1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

[tfbrown1270]

OK...I'm a little frustrated....

I decided to change the head water jacket gasket just because... anyway I'm second guessing that decision since I CAN'T get the plate off. I removed all but the lower right bolt (it won't come out; not enough wiggle room) so I followed the instructions and tried to remove the engine cover lever mechanism only to find that stinking bolt is tooooooooo long to come out as well, it would come into the engine bay and the water cover is in the way....NOW WHAT?

I think I could remove the whole head since it has the water cover gasket as part of it but really don't want to do that as its an unnecessary expense.

What do I do now?...someone out there must have a solution....please let me know what the secret is (other that sawing a piece out of the lower cowl)



Tim

 

[F_R]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

Oops, wrong motor.

 

[tfbrown1270]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

Omg!

 

[F_R]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

Sorry, I was thinking 9.5hp and erased my comments. Not quick enough. But I think you still have to remove the powerhead. Not sure on this one though.

 

[tfbrown1270]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

HELP! andy other ideas?....I have it "almost off" but still can't maneuver it out of the tight confines. Who designed this thing?. Unless it was designed by some warped engineer as a test of my sense of humor there must be a way to get it out of there!

 

[ezeke]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

I have to remove the cover latch to get that off, but it is certainly easier than the powerhead.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

Is the cover latch the only thing in the way? Seems like you should be able to get the bolt out of the latch by withdrawing the latch handle as you unscrew the bolt.

 

[tfbrown1270]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

I drilled a 5/8 hole through the back of the cowl immediately right (when looking forward) of the cowl lock lever, worked GREAT at getting that last bolt out. I will find a rubber plug to fill the hole or just tape over it

With that out of the way and a serious amount of wiggling and coaxing the thermostat spring out of the way I got the plate off. I gotta say though it was a bear.

Now I just bought a new gasket $4, thermostat $39 and filed the cowl latch bolt down to about 1/2 of its original length since its that length that prevents it getting wiggled into the hole after the water jacket is on.

I can't put it on before the water jacket because it interferes with the thermostat spring...again...who designed this? I would like to strangle him/her.

I'm off the the garage to see what happens next...thanks all.

 

[tfbrown1270]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

assembling now.....

does it go...rubber seal (against the head), then the thermostat, then spring, then cover, or thermostat, rubber seal, then spring, then cover...

I got a new rubber seal because the old was was squashed all out of shape and stuck to the top (outside) of the original thermostat but I don't thing that makes sense...

can anyone advise please?

 

[ezeke]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

This may help:

 

[tfbrown1270]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

Well the adventure continues....
I picked up a new thermostat Evinrude/Johnson (BRP)
part #5005440
and installed it (in order from the block outwards...thermostat, rubber seal, metal cap, spring, water jacket)...I noticed it was a little bit longer than the one that came out but thought the additional 1/16" wouldn't be an issue (must be an updated part I thought)..
Well after reassembling the thing (about 1 hour) I dropped it into a barrel to run it up and make sure it wasn't leaking.
To my horror it won't warm up, before the thermostat change it would warm up quickly to about 120 f at the head and water jacket (by infrared point/shoot) when in gear at moderate throttle.
Now it won't go over 70 f at the head or water jacket; I ran it for 20 minutes at moderate throttle in gear????????????????
I assume this is not the way its supposed to work, with the engine never getting hot it won't run correctly I believe...SO I gotta do something. I also noted that the thermostats looked a bit different, the old one has a little slit on the top (kind of a relief vent to continuously allow a tiny water flow even when closed, the new one did not have this), I speculated the extra length would cause the bottom to touch the block and push it open about 1/16 allowing the same small flow...is this a problem?
Was that the right thermostat? or ????????

 

[tfbrown1270]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

Should I pull out the NEW thermostat and put the OLD one back in...it'll cost me another gasket and a couple of hours!

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

So I guess soon you won't be applying at my shop to work on everyone else's motors also.

Your motor may have had the wrong screw holding the latch handle,as they usually can be removed a whole lot easier.Only you can determine if the new thermostat is hitting the inside of the motor,but you need to be operating closer to 140 -145 degrees.

DHP

 

[tfbrown1270]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

well I guess my dream of working at your shop is bust

BUT...

Having solved all the technical problems of getting this silly thing apart and back together I am still stymied by this thermostat problem...

DHP, did they sell me the wrong thermostat? or is there something else going on here...why is it longer than the original, long enough to actually touch the head and "stand a little proud" in the hole. I didn't forget to install anything (really).

Any idea why this occurred (and the jury is out till I hear back) if the thermostat is in fact the correct one. I mean it seems absurd that I would have to put the old thermostat back in to get it working right, that leaves me with a $40 new thermostat that won't work!

 

[tfbrown1270]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket **CONCLUDED**

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket **CONCLUDED**

I thought I would let you in on the conclusion; too many of these posts just see to disappear leaving all to wonder what happened.

#1- I checked using an electronic digital caliper to see if the new thermostat was longer from the collar to the end that sits in the block..answer NO, was within .002 of the length of the original, so much for that theory!

#2- I filed down the head of the bolt holding the cowl release lever by about 50% AND filed the length down so that it fits (barely) directly down and into the slot where the lever inserts form the outside, the bolt is on the inside. This has has made a HUGE difference in getting the lever out of the way and not compromised the lever, I can't believe Johnson didn't make it like that to begin with. I used a large pry bar to convince the cowl to move a tiny bit too.

#3- I drilled a 5/8" hole immediately right of the lever (when viewed from the rear), this allows direct easy access to that last stupid bolt on the cover.

#4- After wasting 3 gaskets trying to get the water jacket cover to stop leaking at the lower left (there should be a bolt there to hold this corner but there isn't. I discovered the cast aluminum jacket was warped a few thou so I wet sanded it flat on an old window (for flatness).

It now works and I can do the job in 10 minutes start to finish (thanks to doing it a dozen times in a row)....an easy job made difficult by inexperience (mine) and some really dumb design work (Johnson's).

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: 1980 Johnson 9.9 water jacket gasket #$%@**&^%$##@$#%

Keep this up and maybe I could use you at the shop.The next thing you might discover is that Johnson/Evinrude had a plan,and it worked well ...... Except in the backyard.

DHP