85HP Johnson Starflite

[nrf414]

Hey everyone!

I picked up my boat back in Feb and had been waiting patiently for this day to arrive. I had my carbs cleaned professionally before taking it out to the unlimited horsepower lake about an hour away. So yesterday I get it out there.. fires right up... sounding good. Get out past the no wake zone, look at my friends and say ready? Give'r the juice and max's out at 2900 RPM and 11 MPH (GPS). It's mounted on a 15' Glastron V156 in my signature. The other thing that was no fun was the steering cable snapped right before we were about to trailer the boat. We hossed the engine back to the dock. I'm proud that all the accessories are working properly. I bought the boat for a bargain, but the engine is still not running right. I got it home and checked the carb linkage today. It looks like the top 2 carb linkage was disconnected. I reconnected but haven't been able to test it under load yet. Is this a possible cause to the shortage in my power?

 

[Evinrude Boater]

Re: 85HP Johnson Starflite

Test before you impress.
You're lucky the steering didn't fail at 30 mph!! You could have been thrown from the boat.
If the top carbs were not opening then those two cylinders were just along for the ride. Just wait until you get all four sucking down gas! It'll be fun for sure.

 

[dimock44]

Re: 85HP Johnson Starflite

I would be a little upset at the guy who "professionally" cleaned the carbs.

 

[wavrider]

Re: 85HP Johnson Starflite

Yes,

If the linkage to the top carb was disconnected you would only be running on the bottom carb, thus half rpm, hopefuly connecting the top carb back up will solve the problem.

Really stinks about the steering cable, but after replacine it with a new one and properly lubrication it should last many years to come.

 

[nrf414]

Re: 85HP Johnson Starflite

I'm so anxious to get the steering cable, its like an addiction. I just can't see spending all my milk money for one cookie with no milk to drink it with. Until next payday....

I got quoted on some today at about 130. I might just order it online.

How would I lubricate a steering cable? Or will it come properly lubricated?

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: 85HP Johnson Starflite

If your talking about the teleflex push/pull cable that has a nut on each end, I have seen those as cheap as $89, but if you need extra length because of your boat size they tack on another $13 if I'm not mistaken.

I'm in need of one myself but my cable is a little stiff but hasn't broke. I am very tempted to change the whole steering unit out with the one on this other project hull I just got the other day.

Those cables should be like the shift and throttle cables, already lubed and ready to go. Now you should lube the shaft that goes through the tube on your motor if your motor is setup like that.

 

[Lakester]

Re: 85HP Johnson Starflite

hello,

hey, i like ur boat and engine. reminds me of the Lakester Special!! hope u have it all ok soon. let us know how she runs with all... the carbs linked up.

regards
lakester

 

[nrf414]

Re: 85HP Johnson Starflite

Ok, I'm stumped. I can't get the "tube" surrounding the old steering ram off to put it on the new one. The new one did not come with it.

Any ideas? I'm trying to go boating in about 8 hours, can we fix it?

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: 85HP Johnson Starflite

Whatever you do don't hit it directly with a hammer especially with the nut off, I learned the hard way and it cost me $30 after I messed the threads up. You could also bend it where it will lose it's shape. You might be able to take a piece of wood and place it over the end of the tube then bump it with a hammer. Or use a rubber mallet.

If that tube hasn't been lubed or greased in a long time then you might half to spay some lube on it to help it out.

Just my 2 cents.

Have you got it to move at all?

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: 85HP Johnson Starflite

Heck I was thinking that you was talking about the tube on the motor where the steering ram/piston slides through . My bad.

For the record that picture wasn't there ealier, or if it was my computer didn't pull it up.

 

[nrf414]

Re: 85HP Johnson Starflite

This "thing" is the current PIMA. Tomorrow morning the Mrs. NRF and I are heading up to Raystown for some camping and hopefully some boating. But I really want to be able to use my gas motor on such a large lake. It'd take me all week to go anywhere on that lake with just a trolling motor. I'm open for all suggestions, I've never seen anything like this before.



UPDATED: I GOT IT... i used a hacksaw on the old cable and got it off there. I'm all hooked up now and ready to roll, i can sleep some other time... now its time to BOAT!