Newbie with plenty of questions.

[wintremute]

Hello folks,

Long time lurker here but first time poster... please forgive my ignorance I'm sure I am always in the wrong forum...

I have recently purchased a 1990 (Sun)Tracker Bass Buggy 18ft'er w/ the original 40hp Johnson. I am familiar with the ol' boating world, however it has been 15+ years since I have owned a boat and that was a 60's 14ft runabout my buddies and I rebuilt in high school... a lonng lonngggg time ago .

So I guess I will get right to it and see where is leads me.

1. I can not lift the motor to tilt it up. It looks like there is a 'tilt assist' cylinder there but it may be frozen up or bolted off. This is a used boat ya know! How can I bypass/overcome this? Links to manuals would work wonders here.

2. I have done a poor-man's tune up (plugs, fluids, cleaned the carbs) but it still seems that it is idling on only one cylinder most of the time. a lot of coughing every 10th or 12th cycle it seems. Worse on muffs, but also in the water. Seems to be ok at 2500+rmps in the water. Maybe that's normal?

3. The primer doesn't seem to work off of the key switch. Push to choke....nothing. Have to flip the red switch and prime it manually before we launch. Bad primer pump?

4. The trim tab on the bottom of the lower unit is missing and it's pulling to the right pretty hard. Does anyone have a source for replacement parts? It's a a TJ40 ELESR model. I have looked through the links here and determined that this means it's a 40 HP Johnson, made for Tracker, electric start, remote, made in 1990. Right?

5. My prop is pretty beaten up and I would like to know the best options for a replacement one. 3 blade? 4 Blade? pitch? So far, with the motor trimmed WAY down (too low already) I can hit 17mph@4800-ish rmp via GPS. I don't know where the power band is on this motor, but the tach says redline is 6000. I'm not expecting to pull skiers with a 40HP motor, but it feels a bit over loaded at the moment. 20mph or more would be great.

OK guys I've laid it all out there for ya. Let me know what you think!

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Newbie with plenty of questions.

I'll take a shot at a couple of your questions.

1. I can not lift the motor to tilt it up. It looks like there is a 'tilt assist' cylinder there but it may be frozen up or bolted off. This is a used boat ya know! How can I bypass/overcome this? Links to manuals would work wonders here.

There should be a screw on the end of the cylinder that you can turn to bypass fluid around the cylinder. The relays are probably bad but it may be your switch or power to the switch.

2. I have done a poor-man's tune up (plugs, fluids, cleaned the carbs) but it still seems that it is idling on only one cylinder most of the time. a lot of coughing every 10th or 12th cycle it seems. Worse on muffs, but also in the water. Seems to be ok at 2500+rmps in the water. Maybe that's normal?

Might as well bite the bullet and rebuild the carburators. It's not hard to do with a little mechanical ability.

3. The primer doesn't seem to work off of the key switch. Push to choke....nothing. Have to flip the red switch and prime it manually before we launch. Bad primer pump?

Maybe but I would first check for power to and from the switch.

4. The trim tab on the bottom of the lower unit is missing and it's pulling to the right pretty hard. Does anyone have a source for replacement parts? It's a a TJ40 ELESR model. I have looked through the links here and determined that this means it's a 40 HP Johnson, made for Tracker, electric start, remote, made in 1990. Right?

Stop by your nearest Johnson dealer and they can get you one.

5. My prop is pretty beaten up and I would like to know the best options for a replacement one. 3 blade? 4 Blade? pitch? So far, with the motor trimmed WAY down (too low already) I can hit 17mph@4800-ish rmp via GPS. I don't know where the power band is on this motor, but the tach says redline is 6000. I'm not expecting to pull skiers with a 40HP motor, but it feels a bit over loaded at the moment. 20mph or more would be great.

I would get the carbs rebuilt and the motor running right before making a determination on the prop.

OK guys I've laid it all out there for ya. Let me know what you think!

Good luck and report back your progress.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Newbie with plenty of questions.

When you say you cleaned the carbs did you physically take the jets out and clean them with a wire, if not that could be your problem, should be one on the front of the carb, one on the top back and one inside the float bowl drain.

These need to be removed and run a stranded copper wire through them to ge them clean, also blow air through the passages, the air in a can works well for this if you don't have a compressor.

My engien doesn't have a primer so can't help there btu don't think it is the primer bulb, if it pumps up and gets hard it is good.

It won't stay hard as the engine sucks gas from the tank.

Replace prop with what is on it now, there should be markings on it somewhere, alot of times it is on the barrel sometimes inside the hub or on the back of the hub, you are looking for something like 13-1/4X15.

If the prop is torn up it will kill your speed.

 

[pugbro]

Re: Newbie with plenty of questions.

I have a 89 Bass Tracker and just this year had the same problem you are talking about (I think) concerning not being able to raise or lower the motor. Standing behind the boat, look on the right side of the motor where the clamps attach to the transom. You will find a lever approximately 2 or 3 inches long. If you push the lever in one direction it "unlocks' the motor so it will tilt..Push it in the other direction and "locks" it in place. The problem I had was with the cable that runs from the "tilt assist cylinder" up to the tilt lever. On the top end of the cable (at the lever) there is a small plastic fitting that screws on the end of the cable and "snaps" onto the tilt lever. The fitting had broken. I'm sure after 21 years out in the sun and water, it had become brittle and broke. The good news is that my local Johnson dealer had them in stock..Cost a big ole $7.93....Hope this helps..Keep us posted on your progress.


KEEP IN FUN...KEEP IT SAFE

 

[wintremute]

Re: Newbie with plenty of questions.

I have a 89 Bass Tracker and just this year had the same problem you are talking about (I think) concerning not being able to raise or lower the motor. Standing behind the boat, look on the right side of the motor where the clamps attach to the transom. You will find a lever approximately 2 or 3 inches long. If you push the lever in one direction it "unlocks' the motor so it will tilt..Push it in the other direction and "locks" it in place. The problem I had was with the cable that runs from the "tilt assist cylinder" up to the tilt lever. On the top end of the cable (at the lever) there is a small plastic fitting that screws on the end of the cable and "snaps" onto the tilt lever. The fitting had broken. I'm sure after 21 years out in the sun and water, it had become brittle and broke. The good news is that my local Johnson dealer had them in stock..Cost a big ole $7.93....Hope this helps..Keep us posted on your progress.


KEEP IN FUN...KEEP IT SAFE

So THAT'S what that useless floppy lever is for!!! I bet you're right.

Thanks!