1980 Johnson 85hp dropping a cylinder and making a ticking noise.

Plum-Crazy

Cadet
Joined
Mar 4, 2007
Messages
14
My outboard when you first start it works fine except it makes a ticking sound. not a piston. but after you run it for a while it drops a cylinder.. I have changed coils , power packs and stator coils.. what else could it be?
 

chbailey

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
116
Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp dropping a cylinder and making a ticking noise.

Start with a compression and spark test.

Also, when is it missing? High low speed, both? When was the last time your serviced your carbs, fuel pump, etc...
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp dropping a cylinder and making a ticking noise.

the ticking sound, are you sure it's not spark jumping to a ground.
 

Plum-Crazy

Cadet
Joined
Mar 4, 2007
Messages
14
Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp dropping a cylinder and making a ticking noise.

It isn't a fuel issue because it works fine until this plug dies.. Its not skipping it just works then drops the cylinder(loses fire). I am pretty sure it is jumping spark but I can't find it .. I have changed everything.. It didn't always make the ticking sound this is new as of last weekend..
 

iwombat

Captain
Joined
Jul 12, 2006
Messages
3,767
Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp dropping a cylinder and making a ticking noise.

Describe "everything". Jumping spark is usually a bad plug wire, or bad insulation on a coil.
 

GlasV162

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
303
Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp dropping a cylinder and making a ticking noise.

Check your plug wires to make sure connections are tight inside the rubber boots. My motor gave the same symptoms as yours; turns out I had a bad plug wire. Good luck.
 

seasprite

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
31
Re: 1980 Johnson 85hp dropping a cylinder and making a ticking noise.

I had the same problem off a new coil bad sparkplug boot at the plug left a black mark on the spark plug insulator ware spark leak was replaced new boot with the old one that I saved no more troubles. hope you find it.
 
Top