Many years back a worked with a fellow that had one of the early versions, had numerous issues with it, the dealer called Johnson for warranty claim review, he showed me the letter from Johnson, they recomended the dealer bypass the vro system and run the motor on 50-1 premix from then on...
Sure it can be done...how good is your patience ?? I did that some years back for the same reasons...money or lack of. Carefull, long time shopping and I found whst I was looking for. All the serious work was already done and done well ! Shopped for over a year, had to drive over 200 miles...
Pics wont tell the story, an actual sample of the wood is needed. Transom and stringer wood sample, or if they are really bad, a simple pocket knife stab will tell the story. If you can push the point of a pocket knife into the wood....they are rotted.
Your aluminum tank has corroded, probably some pinholes from the corrosion. Aluminum oxidises naturally but very slow !! Something has sped up the corrosion on your tank. Could be caused by a variety of things such as.....excess moisture wherevthe aluminum never was allowed to dry out...
In my towing experiences ( 60yrs) when your towing at maximum capacity and that capacity is high, the tow has never been overly pleasant. When the trailer is heavier than the tow vehicle, that extra weight can and will drive the tow vehicle some...
With only 8 hp, you wont gain anything noticible. One or so added hp will be lucky to add 1 mph. Your in a situation where your only real choice is to get a bigger motor !! If weight is an issue then go back to a two stroke motor.
You have some testing to do....how old are the fuel hoses? What is the compression on each cylinder ?
When was the last time the carbs were rebuilt ? How good is the fuel ? How much of a gap will each plug wire jump ? Need info before we can guess !!
When you replace the fuel lines, also replace the short sections of fuel line inside the motor. When these hoses degrade small pieces flake off and cause blockages. You entire fuel system needs to be flushed and cleaned thoroughly. Probably will need carbs removed and cleaned as well. Once...
I would tend to agree, from those I know that own them, the ride might be better but issues developed with age. They are more expensive to repair/replace when the time comes.
Oops...guess I should have looked more closely, now I see yours is a four stroke. To the best of my knowledge the carb trick only works on two stroke engines, not four stroke.
Dont try to fix something until you know for sure there is a problem!!! As mentioned run it for a while, add a good dose of sea foam in the fuel to clean things out. Replace that impellor and take it for a shake down cruise
Owned two of them, neither worked right. My marine mechanics ( multiple) have never trusted them. Excessive warranty claims on the VRO system is one of the things that bankrupted OMC. All my marine folks recomend the Mercury oil injection system over the VRO.
Yep....if you have enough rollers you wont have a problem. My 22' Islander (aluminum) has set on a roller trailer since new in 1983 and still to this day. No dents or humps in the hull !!
