was a stuck float and what was suggested and that didn't help. Is there anything else that I can check before I take it in and have a mechanic look at it? If I pull the carbs off do I need to get a new gasket or is there a way to pull just the bowl off the carb and see if there is issues there?

I am assuming that if the jug that is filling up with gas is on the bottom left when facing the plugs that the carb in question is on the bottom right when facing the carbs right? No cross flow stuff with this motor just straight carb for jug right?

Maybe I should pull out the manual....

[THE WITCHDOCTOR]

Your on track with the carb. The bowl has an o ring , so when you take it apart, just be careful with it, and when putting it back together dont over-tighten and warp the bowl. The manual would be a great start before going much further.