I have a 2003 Johnson 90hp (model J90GLSTA, s/n 05019017). It's been garage kept and serviced properly since the beginning. The previous owner never had any issues and the only parts he's had to replace is the plugs and impeller. I've only taken the boat out about 5 times since I purchased it. Everything ran smooth, no issues at all. The motor always starts on the first try, maybe 2 if it's been a while. Last month I took it out and it ran fine. Got back to the launch, and I'm idling at the dock while my buddy backs up the trailer. I put the motor in gear and it starts smoking heavily and I didn't see it peeing. I shut it off and got it loaded. When I got home, I hooked it up to flush the motor. Took a few tries to get the motor started, and when it did, it smoked out the whole neighborhood. It was peeing though. I ran it for a bit attempting to troubleshoot, but no luck. I noticed that the primer bulb on the oil tank was rock solid. But the bulb would spin between the two hoses. I've never seen a primer bulb do that. I asked around for possible solutions and was advised that the heavy smoke could be because of the oil injection pump going out. It was suggested to replace the VRO or bypass it and premix. Due to my work schedule, I haven't been able to work on it until just recently. I ordered a new oil tank and installed it with fresh oil because I didn't like the way that old one was acting. (Full disclosure: mistakes were made, but I didn't realize it until a few days ago.) I installed the fuel tank and ran the electrical connection and the oil line to the motor. Then I filled the tank with fresh oil. Then I primed the bulb. I didn't realize I should've primed the bulb until oil comes out of the end of the hose and then connect it to the motor.
After the new tank install, I put the muffs on and tried to turn the motor over. It took about 20 tries to get it started. It turned over a few times and immediately died. When it finally did start and stay on, it smoked out the whole neighborhood again. Again, due to my work schedule, I put it away and it sat for a few days. The next chance I got, I pulled the plugs and all 4 were soaked in oil. While I was checking that, I noticed oil in the bottom of the cowl. I also noticed a bit of oil dripping down the foot. After researching about the VRO, and looking for a replacement, I decided to take the VRO off of my motor to check for leaks or cracks. I've never worked on boat motors before, but I know they can be costly, so I took my time researching and waiting to get the nerve to pull the VRO. Today, I got it off and gave it a good look. I do not see any cracks on the unit, or any of the hoses. All of the hoses appeared to be securely connected. I'm not 100% sure that the VRO is the issue. I was advised to put the VRO back on and run a bit of mixed gas through it without the oil line connected, but I managed to break off one of the fuel outlet nipples from the primer solenoid, so now I have to order that repair kit first. After I took the VRO out, I cleaned up the oil that was inside the cowl.
My question is this, does this sound like the VRO pump is the problem? That's a pretty expensive piece to replace, and I really don't want to be wrong. Also, if all of the hoses are in good shape and were connected properly to all the fittings, what else could be the cause of oil being in the cowl?
Additionally, I've been reading multiple forums about replacing the VRO pump and bypassing with premix. It looks like the crowd is split on this topic. The VRO pump on my motor is part number 5004554 (there is a sticker attached to this part with this part number). Through my research, it looks like this part was superseded with part number 5007420. I have not been able to find a standard fuel pump to purchase and replace my pump with to bypass the VRO for this motor. I have found them for 90 degree motors, but not the 60 degree motors. Any suggestions and input welcome.
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Originally Posted by Bighare2
