Okay, I am a total idiot first off. I willy-nilly took off and cannibalized a fuel pump. Here is what happened. I had a 1974 6 HP Johnson that would run perfectly if you primed the ball every 20 seconds or so or it would die if not primed. So this was a fuel pump problem after exhausting all other diagnostics with the gas can and lines. I had a 1987 4 HP Johnson that had problems of its own that I think are related to the carberator since this engine would run, but was rough, would rev without touching the throttle and die at times if not constantly adjusting the choke, but the fuel pump on this engine worked. They looked pretty much the same but the 1987 fuel pump had the mounting screws in a different position on the pump base and the Outlet Housing and Filter Cap Assembly nozzels that connect to the fuel lines were a little longer on the 1987s fuel pump than on the 1974, but other than that, the were identical. I took apart both pumps and swapped the pump bases essentially. I have the 1974's pump base and all the rest of the 1987's pump together to form one working fuel pump. Doing this basically allowed me to take the working 1987 fuel pump and mount it using the 1974's engine. Here are some links that I am using for the terminology of the parts of this pump and as a guide to assemble this thing.
http://www.sschapterpsa.com/ramblings/Rebuilding_fuelpump.htm
http://www.crowleymarine.com/johnson-evinrude/parts/36385.cfm
In doing this my 6 HP now runs perfect and I no longer have to prime the ball and still have one working pump and one non-working pump. I went ahead an bought a fuel pump repair kit for the 1987 4 HP (and now I am thinking I should have bought one for the 1974) and figured I could put this other pump together, on the 1987 fuel pump base and get it working too. As of yet, I am completely unsuccessful and I have tried to assemble this thing a number of ways. It would seem to me that since I could get the 1974 base with all the other 1987 pump parts to work to form one working pump I could do the same with the other.
I know the response here is probably to go back and disassemble the 1974 pump and put the right pump base with the right pump, but I'll be honest, I am pretty hesitant to touch this thing now that I have it running. So I guess the question I am eventually getting to here is there a difference between the fuel pump repair kit for a 1987 4 HP Johnson and a 1974 6 HP Johnson that could be causing my troubles (don't ask me why I bought a 1987 fuel pump repair kit when basically it is the 1974's pump I am using)? Aren't these univerisal diaphrams and gaskets?
http://www.sschapterpsa.com/ramblings/Rebuilding_fuelpump.htm
http://www.crowleymarine.com/johnson-evinrude/parts/36385.cfm
In doing this my 6 HP now runs perfect and I no longer have to prime the ball and still have one working pump and one non-working pump. I went ahead an bought a fuel pump repair kit for the 1987 4 HP (and now I am thinking I should have bought one for the 1974) and figured I could put this other pump together, on the 1987 fuel pump base and get it working too. As of yet, I am completely unsuccessful and I have tried to assemble this thing a number of ways. It would seem to me that since I could get the 1974 base with all the other 1987 pump parts to work to form one working pump I could do the same with the other.
I know the response here is probably to go back and disassemble the 1974 pump and put the right pump base with the right pump, but I'll be honest, I am pretty hesitant to touch this thing now that I have it running. So I guess the question I am eventually getting to here is there a difference between the fuel pump repair kit for a 1987 4 HP Johnson and a 1974 6 HP Johnson that could be causing my troubles (don't ask me why I bought a 1987 fuel pump repair kit when basically it is the 1974's pump I am using)? Aren't these univerisal diaphrams and gaskets?