2000 johnson wont stay running

[614-bass]

i have a 2000 johnson 9.9 on my boat. It ran okay last year and was winterized. tried starting it the other day and it would start for a few seconds then die off. the electric start is acting weird on it also. When i first try to start it, it will be okay and sometimes start then when it dies and i try to start again it will barely crank and then eventually sounds like it wont at all. If i go back and start it by the rope it will sometimes take a few pull and start. The other day after it dieing off a couple times i finally got it to run for a little while then i shut it down. Then the next day it was back to dieing off. It has new plugs and the battery is good and charged. Anybody have an idea to what could be causing this? Is it just the cold weather making it not want to run and it just needs to be warmed up? there was about 2 gals of old gas in the tank that was treated with stabil before winter. i put 5 new gallons of gas in with it before i tried to start it though.

 

[sixgun86]

I would dump that gas and run 100% fresh non ethanol gas. Might try some Seafoam too and see if it's something clogged in the carb. Have you ever ran the motor on these new plugs? Are they the same plug as those replaced? Gap? When you changed them, if 2cy, is there a chance you switched the plug wires around backwards? How does your battery connection look? Try taking the battery to an auto parts store and putting it on a commercial battery charger. Or try another one in an attempt to rule it out as the issue. I keep multiple batteries as they always go dead. One is none, two is one.

 

[614-bass]

I tried a different battery also and it wasnt the problem. Also i just changed the plugs today and that wasnt the problem either because the same thing is happening. I dont think there is anywhere close with ethanol free gas after searching google. I do have some sea foam sitting around. Should i try to replace the gas with just fresh gas? I have about 10 galllons i got free from my grocery store fuel perks and run the seafoam through it? I really want to get it running tomorow so i can go fishing sunday.

 

[JMichael]

I like Seafoam for doing what it is made for. I use it on a regular basis in all my gas engines to keep the fuel system clean and remove slight varnish build up. However, it's not a "fix all, mechanic in a can". Once a problem gets to the point of a motor not starting or won't run more than a minute or two, I'd say it's pretty much beyond what Seafoam can fix and most cases. And if you really want to have your motor ready by Sunday, I'd start pulling that carb off and cleaning it the old fashioned way. If that doesn't fix your problem, at least you'll know for sure that it's not a varnished up carb or clogged jet that is causing it.

 

[614-bass]

It sounds like it could be a ton of things. I think im just going to go fish a electric only lake tomorow and take it to the shop to have them check it out because i dont really know a thing about outboards and would be scared to pull of the carb. In the mean time ill do some reading on outboards so i have a better idea next time

 

[614-bass]

Well now im thinking i should try to clean the carb first by myself and save some money. Ive got the service manual from the sitckies but its hard to understand i just need to read into it some more. Can anyone tell me how hard it is and just a general breakdown of what im going to do. Im also going to change the water pump , should i just do the impeller or the housing and everything? Thanks again I cant wait to get her running i just put a cmc tilt and trimm unit on and i want to use the new hds7 i bought.
Thanks

 

[JMichael]

Check out the vids on carb cleaning that are on youtube etc. It may not be the same carb on the same engine, but all carbs do the same function (provide fuel/air mixture to the cylinders) and they do it in very similar ways. Some are round, some are rectangle, but they all have jets, float/needle valves, etc. So you should get at least an idea of what to do and how to do it. It's never a bad idea to take lots of pics as you take a carb apart, in case you need a memory jogger when putting it back together.

As far as lower units go, I've never replaced anything but the impeller, with the exception of this most recent one. This one had unknown motor history other than I knew it had been sitting for 2+ years. The other things I discovered were that oil was leaking out of the lower unit and water was getting in to the oil in the lower unit. For that reason I rebuilt the entire pump including the oil seal below the pump. I was lucky as that was the source of my oil leak.

 

[614-bass]

Thanks ive been watching a few videos on youtube. What do i need to clean it with, someone said let i soak over night? Where do i get the solution and what is it called, Do i need to use a spray cleaner also if i do this? and last should i run some sea foam through it after i clean it or would i just be wasting it since i have cleaned the carb allready.

 

[614-bass]

Well i pulled the carb and broke it down spayed it with carb cleaner snd im going to blow it out then put it back together and see if it helps, if it doesnt help ill do it again but soak it instead of just sprayin it. Now i just have to find a water pump and replace it.

 

[genxweb]

Here is a stupid question, i had a similar issue, mine was i did not have the vent on the gas tank open so I was not feeding he engine and it would run for a bit then cut out. By opening the valve it corrected the issue. I am new to boats but figure any advice could help.

 

[JMichael]

You shouldn't need to soak it unless it's really gummed up with varnish. If you do decide to try soaking it, you'll need to break it down completely and make sure any parts that are not metal have been removed. Gaskets, o-rings and rubber don't respond favorably to being soaked in cleaners.

When manually spraying the inside with carb cleaner, use an old tooth brush to scrub the stubborn dirty areas. Run a piece of fishing line through any jets after you spray them. Then hold them up to the light and make sure they are clear. Don't run anything metallic in the jets. They are made of soft brass and the jet can be easily scratched, distorted, or damaged. Spray carb cleaner down any and every passage you can find in the carb and make sure you see the cleaner squirt out the other end of the passageway. Blow all the passages out with compressed air after cleaning.

 

[614-bass]

Well i cleaned it put it back together and its now running great. Thanks guys