Johnson 18 FD14

[TayzGpa]

I was given a little john boat with a Johnson 18 Sea Horse motor on it.
As best I can tell by searching these forums, it is a 1960.
The model is FD14 and has a starter on it.

I cannot get the thing to start so I would like to try a tune up before I haul it to the repair shop.

Can anyone tell me what plugs to use and what the gaps should be as well as the point gap and anything else I should know to do a tune up.
Also I think the gas mix should be 24:1. Is that correct.
The thing has two plugs. The top one looks like a normal plug and is a Champion J4c. The bottom one looks like nothing I have ever seen before and is a Champion L76V. I have attached a photo of it.

Any information about this motor would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[wbeaton]

Re: Johnson 18 FD14

Great motor. The coils are notoriously bad. Check to make sure yours are ok. There is an inspection plate on top of the flywheel. Remove it and take a look. If they are cracked, discoloured or sweaty they are bad and have to be replaced even if they spark. You also need a new water pump impeller.

Spark plugs Champion J4C gapped .030", points set to .020", fuel mix 24:1 (offically, but hotly debated).

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Johnson 18 FD14

Welcome to iboats.

This may also help.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=158071

 

[F_R]

Re: Johnson 18 FD14

Throw that surface-gap plug as far as you can. The ignition system on that motor was not designed to fire that thing.

 

[TayzGpa]

Re: Johnson 18 FD14

Thanks everyone! Great information.
Is there somewhere that you would recommend that I can order the coil, etc or should I just go through my local Johnson dealer? On a motor that old, will the dealer even be able to get the parts?

 

[F_R]

Re: Johnson 18 FD14

Coils for that motor are available all over the world, including right here at iboats.

Most parts are available from dealers, if they will bother taking the time to look them up for you.

 

[TayzGpa]

Re: Johnson 18 FD14

Still working on this motor (a little at a time).
Anyway, it has a starter in it. The fellow that had it before me apparently replaced the battery cables and both of them are red. One cable goes to the chassis and the other goes to the starter.

I'm thinkg that the hot cable from the starter goes to the positive post on the battery and the cable from the chassis goes to the negative post on the battery.

Can anyone confirm this? For some reason, somewhere in the back of my mind I'm thinking that this motor might be different (i.e. negative to starter, positive to chassis). Dont know why I'm thinking that.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Johnson 18 FD14

On my 57 Evinrude Big Twin 35 hp, the red cable goes to the starter through a solenoid, the black cable goes to the chassis/block.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Johnson 18 FD14

You do need to run the hot through a solenoid. running them as you describe will run the starter all the time for a while until it burns up.

 

[TayzGpa]

Re: Johnson 18 FD14

Excellent. Thanks much.
About oil and gas mix. I have a gas/oil mix that I use in my chain saw and weed eater. Can I use that type of oil in my gas mix for this motor or do I need to buy outboard motor oil to mix in?

Also, I dont suppose anyone would have a diagram or photo or the like on how to hook the solenoid up to that engine. There is a solenoid attached to the boat itself and the batter cable runs to it then to the motor. Is that all there is to it?

Thanks.