Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

[Speakrdude]

A high school buddy of my son went out to the lake with a bunch of us over the weekend. While in line waiting to launch, he decided to turn the engine over to check the battery condition. Smoke started pouring out of the cowling. When we removed the cowling, we found an electrical component with the epoxy center on fire in a big way! We got the fire out quickly without any damage to any other component or wires. (or fuel lines!) <br />The damaged part comes from the stator, I beleive. It is round, metal shell, two screws hold it on, epoxy insides with 3 wires coming from it attaching to a terminal strip mounted on the side of the engine. The Engine, by-the-way, is a 91 Johnson 115 outboard. Is this part the rectifier? Does anyone have a part # or a parts diagram online they can point me towards?<br />Thanks,<br />Jim

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

Try here: http://www.boatmotors.com/mall/partfinder/

 

[Pony]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

I don't know what the part is.....but I have to ask. Why on Earth would you turn the motor over while waiting to launch (obviously not in water).? While this prolly didnt cause the fire....it could destroy your water pump <br /><br />Sorry...I'm just really anal about those waterpumps.

 

[Speakrdude]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

I with you on the water pump thing, but he's not my kid.....lol

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

It's not really that unusual. I see people do it all the time, and I wonder how their w/p survives. They think if they don't run it long enough to heat up, it's OK. I saw a neighbor of mine do it the other day. He got a new Suzuki (or Yamaha, or some other gray motor) 200 hp. I guess he wanted to be sure it would run before he took it out the first time.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

I with you on the water pump thing, but he's not my kid.....lol

Whose motor is it?

 

[Speakrdude]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

posted August 29, 2005 07:19 PM <br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> A high school buddy of my son went out to the lake with a bunch of us over the weekend. While in line waiting to launch, he decided to turn the engine over to check the battery condition <br /><br />Sorry, It was HIS boat.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

Then you did the exact correct thing -- help him figure out what he needs to buy to get it going again.<br /><br />Very nice!

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

Scatch one rectifier. Normally when they go one og the 4 diodes in it opens up and you don't know it until you battery goes dead or tach stops working. Once in a while they short out and that is what happends. Hopefully that is all that is wrong but I would check the stator and all the wiring.

 

[Speakrdude]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

Yah, I found the specs online to check the stator. Those things put out some serious AC voltage. Diodes lived a long-hard life..

 

[seahorse5]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

Speakrdude,<br /><br />Let me guess...there were wing nuts on the battery terminals, right?<br /><br />I'll bet you can grab a battery cable and pull and it will loosen up.

 

[Speakrdude]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

Sesahorse, I don't guess I understand what your getting at, but OK. Aren't most marine batteries wing nut style?

 

[willamettejeff]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

Maybe even connected backwards perhaps?

 

[jy118lfd]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

Use nuts not wingnuts and tighten them with a wrench. I still use the wingnuts but crank down on them with a wrench. Most people see the wingnuts and think hand tight but they will vibrate loose and ruin the rectifier.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

What Seahorse is getting at is that the battery connection is/was probably loose. Yes, most Marine batterys have always come with wing nuts. We've learned that may not be such a great idea.

 

[Speakrdude]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

This is good stuff. I really never thought to check if he had the polarity right. I do remember him using the trim though. I usually do tighten down all my wing nuts too. I didn't watch him to see if he removed by hand or not but under the circumstances with a little addrenaline, who knows...

 

[JESSIELSMALL]

Re: Fire on 115 Johnson!!!

Use nuts not wingnuts and tighten them with a wrench. I still use the wingnuts but crank down on them with a wrench. Most people see the wingnuts and think hand tight but they will vibrate loose and ruin the rectifier.

does the rectifier have anything to do with the spark plug fire