What a let down!!
California Fishing
Sep 16, 2022 01:34:35 #
Preacher Sr.
Loc: Manteca CA
So I took an old tri-hull and restored it completely with all new interior and the top of the line trolling motor and fish finder ect, and after a couple of times on the water the motor gave us fits. So we did what I should have done in the beginning a compression test, BOOOO! So does anyone know someone around the Stockton area that would rebuild a 90 hp Johnson v4 ? Or anyone who has a outboard for sale cheap that actually runs. 40 HP UP.
Sep 16, 2022 07:43:33 #
Preacher Sr. wrote:
So I took an old tri-hull and restored it completely with all new interior and the top of the line trolling motor and fish finder ect, and after a couple of times on the water the motor gave us fits. So we did what I should have done in the beginning a compression test, BOOOO! So does anyone know someone around the Stockton area that would rebuild a 90 hp Johnson v4 ? Or anyone who has a outboard for sale cheap that actually runs. 40 HP UP.
Sorry Preacher, remember, you can't make silk out of a sow's ear.
Sep 17, 2022 17:17:19 #
Preacher, before you give up on that motor completely, there are a couple of things you can do if you're mechanical at all.
Pull the heads. I have a 90 HP Johnson V4 also, mine's a 60 degree engine made in 2000. If yours is also a 60 degree engine, your head gaskets are actually four rubber O-rings! A 90 degree engine uses the kind of head gasket we're all more familiar with.
If the cylinders look good, spray in a lot of penetrating oil where the pistons meet the cylinders. You'll be trying to get some of it to reach the rings. Sometimes, the rings can get stuck in their grooves by carbon.
Check the heads for warpage. I put 2 full sheets of sandpaper edge to edge on a chunk of polished granite (a left over piece of countertop) with contact cement (I used 3M super 77 in a spray can) and slid the heads around on that. If a few minutes of this won't make it all bright, you have some warpage.
When you put the heads back on, a new set of head gasket O-rings won't break the bank. I don't know what the head gaskets for a 90-degree engine cost, you'd have to check the price and decide whether that's worth it to you. Then check the compression again.
This is mostly grasping at straws, but if there's a chance that a couple of hours of your time and a few bucks could get you going again, it'd be worth it. And if the cylinders look bad, at least you'll know for sure that it would cost serious $$ to bring it back to life and you won't ever worry that you might have replaced an engine that wasn't really at the end of the trail.
If you find another motor on Craigslist, BE CAREFUL! There are some legit people there and there are also a lot of scammers. I responded to a listing for a motor on C/L a few years ago and there were too many red flags for me. I'm confident that it was a stolen motor.
Last of all, if your motor really is shot you can get some nice money for quite a few of the parts. I parted out an old Merc that I'd worked on for a couple of years and pretty much got back as much $$ as I'd wasted on it.
Pull the heads. I have a 90 HP Johnson V4 also, mine's a 60 degree engine made in 2000. If yours is also a 60 degree engine, your head gaskets are actually four rubber O-rings! A 90 degree engine uses the kind of head gasket we're all more familiar with.
If the cylinders look good, spray in a lot of penetrating oil where the pistons meet the cylinders. You'll be trying to get some of it to reach the rings. Sometimes, the rings can get stuck in their grooves by carbon.
Check the heads for warpage. I put 2 full sheets of sandpaper edge to edge on a chunk of polished granite (a left over piece of countertop) with contact cement (I used 3M super 77 in a spray can) and slid the heads around on that. If a few minutes of this won't make it all bright, you have some warpage.
When you put the heads back on, a new set of head gasket O-rings won't break the bank. I don't know what the head gaskets for a 90-degree engine cost, you'd have to check the price and decide whether that's worth it to you. Then check the compression again.
This is mostly grasping at straws, but if there's a chance that a couple of hours of your time and a few bucks could get you going again, it'd be worth it. And if the cylinders look bad, at least you'll know for sure that it would cost serious $$ to bring it back to life and you won't ever worry that you might have replaced an engine that wasn't really at the end of the trail.
If you find another motor on Craigslist, BE CAREFUL! There are some legit people there and there are also a lot of scammers. I responded to a listing for a motor on C/L a few years ago and there were too many red flags for me. I'm confident that it was a stolen motor.
Last of all, if your motor really is shot you can get some nice money for quite a few of the parts. I parted out an old Merc that I'd worked on for a couple of years and pretty much got back as much $$ as I'd wasted on it.
Sep 17, 2022 22:59:47 #
Preacher Sr.
Loc: Manteca CA
Thanks for the advice and the encouragement! Can't hurt to give it a try. If you here of a good running motor that is being sold by a person you feel is reputable please let me know as I would really like to get into a four stroke. %0-75 hp.
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