1978 Johnson 140hp running rough. Need advice

Bman2895

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Feb 11, 2016
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130
Ive had people say you just beed to smooth out the high spots and run it? And they are abundant, but if i can reuse this set of heads id rather.
 

jimmbo

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Those pits will also likely fill with Carbon, creating Hot Spots leading to Detonation, which I suspect had something to do with the last Ring Failing. I suspect that this engine has had this Dance before
 

saltchuckmatt

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Jul 19, 2019
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3,184
In my opinion, not enough picture to really tell but others may disagree...but if it is savable, besides saving some "clams" a figure 8 pattern on a dead flat surface with some very large 120 grit sandpaper will make it pretty damn flat.

Mix that with new gaskets, and torquing them correctly gradually 2 or three times and you may be in business.

Are you retired or young and out of control....possible broke or rich...

Question goes down the rabbit hole.
 

jimmbo

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I would Not reuse that Head. However, it is your Motor and your Money, so you can do whatever you want.
 

Bman2895

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Feb 11, 2016
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130
Definitely doing things on a bit of a budget. I can try and find another head, but it seems a bit hard to get a starboard head
 

Mc Tool

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Aug 7, 2024
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Id give it a go , pien down as much of the high bits so to push them down ....not fold them over , bit of a wizz with a wire wheel ( to remove any loose bits ) and Bobs yer auntie .
Tell ya what .....most of the peeps telling you not to use it .....would if it was theirs and another replacement was proving hard to find 😁.
I have seen worse 😁
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
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There Tens of Thousands of those 99 inch 135s and140s out there. Shouldn't be too hard to find a Head
 

Bman2895

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Feb 11, 2016
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So I've been away a bit. But I decided to swap the later 140 carbs on. Smaller bore carbs but from a 82or 83 140. Fixed ALOT of the issue's idles good. Runs strong. No bogs off idle etc. They do have some float issues. One of them was going from hanging shut and me having to hold the primer down to keep iy from bogging to hanging open and flooding it. Then it goes right back to running perfectly for a bit.
 

jimmbo

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Actually helped both. But helped the hole shot tremendously. Idle was smooth and it no longer has a lean sneeze.
Shows there was something wrong with old Carbs, but if they had been functioning properly, they would have delivered even better top end performance
 
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