1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

[xyourobob]

Engine: 98 Johnson 175 ocean runner ficht<br />Model #j175fsxecs, serial #g04500671<br /><br />HELP! I'm at my wits end. Engine running hot (180 - 220 degrees @ 3000 rpms and higher.<br /><br />At dock and in idle engine runs @160 degrees.<br /><br />Cruising at 1000-2000 rpms temperature drops to 140 degrees.<br /><br />I have replaced the water pump with latest improved model, both thermostats, flushed top end of motor, replaced sensor and gauge. I have removed all electronic sensors from transum and sea trialed boat with no improvment. Mechanic has confirmed engine postioned correctly on boat with correct prop and checked x-factor? Says all is fine. I suggested possible impeller fragments caught in water system during use by prior owner. Mechanic says he has never seen impeller from this series (floppy vein something or another)deteriate and break apart. He also inspected water shaft during water pump replacement and saw no signs of sea growth to obstruct water passage. <br /><br />What now?

 

[seahorse5]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

If you are telling the temp by the dash gauge, that is not always accurate. Borrow an infrared temp gun, or have a knowledgable person do it, and check the temperatures of the cylinder heads.<br /><br />Many times overheating is caused by air getting into the cooling water inlets. A transducer, speedo pickup, thru-hull fitting, etc. mounted within 17" of the centerline of the motor may disrupt the smooth water flow into the motor.<br /><br />In extememe cases, there are hi-volume water inlets that you can install on your engine.<br /><br />What was the part number of your latest water pump kit? and what is the model number of your motor? Different models take different kits, or overheating may result.<br /><br />There also may be deposits that accumulate inside the blind passageways of the cylinderhead. There was an OMC bulletin years ago about cleaning them out carefully using acid.

 

[xyourobob]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

Thanks Seahorse<br /><br />The engine model number is listed in first post. I also mentioned I removed all thru hull fittings and sea trialed the boat with no change. I will ask my mechanic what model water pump he used.

 

[xyourobob]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

Is there a way of taking the gear casing off the engine and flushing out obstructions?

 

[MMTech1]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

5001595 should be the water pump kit you need.<br /><br />Have your mechanic hook up his laptop to the motor, run the engine on the water at the rpms the problem occurs, check to see if the guage is correct, and to see what the computer on the motor has logged in it for temp and errors.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

What "thru hull fittings"?

 

[xyourobob]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

OK, not thru-hull fittings. I removed the fish finder/depth finder sensor off the transum, sea trialed the boat and still had the same results

 

[Dhadley]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

Ah! Good point. To see if there was aeriated water getting to the cooling.

 

[xyourobob]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

My mechanic took out the thermostats and said the boat is running cool. I have not sea trialed it myself yet due to weather. Couple of questions:<br />- is it possible he did not install ugraded water pump?<br />- Can I run the boat safely without thermostats?

 

[bass66]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

Experienced a similar problem with my 98. Engine lights came on, however continued fishing with motor at high idle all day. Through the day, the high temps. caused a crack in the top of the exhaust housing, allowing cooling water to mix with exhaust gas. Took my mechanic a long time to find this problem, $2700 in repairs. Keep in mind, if the temp. gauge is reading high, that's OK, the diagnostics on the engine run off different sensors. AFTER ALL THIS, COME TO FIND OUT A PREVIOUS MECHANIC HAD INSTALLED THE WRONG WWATER PUMP. The pump for the Ficht is smaller, but pumps more water than the carbureted FastStrike engine. So, my diagnosis, after running a season with the wrong pump, it was just a matter of time before something went wrong. It may take me awhile, but I can dig up the correct pump #. I had called OMC and got two different stories on the pump.

 

[seahorse5]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

The pump for a '98 FICHT is not smaller, it is the same as is used in all the V4 and V6 motors.<br /><br />There is a different pump kit for the 20" shaft motors than the 25-30" shaft engines due to a difference in the mid-section design. The 20" water pump kit uses a bleed hole in the pump housing which will cause overheating if used on a 25-30" engine.

 

[bass66]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

Maybe the pump's not smaller, but the housing for the pump is smaller, trust me, the one removed from my motor, had two distinct wear marks on either side of the housing - was not made to fit in the 98 Ficht Fast Strike. Seahorse is right, the correct pump will not have the bleed hole. It's a possible problem. The correct pump kit # is 5001595, the housing on this pump is relieved on either side where those wear marks showed up. I was told the carbureted 175 Fast Strike used kit #434421. One other thing I didn't mention, I had a torn head gasket, probably from shards of the old impeller or parts from the pump thrown up into the engine.

 

[seahorse5]

Re: 1998 Johnson Ficht - Please Help!

Yeah, the old style water pump housings were taller around the perimeter and used long 3" bolts and would hit on newer midsections. That was quite a few years back, I think prior to 1998. The latest housings use about 1 1/2" fasteners.