TOPIC: 1960 Johnson 75 HP Super Seahorse Won't Start

New problem. New thread.

Back story. Bought 59 Dorset with 60 HP Johnson last September. Brought it home, started right up in garbage can of water, shifted, spun the prop, everything OK. Leaked fuel and oil like a sieve. Replaced all of the fuel lines. Then spent the next 9 months working on the hull and upholstery and re sealed the lower end and installed new water pump impeller.

Last month tried starting the engine again. It started but ran real rough, wouldn't rev up, cylinder four not firing. lower end filled with water. Pulled wire to #4 got shocked, did not make any difference when engine was idling whether #4 wire was connected or not.

This weekend:

Did compression check: #1 - 82 pounds, #2 - 80 pounds, #3 - 82 pounds, #4 - 75 pounds.

Tested plug wires. #4 was bad.

Remade #4 wire, tested good.

Cleaned cap and rotor. Black inside but plenty of electrode meat left.

Replaced plugs, points and condenser.

Removed and inspected coil, looked OK, no corrosion.

Put distributor/magneto assembly back together and reinstalled.

Pumped out old fuel and put in new fuel.

Tried to start again and nothing. Crank and crank and crank and not even a pop.

Pulled a plug, connected it to it's wire, held it up to the block, cranked the engine, no spark!?

I was constantly referring to the manual while I was doing the tune up.

What could it be??????

HELP!

Mike

Check all the simple things look at the power wire on the coil make sure the plug wires are pushed on the plugs and the cap all the way. Make sure you have power going to the ignition. Sounds dumb but most times it is a simple oversight and we all make those kind of mistakes.

Make sure the timing is right, since you replaced the points. I'm assuming you did. Besides checking the coil for corrosion did you check it to make sure it isn't open or shorted. It may sound crazy but make sure the flywheel didn't shift, as in breaking the key. I had that same problem with the '67 80hp I have.

Bob

This is a magneto model, with the distributor cap hanging below the magneto, ?yes?

Pull the kill wire coming from the ignition switch, off the side of the mag. Be sure to tighten up the wire coming from the points or it won't spark. If it sparks when the mag is turned, the ign switch is probably bad.

If no spark, pull the distributor cap & rotor. Check to see if spark jumps when a screwdriver tip is held near the coil contact and grounded to the mag case.

If no spark when the mag is turned, you've got a problem with the points installation, the points wire itself, or the insulated terminal where the points wire connects.

Note that if it does spark with the cap & rotor removed, very likely the rotor is shot. A common happenstance.

Next on the list of failures is the coil itself. Check the color, if it's brown, probably original and probably bad. If it's dark blue, purple, or black, likely to have been replaced somewhere down the line. Sure sign of failing coil is that it might spark for a while, but when the engine gets hot it'll quit sparking until it cools down.

Typical scenario: starts & runs great at home; starts in the water and then after a while running, dies and you can't get it started again. Take it home, it's all cooled down, starts right up! Happened to my Dad 47 years ago, with a 60hp V4 on a P-14. What did I know then, was only 12! Sure did find out later, though, battling a cranky 75hp in the 80's. New coil fixed it right up!

The coil that was $40 in the 80's is now $222!!! Here's the cheapest new coil on eBay, for a fraction of that:



Cheers......ed

Timing is simply lining up the mark on the distributor pully with the mark on the distributor housing right? Does the distributor have to be timed to the engine also? I'll check the flywheel.

Thanks

Thanks, I'll work down that list.

Mike

AH HAA

I dropped the distributor to check the spark with a screw driver and this is what I found. A broken wire just laying in the cap. It broke off of the coil.

AH HAAA!

Dropped the distributor and I found this broken wire in the cap just floating around.

It was just laying in there. It had a terminal end and it was broken off at the other end. Un-connected to anything.

I think it broke off of the coil. There was a wire nub the same size on the coil. I think it connected here.

The wire obviously was connected to this spot on the coil. There is nothing left to connect it to. This makes sense as in the diagrams in the manual they show two wires coming from the coil and I only had one wire connected to ground at the housing. Where did this other broken wire connect to? And where was it hiding while I was working on the distributor?

I'm going to order a used coil off ebay that one of you nice guys found for me. But where does the wire connect?

HELP!

Thanks,

Mike

By Gosh I think you got it!

Posting this to keep this thread fresh. Please see above.

Not necessary to repost, we know you're here

I took some pictures from the magneto I have from a '60 Rude 75hp starflite that's parted out.
Might be helpfull - or not.

Looks like you're little wire connects to the outer insulated terminal.

Thanks! That makes sense as I had no wire to connect to that make up.

Thanks ed:

I just ordered that coil. Couldn't beat that deal anywhere I looked! Thanks again.

Mike

UPDATE!

Put the new coil in and nothing, no spark.

The engine is timed at TDC with the distributor just like the manual says.

Pulled out a plug and cranked the engine, no spark.

Dropped the cap and pulled the rotor, held a screw driver close to the coil terminal with the screw driver grounded on the magneto housing and cranked it. No spark.

This motor ran when I brought it home last year!

The points are wired correctly and gapped at .020 at the top of the cam.

What could it be! HELP!

Thanks,

Mike

Put the old points and condensor back in and nothing.

Could it be that I bought a bad coil? I tested the ohms in the primary and secondary circuits of the old and the new and both appear to be bad.

I'm going to test my multi meter now.

Mike H. wrote:

Could it be that I bought a bad coil?

It happens every now and then. What brand was it?

EBAY used. It was in a box, but It was obviously used. Probably someone replaced one and stuck the old one in the box. Then someone found it and sold it to me.

Mike H. wrote:

EBAY used. It was in a box, but It was obviously used. Probably someone replaced one and stuck the old one in the box. Then someone found it and sold it to me.

If that's the one they advertised as new, and it's used or just plain bad, you've definitely got a case for a return/refund.

That really pzzez me off when sellers try to sell used stuff for new!!!

Go get yourself a hot rod coil from a speed shop. I guy gets stuck once in a while on eBay.

IT LIVES!

I took it to a mechanic last week. He called me today. I heard it running!
Problem was the original magento was broken. I had purchased two other magnetos at Shipwreck Marine Salvage and he used one of those.

This was one of those elusive, snow balling problems. He had the tools and expertise to get it fixed.

He's going to reseal the lower unit and rebuild the fuel pump next.

I really chased my tail on this one. Sometimes you just gotta get help and pay the money.

Congrats Mike! As you've probably seen already I never give up! Gluten for punishment I guess.

Very happy for you man, you should be back on the water in in time!

Bob

Congrats. that is great news. The fact you found someone to work in it is amazing. None of the mechanics around me will work on an old motor which has been my hesitation in getting one.


Hope to see some video of your boat on the water. It is the boat I consider that got away from me, but I'm glad it ended up with someone who restored it.

Sincerely,
David

Thanks guys.

I couldn't take the torture anymore. Really lucky I found this guy. He's a semi retired outboard mechanic.

There is a huge reservoir here with a lot of boats, (new and old), so he keeps really busy. His pricing is very reasonable.

If I ask a regular shop to work on it, they refuse and tell me the costs of parts and labor will eat up the value of the motor quickly.

Sounds like I'll get the motor tuned up good for about $ 400. And it should be very reliable.

Mike