57 Seahorse crapped out

[rkitterman]

Today I bought a 57 Johnson Seahorse and a pressure tank. The motor looks in great condition. Owner is the son of the original owner and had all the paper work and manuals. He started it and let it run in a tank with no problems. I put it in the back of my truck and then onto the back of the boat. Started it dockside with no problems. Put the kid and wife in, got 50 yards from the dock and it died. Got back to shore and would start for a second and die. Tonite I tore it apart, new plugs, regapped th points, tore apart the carb to check for blockage and blew air thru it. Still won't start after setting carb needles according to owners manual. Seems to have good spark and compression. Is the a way to visually see if fuel is making it up into the carb throat? What else do I need to check. I put the carb back together the way it came apart. Please help. Thanks.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

I hate to ask the obvious but did you tighten the cap on the pressure tank? I forget sometimes and it will go about that far and then die... and will start every time you pump it up and then die again... btw, what HP is it?

You can remove the lower high speed needle and see if fuel pours out, if so it is getting fuel... then you have to reset it...

Or, if you think it'as fuel related, make up a spray bottle of the oil/gas mixture and spray it in the carb... if it runs for a bit, it's a fuel supply issue... Then maybe a carb kit is in order...

Lastly if all else is well it's possible the coils are baked... the old ones are usually bad unless they have been replaced at some point... and sometimes they only act up when hot...

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

1st when posting give us all the info, it's a 57 'what hp, model #' seahorse. these engine do not have a fuel pump, they work on a pressure system. you pump the button to force gas to the carbs, when the engine starts, it pumps air into the tank to force fuel to the carbs. the cap has to be tight, and there can be no leaks. it's a super simple system that has worked for 60 years. i have a 58 35 hp i just refurbished. and have had many of the 1950's motors.

here are the carb control directions, 2knob http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=167352

also here is a picture of what the coils are not suppose to look like. you have to remove the flywheel with a harmonic balancer puller, and use 14x/20 #8 harden bolts & washers, to screw into the flywheel, standard bolt will strip out.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

Time for "Chime"...
You by a motor that's pushing 30 years old, you see it run in a tank of water. First trip out, haul the wife and kids and ....ya see something wrong with this picture?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

Robby redo your math. try 50 years old. you're up late.

 

[F_R]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

Kind of reminds me of the guy that bought a used boat and took it out for a test run. He headed straight out the pass to the Gulf Of Mexico. Duh!

 

[Scaaty]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

Robby redo your math. try 50 years old. you're up late.

Yep, bonfire/party was found on the short block to the launch with the Over-powered Flatbottom...never made it to the water... Jeezz, barely made it home before the sun was a risin..!
Ya know your addicted when the last thing before crashing was checking in here
(Actually, waiting on the pizza in the oven!..)
30, 50 years old...heck, add'em up, and thats kinda what I feel like now!!

 

[rkitterman]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

Well, I tried er again today and decided to try new fuel as the old fuel had been in the tank since who knows when. Started on the first pull with a little 32:1 mix sprayed in the carb throat. Hooked up to tank and all is well. Still have to fine tune to carb and put her on the water and check everything out. The manual says a mixture of 8oz oil to 1 gal gas ( I read that as 32:1) is what should go in this motor but seems awfully smokey. Any suggestions?

 

[Scaaty]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

No...use 24-1...

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

They all smoke. For less smoke try synthetic tc-w3 oil.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

btw, what HP was/is it? You never did say?

 

[rkitterman]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

My bad, it is a 5.5 hp. It's in great condition. I can't wait to get it on the water.

 

[rndn]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

You did check to make sure it's pumping water right? It would run about that long and then crap out fromheat. Just something else to check.

 

[rkitterman]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

Yep it pumps water great. The previous owner stated that the impeller had been replaced.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 57 Seahorse crapped out

I have several of the 5.5s. They're great 'lil engines.