(Update) 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

[wildmaninal]

After buying this motor that was suposed to be "froze up from sitting", I came across another Iboats memeber's thread that has me wondering if my lower unit might be the problem also.

I have the head of the motor off, I seen from the start that the top piston does have some movement in it but the bottom piston doesn't. So really I don't know which could be the problem, froze up powerhead or lower unit. As soon as I got this motor home I added my own little mixture to each cylinder to let it sit, it has been loaded down with this stuff ever sense yesterday morning. The prop will turn in neutral. The head is pretty black and somewhat caked up with carbon on the inside, the piston walls feel smooth.

My next trouble shooting ideas were to:

Take apart the prop assembly and inspect that for damage or corrosion.

Take the power head off and undo the shift linkage and drop the lower unit.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Dropping the lower unit will determine where your problem lies

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

This way if the powerhead is still froze I can check out the water pump and might be able to determin if the motor ran hot or if the man was telling the truth and it is just froze up.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Yes, pull the powerhead and drop the LU. Then you will know what's what. I have the same engine... In parts... in a box... Doubt it will ever run again... The brass bushings were too scored in it...

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

I got the powerhead off and it is locked up, I set it in the vise and I'm fixing to load it back up with lubricant.

I'm quick ain't I? I broke a swet out on that one.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

If you can, clamp the powerhead down so it can move, then put a wrench on the flywheel nut or put a strap wrench on the flywheel. Try to move it a little either way but don't force it. Keep penetrating oil in the cylinders and keep trying to budge it, gently. If you're lucky it will come loose with some time for oil to soak in. I've also heard of folks making an air fitting using an old spark plug, putting oil in the cylinder, installing the fitting in the plug hole and pressurizing the cylindere a little to force the penetrating oil past the rings, then budging it loose. It may be permanently stuck, if so you can probably pick up a good powerhead for not much $$$.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Try to get it freed up if you want to, but if there is rust in the connecting rod bearing and you force it to turn or start the motor, it probably will have a rod bearing meltdown. Only safe way to deal with it is tear the powerhead apart and fix it right.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

If you can, clamp the powerhead down so it can move, then put a wrench on the flywheel nut or put a strap wrench on the flywheel. Try to move it a little either way but don't force it. Keep penetrating oil in the cylinders and keep trying to budge it, gently. If you're lucky it will come loose with some time for oil to soak in. I've also heard of folks making an air fitting using an old spark plug, putting oil in the cylinder, installing the fitting in the plug hole and pressurizing the cylindere a little to force the penetrating oil past the rings, then budging it loose. It may be permanently stuck, if so you can probably pick up a good powerhead for not much $$$.

Not disagreeing with you FR I might half to take and tare the motor down or replace the power head.

I was honestly thinking about putting air in the cylinders at one point (before I started this thread) and seeing if that would help, but I would half to reinstall the head to do that which is no big deal but I don't want to blow a seal or gasket. I still have the cylinders soaking, the flywheel will move just a little but it has been like that sense I started messing with it yesterday. I'll say this much I don't think that this motor has ever been decarbed, the piston heads are pretty ugly/black.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Well that was an easy one to figure out, I reinstalled the head on the motor I took an air tool fitting for a quick release setup (for an air hose quick release) and screwed it right down in the spark plug hole and hooked a portable air tank to it and left it to sit.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Dang, it was that easy to find a fitting? Huh. Wish I had one that screwed right on! Keep the pressure on Let us know what happens

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Re: 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

Dang, it was that easy to find a fitting? Huh. Wish I had one that screwed right on! Keep the pressure on Let us know what happens

We keep that type of stuff around . I'll keep you updated.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: (Update) 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

I got it freed up, I stepped out to check the gauge on the portable air tank that I left hooked to the cylinder and it was on 0. I took and poored sea foam in both cylinders and hooked the air back up to it and did start making the fluid drip out the port on the bottom of the powerhead.

I lightly bump it with a rubber mallett and it did start to turn. I took it loose from the vise where I could turn the flywheel easier by hand and it spun freely after a moment.

I've already pulled a compression check and it is reading 85 on bottom and 80 on top. I did a spark test on it and it is throwing out good spark, upon inspection before I freed the motor up I pulled the inspection plate off of the flywheel and the coils look like new.

I forgot to mention how much I paid for this motor, I paid $43.51 plus the price of gas to go and get it for $30 (out of state). I got this off of Ebay.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: (Update) 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

That's good. Hopefully there's no rust on the crank. What you might want to consider is to take the head off and lightly buff the cylinders where it was stuck with some emery paper. The head gasket is cheap to replace and it might help the psi anyway.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: (Update) 1959 5.5hp Johnson "Froze Up"

I know I need to replace the head gasket, and I figured that it might of had something to do with the compression reading. When I had the air hooked to the bottom cylinder with the sea foam in both cylinders you could see it bubbling on the top cylinder so air was passing through somewhere. I'm sort of scared to touch those cylinder walls for real.

I need to replace the water pump, power head gasket (where it sits on the LU), and the head gasket.