problems with the 1957 35 hp johnson

[dobber]

well more bad news, i took the all 3 gear sets and 2 lower units to a master technician in sausilito. he assured me that he put a lower unit back together that will work. he said he did not have time to do the shift linkage adjustment until next friday.. had my other mechanic put the lower unit in and we are sure we adjusted the linkage right. i get out on the water out of the marina and she is running beautifully for about a half mile . i was so happy after 6 months of trying to get this fixed. then all of a sudden it started slowing down and shaking and you could just feel something was going wrong, all of a sudden when I’ve got it in forward and 3 quarter throttle , the whole damm boat stops and the engine kicked up out of the water. WTF???? NOW WHAT?. we were able to re start the engine and crawl back to the harbor. basically the same problem i have been dealing with, as soon as i give it a lot of gas, something bad happens. it used to kick or spit or cough, now it just plain shakes violently and abruptly stops. is it slipping out of gear, an old timer told mr that if the motor kicked out of the water it was in reverse?. i am now over $2800 into this problem and i still can’t get on the water. i remember one of the last times it took it out before all the problems, i hit a goose dead on at full throttle, did that mess something with the linkage somewhere in the engine?

[RICHARD A. WHITE]

Where do you live sir?

http://www.richardsoutboardtools.com
classicomctools@gmail.com

[frankr]

Kicking up out of the water at speed generally means it suddenly quit running. (Assuming you didn’t hit something)

BTW, you are supposed to lock it down, but that has nothing to do with this.

[fleetwin]

Oh boy, thought I had lousy luck…Yes, when the engine is shuddering and slowing down/stopping/popping out of the water, it is because the engine is stalling out, not jumping out of gear…
After all the gearcase work, did it get refilled with lubricant properly? Is it overheating? Proper fuel/oil mix?
I guess I would start by draining the gear lube….

[david-bartlett]

Like Frank stated, the only time a motor has kicked up on me(when not hitting something) has been when it suddenly quit, as in seized or shut down RIGHT NOW. Either something is binding in your lower unit causing this, or you could be overheating causing the sudden stop issue.

Too many variables.

[jerry-ahrens]

Because of the age of these motors, My opinion is to not even try to start them until they have been gone through. Personally, I’ve always done it that way.
1. Check compression first, if it’s not good, then your done, unless you want to rebuild it.
2. Pull flywheel, replace points, condensers and coils if needed. Check the mag plate bushing for wear or slop.. if it’s worn out, your motor will not idle very well, or not at all. Go with OEM parts here for sure, aftermarket is junk IMO.
3. Clean and rebuild carburetor, I only use an OEM kit, that comes with a new float. Clean out the old needle packing washers and replace with new. The only good packing washers I’ve found are OMC/BRP. Aftermarket ones will squash out and not seal properly. Just my humble opinion..
4. New spark plugs if needed (Probably does)
5. Pull lower unit, replace water pump and housing, if worn. Don’t forget the wear plate under the impeller. Replace if worn or grooved out.
6. On OMC engines of the 50’s era, I replace the shift rod O-ring weather it leaks or not, along with any other seals that look bad. I check out the clutch dog and gears while I’m in there. Reassemble and pressure test for leaks, fill with new gear lube.
7. Replace the fuel/air lines on powerhead.
8. If it has a 2 line pressure tank, that needs to be gone through as well, with a new pump diaphragm, and top cover gasket. Replace the 2 line hose if it needs it.
9. Don’t forget the 2 line connector that plugs into the motor. The O-rings should be replaced.
Of course there are other things that may need attention, but the above is a good way to get the basic systems back in order. Opinions will vary, but I want my engines to run good, and I hate problems on the water! Hope this may help to get you going.

[jerry-ahrens]

quote fleetwin:

Oh boy, thought I had lousy luck…Yes, when the engine is shuddering and slowing down/stopping/popping out of the water, it is because the engine is stalling out, not jumping out of gear…
After all the gearcase work, did it get refilled with lubricant properly? Is it overheating? Proper fuel/oil mix?
I guess I would start by draining the gear lube….

I’m also wondering about your fuel/oil ratio? Should be 1qt. of TCW 3 outboard oil per 6 gallons of gasoline.

[opposedtwin]

I think following Jerry’s protocol will pay dividends. I have reviewed all of these posts and cannot find if or when you have reported water pumping out of the exhaust? Is it? If this thing isn’t pumping water, you can go through every other component group of the motor and this same scenario will occur every time; until the motor is completely dead of course.

Start with the list Jerry has compiled for you. These things are a ton of fun to work on. Yes, they can be frustrating (as you are discovering), but most areas are pretty elementary to work on.

$2800 is an unbelievable amount to spend on this motor. I have 4 of these very motors (all runners) and have never paid more than $250 for one. You could get that motor darn near 100% restored for that kind of money.

Maybe find another (a proven runner) and have some fun while you coax this one back to life. I have a 1959 evinrude 35 hp (essentially the same motor with different cosmetics) I would sell you for 1/10th of that price. If you are anywhere near Wisconsin, let me know. You can test drive it for the whole summer while you get yours going.

Hang in there!

Scott

[dobber]

quote Richard A. White:

Where do you live sir?

I live in Petaluma about 40 miles from San Francisco

[dobber]

Petaluma, ca

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