1975 50hp johnson not starting

[dawinksta]

hi, this seems like a great forum full of knowledgeable people!
I have a 1975 Johnson 50hp outboard with electric start only. For the first time in 5 years I've got time to get it going again. I got everything in place and turned the key, it cranked for maybe one second then stopped. since then theres just a click/pop everytime I turn the key. voltage at the battery is 13. i cleaned all the connections. voltage reads 13v where the wires connect in the motor. on the positive side however, i dont get a reading on the other side of the little black square that goes out to the starter. can i jump straight to the starter while its attached to the motor or do i have to remove it first? any help with getting this going would be much appreciated. thanks!!
eric

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 1975 50hp johnson not starting

Your battery is fully charged, might want to get it load tested at your local auto parts store, they usually do it for free.

Short of that, start by jumping your starter directly off your battery. Get a good, heavy set of jumper cables, hook up one end to your battery, and the POS of the other end to the large POS incoming post of the starter. Then find a good ground, and hold the NEG end of the cables to it. If the motor now spins as it should, you know you have an issue from the battery to the starter. You could also use your meter at the large POS post of the starter, what is your voltage there while cranking? This problem is usually due to faulty wiring or poor connections. Remove all connections at the battery, starter, solenoid (the little black square) and especially the main engine ground, polish them with a file, even if they look good, then re tighten. Check all the wiring for nicks, cuts, abrasions, and replace as needed.

Let us know what you find.

 

[dawinksta]

Re: 1975 50hp johnson not starting

Thank you for the reply. I didnt get any voltage at the pos starter terminal while turning the key. I cleaned all the connections pretty well. also, i forgot to mention that mice chewed up a few of the smaller wires in the engine so I soldered in some new ones. but like i said, it cranked the engine for about a second before it stopped, now it just makes a "pop" sound when i turn the key.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 1975 50hp johnson not starting

Did you check the 20amp fuse that is at the starter? It will be inside a twist grommet.

Are you getting voltage at the incoming post of the solenoid while cranking?

 

[peacock16]

Re: 1975 50hp johnson not starting

I had the same problem with my 75 horse johnson a few years ago. Would just click n pop like ur saying. I went to the boat chunk yard and picked up a new selinoide. That fixed it. Costed me about 20 bucks.

 

[dawinksta]

Re: 1975 50hp johnson not starting

I will be getting a new solenoid. it does engage when jumped from the battery, but its real slow in spinning. it seems like its drawing quite a few amps to crank it and not fast enough to start.

 

[dawinksta]

Re: 1975 50hp johnson not starting

does the flywheel teeth or starter teeth need any lubrication? can the starter or solenoid be taken apart /lubed easily?