Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

[james roach]

Wasn't there a service bulletin on these way back when? Mine does not spray fuel in when you pump the bulb unless you put it in the manual position. You can then hear the fuel spraying in. It works fine once the motor cranks.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

James..... That's the way it's designed to work.<br /><br />Turning the RED valve handle so that it's pointed away from the solenoid allows fuel to travel through it. This feature is there so that if electrical power is lost, you can still prime (choke) the engine.<br /><br />With the RED valve handle in the automatic position (turned so that it is over top and pointed at the other end of the solenoid), the solenoid is actuated by pushing in the key when the key is in the ON or START position.<br /><br />Think of the primer solenoid as (and compared) to an electric choke. With the RED lever in the automatic position, pushing in the key causes it to function.<br /><br />Also keep in mind that in the automatic position, the priming/choking takes place ONLY when the engine is CRANKING or RUNNING. As per a electric choke, you're aware that engaging an electric choke does nothing unless the engine is turning over.

 

[james roach]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

I was curious because this motor can take anywhere from 5-30 minutes to start cold unless you put the celenoid in the manual position, prime it with the bulb (you can here the fuel spraying in), and then put the red lever back down. If you follow those steps the motor cranks right up. On every motor I have owned in the past, you could hear the gas spraying in when you pumped the bulb. I have owned both choked and celenoid models and I have always heard it. I know it works at least part of the time because once it is running, if you push the key in, the motor will bog down. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[james roach]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

anyone else?

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

What you have heard on the choked models may be fuel charging the fuel pump and/or the float bowl. That's what I hear on mine.

 

[seahorse5]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

The primer valve only works when there is fuel pressure in the line, from the fuel pump or from the primer ball squeezing.<br /><br />Try this procedure for cold starts. Hold the primer ball arrow up and squeeze until it is rock hard. Make sure the motor is trimmed level, advance the throttle a bit in neutral (not needed for '88 and later models) and turn key to ON. Press in to "choke" motor for a count of 4 then continue holding in and turn to start. As soon a motor fires up, press in 3 times with a 1 second "burst".

 

[DJ]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

Use this starting procedure.<br /><br />1. Make sure the solonoid is in the "automatic" position. Red lever parallel to solonoid body.<br /><br />2. Pump up the primer bulb.<br /><br />3. Turn the key ON, Not Start.<br /><br />4. Push the key in and count to eight.<br /><br />5. Release key and start engine.<br /><br />6. "Bump" key in to add fuel, as needed, during warm up.

 

[james roach]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

I have tried these starting procedures over the 3 years I have owned this motor and for some reason there is not enough gas getting in there unless I prime it with the celenoid in the manual method. If I do it the normal way, I might sit at the ramp 30 minutes trying to get it to start. If I undo the motor latches, flip the red lever on the celenoid up, pump it up for 10-15 seconds, put the lever back down and drive the 3 miles to the ramp, it will crank right up immediately. This is just an annoying problem that I thought there might have been a service update on.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

Leave the primer solenoid RED lever in the automatic position (over the solenoid and pointed at the other end of the solenoid).<br /><br />Remove one of the primer hoses that leads to the intake manifold area.<br /><br />With the ignition key ON (engine not running), have someone hold the key in (you should hear a click from/in the solenoid) while you pump the primer bulb. Fuel should shoot out that hose.<br /><br />If no fuel flows out of that hose, I would suspect that there is no voltage being applied to the primer solenoid, or it is faulty.

 

[james roach]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

It does click when you push the key in. Once the motor starts if you push the key in, it will shut down the motor after a few seconds. It sounds like it may not be supplying enough fuel. Will troubleshoot and get back to you.

 

[codkiller]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

james roach, I believe what you are hearing when you pump the bulb is fuel filling the carburetor bowls not spraying into the intake.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Primer celenoid on 1987 Johnson 200

I have had a starting problem with my engine (early 80s 175, discussed in another thread). What I finally came up with might be worth trying for you:<br /><br />Really pump the bulb. Not just firm, but as hard as you can get it. I've been around outboards all my life and have always just pumped the bulb until it firmed up. This engine I really need to pump it more than that.<br /><br />Use the key primer (key in on position, key pushed in) for at least 8 seconds. My engine actually starts significantly better if I hold it in for a long, 8-10 seconds - and that's 8-10 seconds, not a quick count 1 - 10. That's a long time when you're sitting there starting a motor, and the tendancy is to count fast and make it more like 3 to 5 seconds.<br /><br />Doing these two things (really pumping up the bulb and priming for a good long time) made all the difference in the world for my engine. It went from a very frustrating cold starter to a easy, quick starter- first or second try every time with hardly any need to coax it along as it warms up.