1972 100HP Johnson Outboard starting problem

[rumads]

just took my 1972 100HP Johnson Outboard out for the first time in about two years. Before I took it out I started it up at home and ran great. My uncle took it out on the water and no problems. He did say that when he came in to load it he heard some strange noise that sounded like a steering cable problem. So I took it out tonight and got to the lake and it wouldn't turn over. I bypassed it and connected it right from the battery to the engine and it turned over. Problem was the propeller was spinning when I started it. This leads me to believe that it was in gear. I went to the shifter and moved it around and tried to start it and nothing. Again jumped if from the battery and it turned over with the propeller spinning. Is there some suggestion on how I can get the boat to unlock itself out of gear. We did take it out on the water and did get the propeller to stop went to start it and wouldn't turn over. The whole night we ended up starting it directly from the battery to the motor. Also when its in gear and we bring the shifter to neutral most of the times the propeller will continue to spin at a low spead. We tried putting the motor in reverse and it seems to go foward.
The more we put it in reverse the faster it goes forward. Could really use some direction. Thanks.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1972 100HP Johnson Outboard starting problem

I'll betcha your shift switch is broken. It is in the remote control. The arm breaks off of them. The switch not only shifts gears, it also prevents you from starting it in gear. That explains why you are having to jump it.

Warning: Just so you don't have a heart attack, sit down before they tell you the price for a new one. Just be glad if you can even find one.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1972 100HP Johnson Outboard starting problem

When you have an electrical problem with the shift on that engine, the engine defaults to forward gear. It's a safety thing that lets you jump start the engine (as you have been doing) so that you can still get home with it. Follow F_R's recommendation.

 

[rumads]

Re: 1972 100HP Johnson Outboard starting problem

Thanks for your help. I'm gonna go check this out and I'll get back to ya. Again appreciate the information.

Nate

 

[rlb9844]

Re: 1972 100HP Johnson Outboard starting problem

I have a '70 Evinrude 115 electric shift with a blown motor. Some of the shifting components I believe still work. I'm pretty sure they are compatible. Let me know if you're interested. I was just going to junk the whole thing anyway. RLB9844@yahoo.com

 

[rumads]

Re: 1972 100HP Johnson Outboard starting problem

I figured out what my boat wouldn't start. The safey switch had fallen out of its spot. I opened up the handle part (excuse my terminology not a mechanic) and found that the safety switch was faulty and had fell out so when the handle was going forward and backward it was not going in neutral so I thought. I put that back into the little hole that it fits in and put the unit back and the key turned over the motor. I then took it back out to the lake and dropped the boat in the water and put the boat in reverse only to notice that it went forward. When I put it in forward the engine would rev up but wouldn't move. I thought that perhaps I had put the handle together wrong. Since this was not a big issue I pulled the handle in reverse and the boat went forward. Once I got out in the middle of the water I put the boat in forward and the motor kicked a little and it went forward so I then tried reverse and it still went forward. What could be the issue? Thanks.